SKE48 – Mirai to wa?. Lyrics Meaning: The Future Isn’t Tomorrow, It’s Right Now

What exactly is the future? SKE48’s song “Mirai to wa?” asks this big question and gives an answer that’s way simpler than you’d think. It’s not about next year or even tomorrow. It’s about something much, much closer.

    What’s the Big Idea in SKE48’s “Mirai to wa?”?

    This song is basically a huge wake-up call. It’s telling us to stop daydreaming about some far-off future and to realize that the future is literally happening as we speak. It’s an energetic push to get moving.

    It’s All in the Next Second

    The main hook of the song is this mind-blowing idea. The future isn’t some distant concept. It’s the very next second of your life. The girls sing it loud and clear right from the start.

    Mirai to wa?
    What is the future?
    1-byougo
    It’s one second from now
    Ashita demo
    Not tomorrow
    Rainen demo naku
    Not next year
    “Tatta ima” kara hajimaru nda
    It starts from “right now”

    See? They’re totally flipping the script. Everything we see and experience has already become the past. The only thing we can truly influence is the very next moment.

    No More Waiting Around

    The song paints a picture of someone just standing still, waiting for things to happen. SKE48 is not having it. They use the image of an hourglass to show how quickly time passes, one tiny grain of sand at a time.

    Sunadokei
    An hourglass
    Tsugi no hitotsubu ga
    The next single grain
    Ochita toka ochitenai toka
    Whether it has fallen or not
    Sonna sukima ga genzai
    That tiny gap is the present

    That tiny moment, that “gap” before the next grain falls, is all we have. The song’s message is simple: you can’t just wait. You have to be the one to make the next grain of sand fall.

    Take That First Scary Step

    Okay, so starting “right now” can be scary. What if you don’t know where you’re going? The song gets that. It talks about looking at the endless blue sky and feeling small. But it doesn’t let you stay scared. It gives you a direct command.

    Osoreru na!
    Don’t be afraid!
    Tamerau na!
    Don’t hesitate!
    Mukou ga mienakutemo
    Even if you can’t see what’s ahead
    Ippome fumidase yo
    Take that first step!

    It’s all about having the courage to just begin. Even if the path isn’t clear, taking one step is how you start building that future you want.

    The Main Story: Your Future Starts in One Second

    The core story of “Mirai to wa?” is about a powerful shift in perspective. It’s a narrative that urges you to stop viewing the future as a distant destination you hope to arrive at someday. Instead, the song reframes the future as a continuous creation that begins with your very next action, your very next thought, in the very next second.

    The Big Takeaway: Your Potential is Your Future

    So what’s the lesson here? It’s incredibly empowering. This song tells you that your future isn’t decided by fate or luck. It’s defined by your own choices, starting right this instant. The power is entirely in your hands. As the song wraps up, it leaves us with this final, powerful thought: Bokura no kanousei koso ga mirai, which means “Our potential itself is the future.” Your ability to act, to change, and to grow is what the future is made of. It’s not something you wait for; it’s something you are.

    So, how does this song make you feel? Does it change your view on what “the future” really means? It’s a pretty cool way to think about it, right? Let me know your thoughts!

    Lyrics: "Mirai to wa?" by SKE48


    SKE48 – Mirai to wa? [Lyrics KANJI]


    未来とは?
    1秒後
    明日でも
    来年でもなく
    “たった今”から始まるんだ
    僕らに見えてるすべては過去さ

    青空 見上げて
    世界の涯(はて)はどこか 探した
    雲ひとつもなく
    宇宙まで続いているのだろう
    無限大

    恐れるな!
    ためらうな!
    向こうが見えなくても
    一歩目 踏み出せよ

    未来とは?
    1秒後
    砂時計
    次の一粒が
    落ちたとか落ちてないとか
    そんな隙間が現在
    未来とは?
    1秒後
    明日でも
    来年でもなく
    “たった今”から始めようぜ
    僕らは待ってるだけじゃだめなんだ

    何かをやると
    思い浮かべた瞬間 誰もが
    微笑んだように
    一回 瞬(まばた)きをするんだ
    I will… 叶(かな)えよう

    夜が来て
    闇になり
    一人で残されても
    過去形の星が灯る

    未来とは?
    目の前の
    兆したち
    いつか来るなんて
    他人事じゃつまらないよ
    そんな先のことじゃない
    未来とは?
    目の前の
    白む空
    刻々と変わる
    そう今すぐに立ち上がろう
    僕らは夜明けを待ちきれない

    未来とは?
    1秒後
    砂時計
    次の一粒が
    落ちたとか落ちてないとか
    そんな隙間が現在
    未来とは?
    1秒後
    明日でも
    来年でもなく
    “たった今”から始めようぜ
    僕らは待ってるだけじゃだめなんだ

    僕らの可能性こそが未来

    SKE48 – Mirai to wa? [Lyrics ROMAJI]


    Mirai to wa?
    Ichi-byō-go
    Ashita demo
    Rainen demo naku
    “Tatta ima” kara hajimaru n’da
    Bokura ni mieteru subete wa kako sa

    Aozora miagete
    Sekai no hate wa dokoka sagashita
    Kumo hitotsu mo naku
    Uchū made tsudzuite iru no darō
    Mugendai

    Osoreru na!
    Tamerau na!
    Mukō ga mienakute mo
    Ippo-me fumidase yo

    Mirai to wa?
    Ichi-byō-go
    Sunadokei
    Tsugi no hitotsubu ga
    Ochita toka ochitenai toka
    Son’na sukima ga genzai
    Mirai to wa?
    Ichi-byō-go
    Ashita demo
    Rainen demo naku
    “Tatta ima” kara hajimeyō ze
    Bokura wa matteru dake ja dame nan da

    Nanika o yaru to
    Omoikabeta shunkan dare mo ga
    Hohoenda yō ni
    Ikkai mabataki o suru n’da
    I will… Kanaeyō

    Yoru ga kite
    Yami ni nari
    Hitori de nokosarete mo
    Kako-kei no hoshi ga tomoru

    Mirai to wa?
    Me no mae no
    Kizashitachi
    Itsuka kuru nante
    Hito-goto ja tsumaranai yo
    Son’na saki no koto janai
    Mirai to wa?
    Me no mae no
    Shiramu sora
    Kokkoku to kawaru
    Sō ima sugu ni tachiagarō
    Bokura wa yoake o machikirenai

    Mirai to wa?
    Ichi-byō-go
    Sunadokei
    Tsugi no hitotsubu ga
    Ochita toka ochitenai toka
    Son’na sukima ga genzai
    Mirai to wa?
    Ichi-byō-go
    Ashita demo
    Rainen demo naku
    “Tatta ima” kara hajimeyō ze
    Bokura wa matteru dake ja dame nan da

    Bokura no kanōsei koso ga mirai

    SKE48 – Mirai to wa? [English translation]


    What is the future?
    It’s not one second from now,
    Not tomorrow,
    Nor next year,
    It starts “right this very moment”!
    Everything we can see is already the past, you know.

    Looking up at the blue sky,
    I searched for where the end of the world might be.
    Without a single cloud,
    It probably stretches all the way to space, right?
    It’s infinite!

    Don’t be scared!
    Don’t hesitate!
    Even if you can’t see what’s ahead,
    Just take that first step!

    What is the future?
    One second later…
    The hourglass,
    Whether the next grain of sand
    Has fallen or hasn’t fallen yet—
    That tiny gap is the present!
    What is the future?
    It’s not one second from now,
    Not tomorrow,
    Nor next year,
    Let’s start “right this very moment”!
    It’s no good if we just keep waiting.

    The moment everyone
    Imagines doing something,
    As if smiling,
    They blink once.
    “I will…” Let’s make it happen!

    Even if night comes,
    Turns to darkness,
    And you’re left all alone,
    Stars of the past will light up the way.

    What is the future?
    It’s the signs
    Right before our eyes!
    Saying it will “someday come”
    Is boring if it’s someone else’s business.
    It’s not that far off!
    What is the future?
    It’s the sky
    Lightening right before us,
    Changing moment by moment.
    Yes, let’s stand up right now!
    We just can’t wait for dawn!

    What is the future?
    One second later…
    The hourglass,
    Whether the next grain of sand
    Has fallen or hasn’t fallen yet—
    That tiny gap is the present!
    What is the future?
    It’s not one second from now,
    Not tomorrow,
    Nor next year,
    Let’s start “right this very moment”!
    It’s no good if we just keep waiting.

    Our potential, that’s truly the future!

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