Relive those feelings from back in the day! Youth anthems recommended for the Yutori generation

Promise in Madder Redikimonogakari

Ikimonogakari 'Akane-iro no Yakusoku' Music Video

Written and composed by Yoshiki Mizuno, this song deliberately uses the word “farewell” to express the vow “until death do us part,” carefully weaving feelings that we want to cherish precisely because our time is limited.

Kiyoe Yoshioka’s translucent vocals intertwined with warm strings evoke the poignancy of an autumn dusk.

Released in October 2007 as their seventh single, it was featured in au’s “LISMO!” commercial and served as the ending theme for tvk’s “saku saku.” It’s a perfect track for long autumn nights, one that makes you want to listen while reminiscing about your school days.

Night of Osmanthuskinoko teikoku

Kinoko Teikoku — Night of the Osmanthus

This song by Kinoko Teikoku delicately portrays the sentimental feelings that arrive in fleeting moments on autumn nights.

Carried by a beautiful, slightly ephemeral guitar tone, it quietly speaks of longing for someone unforgettable.

With the scent of fragrant olive stirring old memories, the lyrics—steeped in the ache of time that can never return—perfectly accompany the uniquely melancholic mood of autumn.

It was included on the album Time Lapse, released in September 2018.

An emotional yet gentle track, ideal for listening to at night when you’re spending time alone.

red-yellow fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans)Fujifaburikku

Fujifabric – Red-Yellow Osmanthus

That flutter in the chest at dusk in autumn, stirred by the elusive scent of fragrant olive drifting from who knows where.

Released in September 2004 as the autumn installment of Fuji Fabric’s Four Seasons series, this song delicately captures the moment when an invisible thing like a scent awakens memory.

From the opening guitar arpeggios, a lyrical mood wafts in as if the very air of autumn had been turned into sound, unfolding a lyrical world where impatience with the passage of time intersects with resignation toward fading memories.

Masahiko Shimura’s expressive power in portraying the subtle wavering of a heart that can’t fully give in to sentimentality is breathtaking.

Also included on their major-label debut album “Fujifabric,” it’s cherished as a staple that gets airplay on the radio every fall.

It’s a track you’ll want to savor on a long autumn night, recalling your walk home from school days.

ginkgoYūsuke

Yusuke 'Ginkgo'

Yusuke, who has produced many hit songs not only as an actor but also as a singer.

This is his third single, released in November 2009, which was used as the commercial song for Marukome’s “Liquid Miso.” Its melody, based on Johann Pachelbel’s Canon, lingers in your ears, and it’s the kind of song whose pleasant sound will likely captivate anyone who hears it.

Centered on the story of a couple in which the girlfriend has been given a terminal prognosis, the lyrics carry a gentle message of saying “thank you” instead of “I’m sorry,” conveying deep love and bonds alongside the sorrow of parting.

It’s a heartwarming love song that makes you want to revisit memories with someone special on a long autumn night.

Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako

Unchanging Things

This is a piece with a beautiful piano melody, perfect for those summer evenings when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood.

Through the lyrics—almost as if a character in a film were speaking directly to you—feelings of nostalgia for irreplaceable days gone by and a deep, unwavering affection for someone precious, unchanged by time, come straight through via Hanako Oku’s clear, translucent voice.

If you’ve ever had those sudden moments when a memory rushes back and your chest tightens, this will really resonate.

The song is included on the single “Garnet,” released in July 2006, and can also be heard on the album “TIME NOTE,” released in March 2007.

It is also known for coloring some of the most moving scenes as an insert song in the feature-length animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

It’s a work I hope you’ll experience at least once in a summer filled with youthful memories—friendship, first love, and more.

Memory ScrollAKB48

[AKB48] Memory Scroll Lyric Video / Yasushi Akimoto × AI Yasushi Akimoto

This song drew attention after an AI-written set of lyrics beat Mr.

Akimoto’s in the TV program “Yasushi Akimoto × AI Akimoto: AKB48 New Song Production Showdown,” aired in September 2025, leading to its release.

The lyrics vividly depict scenes of youth revealed as you pick up a long-forgotten phone from the back of a drawer and scroll through its screen.

The message says that tears shed from nostalgia become the light that guides you into tomorrow.

Experience a new era of music!

The limits of languageHinatazaka46

Hinatazaka46 “Limits of Words” Music Video

This is a track included as a coupling on the single “Onegai Bach!” released in September 2025.

Hina Kawata, who was about to graduate, served as the center.

The song contemplates the vastness of the universe while expressing the limits of putting precious feelings into words and celebrates the bonds of the heart that transcend language.

Its acoustic sound is warm and wonderful.

It’s a message song you’ll want to dedicate to someone setting off on a new journey.