[Cherry Blossom Season] Spring Song Special by Japanese Rock/Pop Bands [Meetings & Partings]

springNEW!Hitsuji Bungaku

spring

One of the standout songs from the early days of Hitsujibungaku, notable for the way it begins in silence and then erupts with storm-like emotion.

Its shoegaze-inspired guitar sound and Moeka Shiotsuka’s clear, translucent vocals vividly capture the uniquely unstable atmosphere of spring.

Many listeners will likely feel a tightness in their chest at the lyrics that seem to spill out unspoken truths and frustrations lurking behind the season’s gentle facade.

Included on their debut EP Tunnel wo Nuketara, released in October 2017, it’s a track that has long been cherished live as a core part of the band’s origins.

Said to have been written over spring break just before entering university, the song resonates with the complex feelings that accompany a period of changed surroundings shaped by meetings and partings.

It’s a number you’ll want to sink into on a night in the cherry-blossom season when you’re carrying emotions that can’t be tidied up with pretty words alone.

Spring ThiefNEW!Yorushika

Yorushika – Spring Thief (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

When the cherry blossoms dance on the warm spring breeze, don’t you sometimes feel a sudden twinge of wistfulness? Released by Yorushika in January 2021, this piece vividly captures such spring scenery.

Since it had been used as Taisei Corporation’s commercial song from March 2020, many listeners will likely find the melody familiar.

Comparing the wind that scatters the cherry blossoms to a thief, the lyrics portray the transience of life as time passes, and resonate deeply alongside the clear, translucent vocals.

Also included on the EP “Sousaku,” the song features a light, pleasant acoustic guitar that evokes the buoyant spirit of spring.

Whether you’re taking a new step forward or pausing to savor the season, it’s a track that will gently stay by your side.

cherry blossom pinkNEW!saidāgāru

Cider Girl – Sakura-iro

How about a bittersweet rock tune that tightens your chest in the season when cherry blossoms dance? Cider Girl is a rock band that paints a refreshing sense of speed with a sparkling, soda-like sound.

This track is included on their third album, “SODA POP FANCLUB 3,” released in January 2020.

There’s a backstory that the band collected fan-submitted words themed around “sakura” through a streaming program and created the song based on them.

Rina Onuki, the fourth image girl, participates as a guest vocalist, and her clear, translucent voice layered over the band’s sound further accentuates the fleeting nature of spring.

In this time when meetings and farewells intersect, it’s sure to gently nudge those stepping into a new environment forward.

The season of farewellNEW!SHISHAMO

SHISHAMO “Season of Goodbyes”

Even after graduation, the words I couldn’t say keep lingering in my chest… This song by the three-piece band SHISHAMO is a poignant medium-tempo ballad depicting unrequited love for an upperclassman and a heartfelt farewell.

It closes out the album “SHISHAMO 2,” and back in March 2015 it was also selected as Space Shower TV’s “POWER PUSH!” The protagonist’s emotions—seared by unforgettable memories of the person they loved in their school uniform, their smile—are sure to move you.

It’s a track that reminds us that spring is not only a season of new encounters, but of partings as well.

If you have memories of a love that ended without you ever saying how you felt, why not listen to this song and let it help you find closure?

springNEW!Burandē Senki

Brandy War Chronicles – Spring (Official Music Video)

This track, notable for its fusion of sharp guitar riffs and contemporary beats, is featured on Brandy Senki’s album “BRANDY SENKI,” from the Osaka-based band.

Released in May 2025, the work weaves trap-like rhythmic developments into a driving rock sound, stirring listeners’ emotions.

The lyrics, written and composed by Renge, portray a protagonist who longs for the arrival of a vibrant season yet feels impatience and stagnation while confined indoors.

In July of the same year, a music video focused on performance scenes was released, drawing attention for the band’s uniquely tense, electrifying presence.

It’s sure to offer quiet companionship on nights when your heart leaps at the thought of a new season, yet you feel a lingering loneliness, as if left behind.

Lost in springNEW!SHISHAMO

SHISHAMO "Lost in Spring"

A wistful medium-tempo ballad by SHISHAMO that portrays emotional stagnation at odds with the warmth of spring.

Its delicate sound—featuring piano and strings—leaves a strong impression, and the sense of loneliness, as if left behind in a festive season, presses on the chest.

Released digitally in March 2022 and later included on the album SHISHAMO 8, this track skillfully captures, through Asako Miyazaki’s lyrics, the uniquely springlike blend of cruelty and beauty: the season moves forward on its own while your feelings alone can’t keep up.

It may resonate deeply with those unsettled by changing circumstances or still haunted by a love that has ended.

A song that makes you want to immerse yourself in its lyrical world during this cherry blossom season.

Before the cherry blossoms bloomNEW!kinoko teikoku

Kinoko Teikoku – Before the Cherry Blossoms Bloom

This work, which marked Kinoko Teikoku’s major-label debut, is a song based on vocalist Chiaki Sato’s real experiences when she moved to Tokyo from Iwate in the spring of 2005.

The lyrics, imbued with an earnest longing for the future—like a bud just before it blooms—deeply resonate with listeners.

Released as a single in April 2015, it was later included on the album “Neko to Allergy.” It is also positioned as a story from ten years earlier that connects to their indie-era classic “Tokyo.” The song stands by those striving in a new city or separated from dear friends, offering the courage to move forward with the arrival of spring.