Songs you want to listen to at the end of summer: Late-summer classics to look back on the season
Doesn’t the end of summer make you feel strangely sentimental? It’s the season when the dazzling sunlight softens bit by bit and dusk comes earlier.
You feel like lingering over summer memories or spending unhurried time with someone special, don’t you? And at the farewell of summer, the music you want to hear is somehow wistful and nostalgic.
In this article, we’ll introduce lovely songs that are perfect for the end of summer—gems that seep into the heart as the seasons change.
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Songs you want to listen to at the end of summer: Late-summer classics to look back on the season (31–40)
planetariumOtsuka Ai
When it comes to songs you want to listen to at the end of summer, there are a lot of bittersweet ones, aren’t there? Among them, a great recommendation is Ai Otsuka’s “Planetarium.” Known as the image song for the hit TV drama “Boys Over Flowers,” and beloved as a love song, its poignant melody and lyrics are a perfect fit for the close of summer.
The sound of the traditional Japanese shakuhachi echoes throughout the track, adding a subtly melancholy atmosphere that beautifully heightens that end-of-summer wistfulness.
It also brings a gentle, reflective mood when you sing it at karaoke, so definitely give this song a listen to feel the end of summer.
Love DrizzleShonan no Kaze
Shonan no Kaze’s “Koi Shigure” is a song about realizing your feelings for someone only after breaking up.
Released in 2008, it reached No.
6 on the Oricon Singles Chart.
The music video features Kosei Inoue, a judoka and gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics.
It poignantly portrays the moment at summer’s end when you realize how important they were after the breakup, yet understand you can’t go back and must look forward.
It’s a track I highly recommend for the end of summer.
incredible speedandymori
It’s a song by andymori that evokes the feeling of sprinting through the limited days of summer.
It moves forward with a straightforward, light band sound, conveying both the freshness of a summer blue sky and the anxious rush that comes with time slipping away.
It captures the surprise of realizing summer has ended before you knew it, along with the emotions that arise in that moment, while still exuding a cheerful atmosphere.
Because time passes faster than we think, it leaves you wanting to cherish each day—a song with a positive impression.
Midsummer FruitSazan Ōrusutāzu
Among Southern All Stars’ many summer-themed songs, one that beautifully captures the end of summer is Manatsu no Kajitsu.
Released in 1990, it reached No.
4 on the Oricon Singles Chart and won awards in three categories at the 32nd Japan Record Awards.
It was also used as the theme song for the film Inamura Jane, directed by Keisuke Kuwata.
The relaxed acoustic sound and Kuwata’s wistful vocals make it a truly moving classic.
Many artists, including Ayaka and EXILE, have covered the song, so be sure to give those versions a listen as well.
The summer you gave meieiri reo
Koinaka, a drama that aired in 2015 starring Sota Fukushi, featured this popular summer anthem by Leo Ieiri as its theme song.
It’s a bittersweet love song about a summer farewell that remains a favorite karaoke choice for women.
Summer is often a pivotal time for deciding one’s path, like further education or employment, and many people find themselves parting ways with someone they love.
This song gently stays close to those lonely feelings while quietly supporting you as you look toward the future—a true summer song.
Songs to listen to at the end of summer: Late-summer classics to look back on the season (41–50)
Summer’s Lost and FoundMori Hiroto
A song for the end of summer with a slightly languid mood.
Hiroto Mori’s delicate vocals and guitar tones seep into the heart.
Released in August 2024, this track is a bittersweet love song that portrays a fading summer romance.
It expresses memories surging like incoming waves and a longing to return to that place once more.
Centered on acoustic guitar, its gentle, mellow melody softly envelops the sorrow of lost love.
It’s a breezy track that can lift your spirits just a little as you gaze out the car window on a late-summer outing.
summer festivalWhiteberry
Some people go to festivals at the end of summer, right? If that’s you, I recommend Whiteberry’s “Natsu Matsuri.” It’s a classic song you hear on TV every year when festival season comes around, and I think many people have listened to it before.
The intro features a poignant, emotional vocal line, but partway through the tempo picks up and it really gets exciting—that contrast is part of its charm.
The way it evokes memories of a summer that has already passed carries a bittersweet feeling.
