REPERTOIRE & SIGNATURE SONGSWhat is blowing is
A ballad that everyone knows."What kind of tunes does Saxophone Samurai play?" — On this page,Songs that are actually played oftenandWhy are you choosing that song?have put them together. The order is based on the official YouTube channelin order of actual popularityis.As of 1 September 2026
The songs we’ll be playing are ones that everyone, across all generations, can hum along toClassic J-pop balladis the focus. It isn't a song selection intended to astonish with flashiness. We choose tracks that help relax the heart of the person right in front of us and allow them to take a deep breath.
Playing a song with lyrics as an instrumental. When you do that, the listeners project their ownYou add your own words and memories.Even with the same performance, the scenery each person imagines is different. I believe that is the richest part of instrumental music.
Three criteria for choosing a songHOW WE CHOOSE
01Knowing the songWhen listening to a song for the first time, it inevitably ends up as mere "appreciation". It is precisely because a song is already known that the doors to a person's own memories are unlocked.02Being slowUpbeat songs get your blood pumping, but it is a slow tempo that unwinds the mind. I prefer to choose songs that let you hold a single note for a long time.03Suiting the place and the dayEven with the same song, how it resonates changes between a street corner at dusk and the quiet of a hall. It is not uncommon to see the atmosphere of the venue and decide on the day.
Read about our dedication to sound
20 songs I often playRepertoire
published on the official YouTube channel900 videos, grouped by song for those with song titles in the title, and ordered from highest to lowest view count. The numbers areas of 1 September 2026I am from
1Letter to TomorrowAoi Teshima85.4万2SnowflakeMika Nakashima75.1万3The Shape of YouMisia34.1万4A Melody Instead of a BouquetShota Shimizu25.8万5DogwoodYo Hitoto25.1万6糸Miyuki Nakajima24.1万7I love youYutaka Ozaki22.8万8Naked HeartAimyon19.8万9I want to see you right nowMisia16.1万10TSUNAMISouthern All Stars14.8万11366 daysHi13.5万12楓Spitz11.9万13EverythingMisia11.7万14The song of pointillismMrs. GREEN APPLE10.8万15If You Wish For A Miraclejuju8.7万16You Raise Me Up—8.3万17Overflowing with kindnessjuju7.1万18LemonKenshi Yonezu6.5万19Rainy BlueHideaki Tokunaga4.6万20Let's go home.Fujii Kaze4.6万
* Videos of the same song performed on different days have been combined and totalled. The length of the bar represents the proportion relative to the song with the highest score, which is set at 100%.In addition to these 20 songs, they have also performed ‘The Promise of Sunflowers’, ‘Powder Snow’, ‘Filling Up’, ‘Red Sweet Pea’, ‘Day by Day’, ‘Lion Heart’, ‘I’, ‘Eyes On Me’, ‘Fall in Love’,‘Part of Your World’, ‘Scales’, ‘Love Story’, ‘Sleepless Nights Are Your Fault’, and ‘Love Shines Brightly’, amongst others.
Six tracks that are particularly popularSIGNATURE
No. 1 / 854k viewsLetter to TomorrowAoi Teshima / Soprano saxophoneThis is the most played track.27 booksvideo exists, 23 August 2026,Over 1,000 people on the roof in OkazakiThe bottle chosen for the day you all gathered, on its own447,000 timesPlaying now. I talk about the reasons why I keep playing this song in a separate video.No. 2 / 751k viewsSnowflakeMika Nakashima / Soprano Saxophone26 booksand is the song with the most videos posted. I often choose it for playing outdoors in winter as well as in the height of summer. The peak was a single video in December 2022.329,000 times25 August 2026,Over 1,500 people at a shrine on a weekdayWe also have a recording of the performance from the day you visited.No.3 / 341k viewsThe Shape of YouMISIA / Soprano Saxophone23 itemsvideos, and every single one of them consistently gets a lot of listens. There isn't one that really stands out,built up over repeated sessionsIt's a number. It's a song often chosen when you want to make your sound carry a long way in a crowded venue.No. 4 / 258k viewsA Melody Instead of a BouquetShota Shimizu / Soprano saxophoneWhere is the video?Only threeHowever, one of them204,000 timesIt has been played and become the track that has reached the most people per piece. It is a tune that suits the sound design of Sax Samurai, who can slowly sustain a single note.No. 5 / 251k viewsDogwoodHitoto Yo / Soprano SaxophoneThis is a piece I often play in early spring.11videos, and the most viewed one is94 thousand timesIt is a song that goes well with parks and outdoor venues.No. 6 / 241K views糸Miyuki Nakajima / Soprano SaxophoneWhere is the video?6 bottlesI don't have many, but there is one I filmed on a street in Nagoya in June 2024201k timesIt is currently playing. It is one of the songs that the greatest number of people, regardless of generation, can hum along to.
955ten thousand timespublished on the official YouTube channel900 videosThis is the total number of plays (as of 1 September 2026). The same performance is also shared on X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok.
I play three different saxophones.THREE SAXOPHONES
Saxophone SamuraiThree saxophonesI change them while playing. Depending on the song and the venue, I choose the pitch and thickness of sound that suits best. Even for the same song, I might change them depending on the day.
Ssoprano saxophoneThis is the one I use the most. Its thin, clear, high-pitched tone resonates closest to the human singing voice. I play the majority of classic ballads, such as "Ashita e no Tegami", "Yuki no Hana", and "Ai no Katachi", on this single instrument.Aalto saxophoneIt has a slightly richer and softer sound than the soprano. I use it in songs like "Nada no Kokoro", "Kiseki o Nozomu Nara", and "Yasashisa de Afureru You ni".Ttenor saxophoneIt is the lowest and thickest-sounding one. I am still using the first one I bought with my part-time job earnings when I was a university student. I use it on songs like "Lemon" and "Rainy Blue".
About the tracklist and requestsABOUT REQUESTS
The programme has not been decided in advance.I select the songs on the spot on the day, after gauging the atmosphere of the venue and the audience. When booking, I also kindly ask that you refrain from submitting a setlist and instead leave the song selection for the day entirely up to me.
Requests at the venue are generally not permitted.This is because if I were to take requests from just one person, I would end up receiving requests from many others, which would make it impossible to keep the live stream running smoothly. Thank you for your understanding.
Furthermore, all the pieces being playedAfter completing the copyright proceduresIt has been delivered. Please listen with peace of mind.
View FAQs
How to countHOW WE COUNT
1Play count and order900 videos published on the official YouTube channelof whichVideos with song titles in the titleare grouped by track and the play counts have been summed up.as of 1 September 2026views. This figure does not include plays on other social media platforms such as X, Instagram, or TikTok.
Live streams and videos that do not include the song title in the title are not included in this ranking.
2Frequently played songWhat is lined up here is,Videos that include song titles in their titlesThat is all. At the actual live performances, we also play many songs that have not been made into videos. Please note that this is not a ranking of the performance frequency itself.
3Saxophone usedThis is based on the instrument name (Soprano sax / Alto sax / Tenor sax) stated in the title of each video. Even for the same piece, it may be played on a different instrument on different days.
You are welcome to quote figures or feature this article. We would appreciate it if you could include the URL of this page as the source. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via the enquiry form.
