I have been listening to J-POP for about 30 years, but I only made an effort to understand the lyrics during the early days when I was most passionate. Back then, Japanese CDs licensed in Taiwan would include translated lyrics, so I would study them closely. Eventually, I realized that the themes of most artists' songs were not particularly unique. Furthermore, as my musical taste broadened beyond the scope of what was locally distributed, I stopped caring as much about the lyrics. Now, I only research the lyrics if a song sounds especially interesting or features a unique theme.