Songs to Enjoy in Summer! Classic Hits Special (Showa & Heisei)

The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro

Naotaro Moriyama – Natsuno Owari

When it comes to the Summer Koshien, many people probably think of this song alongside the passionate battles of the high school players.

Sung by Naotaro Moriyama, it’s a classic ballad that vividly captures the wistful feeling of summer slipping away.

Released as a single in August 2003, it was later included on the acclaimed album “Ikutsumo no Kawa o Koete Umareta Kotobatachi.” At first listen, it sounds like a love song about someone far away, but the fact that it also carries a prayer for peace adds depth to the piece.

Chosen as the ending theme for the 85th “Nettou Koshien,” it moved many to tears.

It’s a song you’ll want to play at summer’s end, quietly basking in your memories.

secret base 〜What You Gave Me〜ZONE

ZONE “secret base ~What You Gave Me~” MUSIC VIDEO

This is a signature song by ZONE, a girl band active from the late ’90s to the early 2000s, and it’s remembered as a classic summer anthem.

The fact that it was released in 2001, along with its memorable lyrical phrases, makes their limited-time reunion in August 2011 an especially moving episode.

The mellotron tone that resonates at the beginning leaves a strong impression, creating a bittersweet mood that evokes nostalgic summer memories.

The overall gentle sound and lyrics portraying a summer farewell stand out, and the song not only conveys sadness but also evokes the image of moving forward into the future.

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Goodbye, Summer DaysYamashita Tatsuro

Tatsuro Yamashita “Goodbye Summer Days”

There may be no other song that expresses the faint melancholy brought by the passing summer so beautifully.

In fact, this work is based on Tatsuro Yamashita’s own experiences in high school, and it vividly evokes the breathtaking scene of a rainbow after the rain, seen at a pool at summer’s end.

Released in May 1991 as a lead single from the album ARTISAN, it also became familiar as the theme song for a Dai-ichi Life commercial.

The end of those shining days and the tender longing for a youth to which we can never return are woven together through a clear, translucent voice and melody.

Listen to it on a summer evening, and you may feel long-forgotten bittersweet memories well up in your heart.

Blue Coral ReefMatsuda Seiko

Blue Coral Reef

The famously soaring high notes in the intro make this an absolute classic that just screams “Seiko-chan.” Released in July 1980 as her second single, it’s surely one of the signature songs of early Seiko Matsuda.

The lyrics paint a straightforward picture of pure excitement: under the blue ocean stretching out before her, the protagonist can’t contain her overflowing feelings of love.

Beloved as the song for Glico’s “Yorell” commercial, it also topped The Best Ten for three consecutive weeks.

Put on this exhilarating summer tune and your mood will skyrocket—there’s no doubt it’ll make a seaside drive in summer many times more fun.

Summer Colorsyuzu

Natsuiro

It’s the song that marked Yuzu’s debut and one of the duo’s signature tracks.

Throughout, it’s infused with a sense of rising excitement and a refreshing atmosphere for summer, and it’s loved as a song that symbolizes the season.

The light, acoustic-guitar-centered sound—highlighting their identity as a folk duo—also conveys positive feelings toward summer.

The straightforward expression of a heart that wholeheartedly welcomes summer, along with youthful memories associated with the season, is another point that communicates its fun.

Even if you don’t share the exact same summer memories depicted in the song, it invites listeners to imagine their own similar summer experiences.

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Midsummer FruitSazan Ōrusutāzu

Southern All Stars – Midsummer Fruit [Live at Chigasaki Park Baseball Stadium, 2023]

This song tells a beautiful, fleeting love story set against poignant summer scenes.

Its relaxed acoustic sound is striking, and the lyrics—interweaving summer’s melancholy with budding romance—resonate deeply.

Released in July 1990 as Southern All Stars’ 28th single, it was chosen as the theme song for the film Inamura Jane, directed by Keisuke Kuwata.

Notably, because the song was produced after filming had wrapped, additional shooting was done to change the theme song—a well-known anecdote.

It’s a perfect track to listen to with summer memories in mind, and great for a drive.

Highly recommended for anyone nursing a bittersweet love.

Over DriveJUDY AND MARY

Over Drive

When it comes to quintessential summer anthems of the ’90s with an exhilarating, piercing sense of freshness, it has to be this one by JUDY AND MARY.

YUKI’s free-spirited lyrics—like something leaping out of a fairy tale—blend seamlessly with TAKUYA’s sprightly guitar riffs to whisk listeners into the ultimate summer mood.

Released in 1995, the song also aired in a Toyota commercial and peaked at No.

4 on the Oricon charts.

Packed with the band’s condensed energy, it’s perfect for a drive—brimming with a charm that makes you want to keep on cruising under the summer blue sky.