[Let's Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous songs related to festivals.
When you think of summer festivals, there are so many things to enjoy—fireworks, food stalls, and more.
And at Japanese festivals, mikoshi (portable shrines) and bon odori (bon dances) are essential, too.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of songs related to these festivals! When you hear “festival-themed songs,” you might think of a lot of enka, but we’ve picked tracks across a wide range of genres—J-pop, rock, idol music, and more—that kids can get excited about, with modern touches woven in as well.
These songs are perfect companions for festivals, and there are also tracks that let you soak up the festival mood or savor the afterglow.
Be sure to check out some festival tunes that match your taste!
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[Let’s Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous festival-related tracks (41–50)
Love is a fire festivalJunretsu
Set against the night of a port town, this piece sung by Junretsu vividly portrays the blazing scenes of love.
Blending the sentiment of mood kayō with the dynamism of rock, it becomes a powerful number that stirs the listener’s heart.
The passionate feelings of two people nestled together by the harbor at night are sung with dramatic intensity, flaring up like festival flames.
Included on a single released in September 2017, it was later selected for the November 2018 album “Junretsu Best Vol.2 2015–2018.” It’s the perfect track when you want to elevate the festival mood or immerse yourself in a passionate love song on a night in.
You can almost picture Junretsu’s signature performance, and just listening is sure to set your heart dancing.
Raging Taiko Drum ~Including ‘Outlaw for Life’~Sakamoto Fuyumi
With its soul-stirring taiko drums and Fuyumi Sakamoto’s powerful vocals, this track hits with overwhelming intensity.
Released in March 1987, the song marked her brilliant debut, sweeping numerous newcomer awards, and can rightly be called a masterpiece in enka history.
The lyrics, set against quintessential Japanese scenes like life’s resolve and Kyoto’s Gion summer festival, portray a man’s way of living as if his very soul were ablaze—igniting the listener’s heart.
Re-recorded in September 2008 with a subtitle, it has become indispensable in her live performances and enjoys passionate support.
It’s the perfect song for moments when you want to feel the exhilaration of a festival and a passion rising from deep within.
Samama Festival!Mrs. GREEN APPLE
A refreshing track by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE packed with the lively spirit of summer festivals.
Its uplifting melody and energetic sound feel great, letting you fully savor the excitement of the coming summer.
日本工学院のCMテーマソングおよびテレビ朝日『musicるTV』のオープニングテーマに起用され、夏の定番として多くの人々の心をつかんだ。
This song features a pop arrangement that shines on summer stages and rhythms that heighten the festive mood.
Why not add it to your playlist as a track that will boost your energy in the hot season?
summer festivalSuga Shikao
There are probably more people than you’d expect who’ve been lazing their way through summer vacation and didn’t even realize there was a summer festival today.
The perfect festival song for folks like that is Shikao Suga’s “Natsu Matsuri.” It’s included on the 1999 single “Amai Kajitsu.” The lyrics depict waking up in the early evening just as the real festivities are about to start, and simply watching the lively festival outside from inside the house.
It’s a track that captures a languid summer moment—feeling like you kind of want to go, but also don’t really care either way.
fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi
This is a song co-created by Kenshi Yonezu and DAOKO as the theme for the film “Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?”.
In the movie’s story, there’s a scene of a fireworks festival where a man and a woman with an indescribable relationship watch the fireworks together, and the poignant lyrics, which evoke the complex emotions that intersect in the main story, really hit home.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when the summer festival season brings fireworks to the sky.
Festival NightKoyanagi Rumiko
Released in 1971 as Rumiko Koyanagi’s second single, “Omatsuri no Yoru” (“Festival Night”) reached No.
2 on the Oricon chart and became a major hit following her debut single “Watashi no Jokamachi.” The protagonist goes to a festival with the person she loves, only to be told there that he will be moving to a faraway town.
Unable to bear the lively, dazzling atmosphere of the festival, she runs away and wanders, unable to even return home—a portrayal that is truly heartrending.
Ondo Dango Three Brothers
Bon Odori version! Here’s an idea for “Ondo Dango 3 Kyodai.” It’s an arranged version of “Dango 3 Kyodai,” which has been loved by children since its 1999 release.
Keeping the same catchy lyrics and rhythm that stick in your head after just one listen, this version incorporates call-and-response shouts and taiko drums to create a Bon Odori arrangement! With its irresistibly singable, fun atmosphere, children will naturally join the circle and enjoy dancing.
It could also be fun to design choreography inspired by dango.