Songs you want to listen to at the end of summer: Late-summer classics to look back on the season

Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako

Unchanging Things

It’s a ballad in which Hanako Oku’s piano tones and clear, translucent voice gently nestle close to the listener’s heart.

The piece centers on treasured memories from days gone by and feelings that never change, and it almost seems to convey the aching wishes of the film’s characters.

Featured as an insert song in the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, released in July 2006, it moved many people and can be heard on the single Garnet and the album TIME NOTE.

If you listen to it when you’re feeling a touch of loneliness at summer’s end, or when reminiscing makes you long to see someone again, the worldview of the lyrics will surely resonate with you.

It’s the perfect song for those moments when you want to tuck away memories of someone dear and indulge in a slightly sentimental mood.

Please take your time and savor it!

Baby BabyKami wa saikoro o furanai

God Does Not Roll Dice 'Baby Baby' - Live Scenes [Official Music Video]

The four-piece rock band from Fukuoka, Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai, released a track in June 2024 featuring lyrics themed around love and hope.

First unveiled during their live house tour, the song’s lyrics reflect the experiences and emotions of the tour, paired with an evolved sound.

While it’s an uptempo tune, it also includes pop elements that make it perfect for sing-alongs, suiting the sentimental mood at the end of summer.

It’s a recommended number for those who want to look back on summer memories while feeling hopeful about the seasons to come.

End of SummerShimizu Shota

Shota Shimizu “Natsunoowari” from SHOTA SHIMIZU LIVE TOUR 2023 “Insomnia” supported by Taica

This song is a lovely ballad that captures the unique loneliness everyone feels at least once at the end of summer.

Its bittersweet yet beautiful melody seeps deep into the heart, evoking memories of a summer romance that ended too soon and a nostalgia too delicate to put into words.

Shota Shimizu’s soulful, sometimes fragile vocals bring that scene to life with even greater clarity.

The track appears on Shota Shimizu’s fifth album, ENCORE, released in March 2014.

It’s perfect for listening alone on a late summer night.

Season in the SunTUBE

Season in the Sun TUBE (HD quality)

This is TUBE’s quintessential summer anthem, packed with the faint wistfulness that comes as summer draws to a close and the radiant, sun-like energy that still blazes on.

Vivid scenes of the endless blue sea and bittersweet young love unfold in your mind, instantly transporting you to summer the moment you press play.

Released in April 1986 as the band’s third single, it was also included on that year’s album THE SEASON IN THE SUN.

You might recognize it from Kirin Beer and Suntory commercials.

Peaking at No.

6 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, this track is sure to set your heart ablaze whenever you feel like reminiscing about days of youth gone by!

Stand by me, Stand by you.Hirai Dai

Hirai Dai / Stand by me, Stand by you. (Lyric Video)

This is a digital single by Dai Hirai that sings of the love between two people brought together by fate, set to the warm, heartening tones of an acoustic guitar.

You can picture lovers who, against miraculous odds among billions, find each other, feel happiness in everyday moments, and support one another.

As summer draws to a close and a touch of wistfulness sets in, listening to this song may help you reaffirm the bond with the person by your side.

Released in September 2020, the track is also included on the album “Life Goes On.” It has colored many couples’ happiest moments as the CM song for Mynavi Wedding.

It’s a song we hope will be heard by two people who, along with their shining summer memories, wish to stay together forever.

Summertime CinderellaRyokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Summer Time Cinderella' Official Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Summer Time Cinderella

It’s a song packed tight with a love that shines like the midsummer sun—dazzling, yet a little bittersweet.

Like Cinderella’s magic, it captures the thrill of a love that sparkles in a fleeting moment, along with the urgency to confess those feelings before summer ends.

The protagonist’s emotions—drawn in despite confusion by a romance sparked by an unexpected encounter—will deeply resonate with anyone who’s experienced unrequited love.

Released first digitally in July 2023 and later as a CD single in September of the same year, the track colored Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama, “Midsummer Cinderella.” It also won an Excellence Award at the 65th Japan Record Awards.

Why not listen to it with someone special as you make summer memories?

A midsummer passing showerUtada Hikaru

Hikaru Utada – Midsummer Shower

A song that delicately weaves together the deep sorrow of losing someone precious and the love that still refuses to cease.

Like a gentle rain falling in the depths of the heart, it moves the listener—so quintessentially Hikaru Utada.

Included on the 2016 album Fantôme, this piece was released when Utada resumed musical activities after about eight years.

When you want something to quietly accompany the loneliness at summer’s end or those sudden pangs of wistfulness, this warm melody will envelop you.

On a night when you’re thinking of someone dear, why not listen closely?