[2026] A summer song that tightens your chest with bittersweet feelings. A classic summer tune that touches the heart.

Ghost in the FlowersYorushika

Yorushika – Ghost in a Flower (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

It’s a captivating piece with a beautiful melody that evokes fleeting memories of summer days.

In this number by Yorushika, memories of passing seasons and dear ones are portrayed like faint phantoms.

The summer scenes woven into the lyrics carry a nostalgic scent of summer, overlapping with the landscapes tucked away in each listener’s heart and stirring a gentle ache, don’t you think? Released in April 2020, the song touched many as the theme for the animated film “A Whisker Away.” It is also included on the acclaimed album “The Book of Theft.” Give it a listen when you want to be alone with your thoughts on a summer evening, or when you want to immerse yourself in a beautiful melody.

Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako

Unchanging Things

It’s a ballad in which Hanako Oku’s piano tones and clear, translucent voice gently nestle close to the listener’s heart.

The piece centers on treasured memories from days gone by and feelings that never change, and it almost seems to convey the aching wishes of the film’s characters.

Featured as an insert song in the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, released in July 2006, it moved many people and can be heard on the single Garnet and the album TIME NOTE.

If you listen to it when you’re feeling a touch of loneliness at summer’s end, or when reminiscing makes you long to see someone again, the worldview of the lyrics will surely resonate with you.

It’s the perfect song for those moments when you want to tuck away memories of someone dear and indulge in a slightly sentimental mood.

Please take your time and savor it!

HANABIHamasaki Ayumi

Ayumi Hamasaki / HANABI ~episode II~

This is a song whose bittersweet yet beautiful melody seeps into the heart, as if announcing the end of summer.

Ayumi Hamasaki expresses the fleeting beauty that vanishes in an instant, and the yearning for rebirth that arises from it, all conveyed through a deeply emotive vocal performance.

This track is included on the EP “H,” released in July 2002 and certified a million-seller.

Many of you may also remember it as a commercial jingle.

It’s a classic you’ll want to listen to on nights when you want to linger over the passing season and lose yourself in a beautiful melody.

sunflowerFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Sunflower (Full ver.)

A richly emotive piece by Masaharu Fukuyama, where the sound of the piano gently resonates in the heart.

Like a large flower blooming toward the sun, it weaves memories of a beautiful summer with a lover who gave a dazzling smile, expressed in a melody that is both aching and warm.

The song was included on the triple A-side single “Niji / Himawari / Sore ga Subete sa,” released in August 2003, which held the No.

1 spot on the Oricon charts for five consecutive weeks.

Originally written for Kiyoshi Maekawa, the track was later performed by Fukuyama himself with a new arrangement.

When you find yourself longing for summers gone by, this song may quietly stay by your side.

GarnetOku Hanako

Garnet

This is the theme song of the animated film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” a track where Hanako Oku’s vocals resonate deeply with the heart.

It captures the sparkle of days gone by and an unchanging feeling for someone precious—listening to it might just make your heart ache a little.

Released as a single in July 2006, it further heightened the film’s emotional impact.

Try listening to it on a summer evening when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood or when you’re remembering old friends.

It’s a song that will surely stay gently by your side.

Midsummer FireworksLIL LEAGUE

LIL LEAGUE “Midsummer Fireworks” Music Video

A gem of a love song that likens a once-in-a-lifetime summer romance to the fleeting brilliance of fireworks painting the night sky.

Released in July 2025 as the fifth single, it was selected as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “Wednesday Platinum Night.” Layering vocals over a dance track with traditional Japanese flair, it portrays a heartrending love.

Just reading the lyrics conjures up the relationship between the two and really tugs at the heartstrings.

Hearing this song will surely bring back the bittersweet memories of summer.

Promise of SunflowersHata Motohiro

Stand by Me Doraemon theme song: “Himawari no Yakusoku” (Promise of a Sunflower)

The lyrics, written as a message to someone precious, are deeply moving, and the depiction of parting is so heartrending it brings you to tears.

Chosen as the theme song for the film “STAND BY ME Doraemon,” this track is cherished as a “tearjerker.” It’s a ballad that highlights Motohiro Hata’s beautiful, gentle vocals.

It evokes the bond between two important people—reminiscent of Doraemon and Nobita—and as you listen, you can’t help but cry.

Even when two people care for each other that much, circumstances can still force them apart.

The song tells a story that connects with the film’s narrative in this way.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hane Keisuke

Report a problem