Songs to listen to under the moon: classic and recommended popular tracks to enjoy the Mid-Autumn full moon
An autumn tradition: moon viewing! Offering rice dumplings and pampas grass, gazing at the beautiful moon and letting your thoughts wander—this indispensable seasonal custom is said to have begun in the Heian period.
By the way, there are works across many genres themed around the moon.
In this article, we’ll introduce standout songs among these “moon tunes” that perfectly match an o-tsukimi scene.
We’ve included pieces with beautiful sonorities that suit the Harvest Moon, songs for spending time with family, and tracks that children can enjoy.
As you gaze up at the moon, try listening while layering your own feelings onto the music.
- [Moon Songs Special] Famous songs about the moon. Songs you’ll want to listen to under a full moon or in the moonlight.
- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
- [Autumn Songs] Songs of autumn. Classic tracks and popular favorites you’ll want to listen to in the fall.
- [For Seniors] Autumn Songs That Touch the Heart: From Nostalgic Children’s Songs and School Songs to Showa-Era Kayōkyoku
- [Masterpieces Singing the Full Moon] Carefully Selected Popular and Classic Songs Related to the Moon
- [Autumn Classics] Japanese Songs to Listen to and Sing in October: A Curated Selection of Beloved, Heartfelt Hits
- Songs to Listen to in September: Popular J-POP Tracks That Capture the End of Summer and Early Autumn
- Colorful coming-of-age songs perfect for autumn listening
- Ballad songs perfect for autumn. Timeless mellow hits for the fall season.
- Songs of the constellations: classic and popular tracks you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the night sky
- Famous songs about the crescent moon. Recommended popular tracks.
- Autumn Classics: Carefully Selected Exquisite Ballads to Listen to in September
- Masterpieces that sing of the stars. Star songs that resonate in the heart, best heard beneath the night sky.
Songs to Listen to for Moon Viewing: Classic and Popular Picks to Enjoy the Mid-Autumn Full Moon (1–10)
Moon BowlSakanakushon
Sakanaction continues to captivate many fans with their inventive sound that fuses rock and electronica.
Featured on the concept album “Adapt,” released in March 2022, this track is also known as the song from the TOYOTA Yaris Cross commercial.
Created around the theme of “adaptation,” the album’s worldview is symbolized by a wish to overcome stifling days, evoked through the image of moonlight shining into a dark bowl.
Listening under the Harvest Moon, the beautiful melody melts into the night and brings a sense of calm.
Liar MoonYorushika
A delicate ballad by Yorushika, where the piano’s quiet melody and vocalist suis’s gentle voice seep into the heart.
Released in June 2020, this song served as the ending theme for the animated film “A Whisker Away,” adding a tender afterglow to the story.
It portrays the protagonist’s profound loneliness and sense of loss as they continue to wait, even as the memory of “you” grows faint.
Layering poetic words, it expresses an unquenchable thirst of the heart.
On an autumn night, why not gaze quietly at the beautiful moon alone and let your thoughts drift to days gone by?
I was looking at the moon.Yonezu Kenshi
It’s a ballad with a grand sense of scale.
Released by Kenshi Yonezu in June 2023, this song was written as the theme for the game FINAL FANTASY XVI.
Its lyrics, which portray the loneliness that comes from cherishing someone under the moonlight and the salvation found within an inescapable fate, resonate deeply with listeners.
The strained, heartfelt vocals intertwine with the sweeping sound to heighten immersion in the story.
Why not gaze at the moon and let your mind wander through a story of your own?
Songs to listen to during moon viewing: classic and recommended popular tracks to enjoy the Mid-Autumn full moon (11–20)
Under the moonlightMONGOL800
MONGOL800 is a rock band based in Okinawa, beloved across generations.
Released in September 2001, their classic album MESSAGE set a record with over 2.8 million copies sold as an indie release, and it includes the song Under the Moonlight.
This track is a love song that sings of pure feelings for a cherished person, conjuring beautiful scenes like moonlight and the summer night sky.
Another hallmark is its structure: it shifts from a gentle, ballad-like first half to an energetic punk sound in the latter half.
This dynamic progression vividly captures the emotional swell as quiet affection transforms into a fiery resolve.
Let’s dance in the moonlightmoumoon
A song by moumoon that paints a fantastical world where you enjoy dancing with animals in a moonlit field.
Released in May 2010, the track is notable for its warm melody and gentle vocals.
With lyrics featuring pampas grass swaying to the rhythm, rabbits, and even the moon itself, it’s perfect for an autumn moon-viewing night.
Celebrating harmony with nature and the joy of being together, it’s a piece you’ll want to listen to with family or a loved one.
How about listening to it while gazing at the Harvest Moon? It’s sure to become a lovely memory.
Watercolor MoonHata Motohiro
This is a grand yet gentle ballad sung by Motohiro Hata.
It was also used as the theme song for the film “An” (Sweet Bean).
Centered on the warm tones of the piano, with acoustic guitar and strings layered on top, the gentle message feels even more emphasized.
The lyrics leave an impression with their bittersweet mood, as if gazing up at a bright moon in the night sky and thinking of someone far away.
It also conveys a strong resolve—to live with strength like that person—while holding cherished memories close to the heart.
It’s a calm piece that seems to find hope amid sorrow.
Moon DropsRUI
Tsuki no Shizuku (Moon’s Droplet) is a single released by actress Kou Shibasaki under the name RUI, used as both an insert song and the main theme for the film Yomigaeri.
Although it debuted at No.
14 on the Oricon Singles Chart upon its 2003 release, its sales rose along with the film’s success, and it ultimately reached No.
1.
Shibasaki’s vocals are as delicate as a full moon, making the song perfect for moon viewing.
Why not spend the Harvest Moon night listening to Tsuki no Shizuku?
