During the fall foliage season, our hearts are captured by the beautiful landscapes that shine in the crisp autumn air.
Of course, the breathtaking views at famous spots are wonderful, but even the small scenes we come across in everyday life can soothe us.
Those vivid hues of red, yellow, and orange.
Spend the moment with music, and you’ll create even more wonderful memories.
In this article, we’ve picked songs that pair perfectly with autumn leaves.
There are plenty of autumn-themed songs, but surprisingly few that focus specifically on fall foliage.
So we’ve also included tunes that match a leisurely stroll, perfect drive songs for cruising down a momiji (maple) road, and some ballads as well.
We hope this helps you choose the perfect BGM for your fall foliage outings.
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Timeless songs that pair perfectly with autumn leaves. Fall tracks ideal for beautiful scenery and drives (1–10)
Iroha Japanese mapleHitoto Yo
This is a song by Yo Hitoto that vividly evokes grand autumn scenery.
You can feel a gentle atmosphere in the sound, as if you’re gazing over sweeping fall foliage while a cool autumn breeze brushes past.
The timbre resembles an erhu, and while the track progresses with a Chinese-style sound image, the lyrics strongly conjure images of Japanese landscapes.
A key point is how the lyrics delight with their wordplay, mirroring autumn leaves with feelings for a precious person.
Incorporating elements of the iroha poem, it sweetly and playfully portrays a relationship with someone you love, giving the song a tender, bittersweet air.
Embraced by autumn leaves50TA
This is a song by 50TA, the singer-songwriter persona of Eiko Kano that originated from a TV show prank project.
With lyrics depicting the autumn scenery unfolding before your eyes and the days spent with someone special, and a sound that carries a touch of nostalgia, it’s a straightforward piece you wouldn’t expect to be written and composed by a comedian.
If you listen without thinking too much about the TV show’s concept, it’s simply a good song; if you pay close attention to the project’s premise and the specific word choices in the lyrics, there are also parts that will make you laugh.
It’s an intriguing track.
maple leavesNHK Tōkyō Jidō Gasshōdan
Listening to the poetic lyrics and the somehow wistful melody, you can almost picture the scene of beautiful yet fleeting autumn leaves dancing in the air.
The familiar school song “Momiji” is something many people, regardless of generation, likely sang in music class during their elementary school days.
It is said that the lyricist, Tatsuyuki Takano, was so moved by the beauty of the autumn foliage he saw from the now-defunct Usui Pass “Shin’etsu Main Line Kumanodaira Station” that he wrote this poem.
Beyond this piece, he also penned famous songs such as “Spring Has Come,” “Furusato,” and “Spring Brook,” showing that he was a poet who skillfully rendered scenic imagery and the changing of the seasons into words.
It might be fair to say that this is the song most Japanese people associate with autumn leaves.
Indigo Sky and the Moonrakuyō
An autumn scene woven from a translucent singing voice and delicate melodies.
In this track by Aizora to Tsuki, the duo of Kanju and Ray, beauty and fragility are portrayed in a way that evokes a riverside lined with falling autumn leaves.
Released in November 2023, the piece overlays the loss of happiness and the difficulty of self-salvation with autumnal imagery.
The depiction of an elderly couple and a gaze cast into the distance will stir deep empathy in listeners.
A companion for a foliage drive or an autumn stroll—this is a song that stays close to the heart.
Recommended for moments when you want to sink into a sentimental mood or face yourself.
Togetsu Bridge ~Thinking of You~Kuraki Mai
This song was specially written as the theme for the film Detective Conan: The Crimson Love Letter.
As the title suggests, it closely follows the story of the work and leaves a strong impression with its Japanese sensibility that evokes an autumnal Kyoto scene blanketed in crimson leaves.
The lyrics depict memories with a loved one and the feeling of thinking of someone dear even when apart, carrying a certain wistfulness.
It’s a piece that perfectly matches the melancholic image of the autumn season, conveying the pain of continuing to hold someone in your heart.
Maplesupittsu
When it comes to Spitz, I feel they have more songs that evoke spring and summer—like “Namida ga Kirari☆” and “Nagisa,” which conjure up summer, or “Cherry,” which brings to mind a refreshing spring.
So if you ask which Spitz song goes with autumn’s hallmark, the changing leaves, the obvious choice is their monumental classic “Kaede.” Although it was released on Tanabata in 1998, from the very first piano notes the song is suffused with exquisite melancholy, and Masamune Kusano’s crystalline vocals and distinctively poetic lyrics seem perfectly matched to an autumn scene filled with swirling foliage.
That said, it’s no flimsy ballad—the solid drumming and sinuous bass line assert the band’s rock ’n’ roll pride.
It’s a timeless masterpiece, as if the fleeting beauty of fall leaves had been etched forever into music.
A world without youto shiki
Singer-songwriter Toshi, who is active mainly on social media and is drawing attention at an extraordinary pace unusual for a newcomer, is known for a distinctive singing voice.
The 2022 TikTok hit “A World Without You” makes a strong impression with its opening of sentimental guitar arpeggios.
The lyrics, which evoke someone trying to face forward while remembering someone dear, may stir a wistful mood that perfectly matches autumn foliage.
It’s a bittersweet number whose melancholy melody resonates with the heart.
