A roundup of iconic J-pop autumn songs that colored the Heisei era. Let’s listen to autumn tunes that touch the heart!
Among songs that beautifully sing of the changing seasons, those themed around autumn hold a special charm.
During the Heisei era, Japan’s music scene produced many masterpieces that painted vivid autumn scenes.
From bittersweet love stories to the imagery of autumn leaf viewing, these songs express the many faces of fall through music.
In this article, we introduce classic J-POP tracks rich with autumn atmosphere, born during the roughly 30 years of the Heisei period from 1989 to 2019.
Please enjoy these moving autumn masterpieces, together with your fond memories.
- [Autumn Songs] Songs of autumn. Classic tracks and popular favorites you’ll want to listen to in the fall.
- Autumn songs that were hits in the ’90s. Classic and popular tracks in Japanese music.
- Autumn songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic fall tunes and recommended popular tracks.
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A collection of iconic J-pop autumn songs that colored the Heisei era: Listen to these heartwarming fall tunes! (21–30)
spidersupittsu
This is a track by Spitz featuring exhilarating, fast-paced guitar sounds.
The song portrays a tenuous yet powerful bond between two people drawn together by fate.
It carries a buoyant sense of excitement—like they’re stretching just a bit, yet filled with confidence about the future—that lifts the listener’s spirits as well.
After being included on the album “Sora no Tobikata” (How to Fly in the Sky), it was released as a single in October 1994 in response to radio buzz.
With its refreshing, breeze-like energy, it’s a perfect companion for a drive.
It’ll get stained.Chatto Monchī
If you’re looking to indulge in a slightly sentimental mood on a chilly autumn night, I recommend a wistful mid-tempo number from Chatmonchy.
Released in November 2008, this song poignantly conveys the loneliness of city nights and the tender ache of stretching yourself to do something unfamiliar.
The gradient of a heart that has lost something precious and is slowly dyed a different color seems to resonate in your chest, carried by Eriko Hashimoto’s aching vocals.
This was the band’s ninth single and marked their first entry into the Oricon Top 10.
It was also used as the theme song for the drama “Tonsura” and included on the classic album “Kokuhaku” (Confession).
Sing it earnestly at karaoke, and memories of your youth might just come flooding back.
A collection of iconic J-pop autumn songs that colored the Heisei era: Let’s listen to heartwarming autumn tunes! (31–40)
Go Go Round This World!fisshumanzu
It’s a classic by Fishmans, beloved for their genre-defying, original sound! Built on a foundation of reggae and dub, the song’s gently floating feel is a perfect match for the slightly wistful air of autumn.
While it sings of universal emotions hidden in everyday life, it also unfolds a mysterious, elusive world that draws you in deeper with every listen.
Released as a maxi single in February 1994.
How about taking it along for a walk at dusk?
Even if the moon cannot be seen tonightPorunogurafiti
This song by Porno Graffitti, a rock band from Hiroshima Prefecture, pierces the heart with its exhilarating sound and wistful vocals.
Released in December 2008 as their 27th single, it is also known as the theme song for the film “BLEACH: Fade to Black.” Created with a strong determination to craft “a new signature song” for their 10th anniversary, it was later included on the acclaimed album ∠TRIGGER.
Set on an autumn night when the moon is hidden by thick clouds, the song portrays the earnest feelings of yearning for someone out of reach, wrapped in an urban, cool atmosphere.
The belief in a light that exists even when unseen aligns perfectly with the anime’s worldview.
Blending digital elements with rock, this track is ideal both for nights when you want to sink into sentiment and for belting out at karaoke.
A Smile for the Angel of TearsHarayuko
This is a gentle piece woven by piano and strings, perfectly suited to autumn’s sentimental mood! It’s a solo number by Haruko Hara, also known as a member of Southern All Stars, with lyrics and composition by Keisuke Kuwata.
Released as a single in November 1997, it was used as the theme song for the NHK morning drama series “Amakarashan.” The lyrics are deeply moving, depicting a figure who, even in despair, finds a spark of hope and tries to face forward.
Listening to her warm, embracing voice feels like your heart is being cleansed.
Woman of the Autumn MoonHarada Yuuri
The autumn scenes you hear in enka also have a way of sinking deeply into the heart, don’t they? In this song by Yuri Harada, set in Akizuki—the “little Kyoto” of Chikuzen—a woman traces the memories of a love that has ended, journeying alone.
The beautiful castle town scenery overlaps with the tight, aching loneliness in the protagonist’s chest, and the bittersweet images vividly come to mind.
Harada’s emotionally rich vocals further highlight the helpless yearning.
Released in September 2013, the song stayed in the Oricon Top 10 for over three months.
Many listeners may find themselves relating to the figure who continues her travels while bearing the pain of heartbreak.
It’s a song that gently keeps you company on a long autumn night when you want to be alone with your thoughts.
Autumn SongŌe Senri
There’s a perfect song for those autumn twilights, when the bustle of summer has passed and you suddenly feel a little lonesome.
It’s a hidden gem by singer-songwriter Senri Oe.
The lyrics, set to a gentle melody, evoke Japan’s nostalgic landscapes we all carry in our hearts—scenes like the day the mosquito net comes down, or the chill of the wind you feel as you pedal a bicycle—seeping softly into the soul.
This piece is one of the double A-side tracks released in October 1998, and it was reportedly written for NHK’s “Minna no Uta.” Perhaps that’s why it has a warmth that resonates across generations.
It’s the kind of comforting work that fills you with nostalgia when you listen while thinking back on old friends.