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

Our Summer DreamYamashita Tatsuro

Our Summer Dream

This is a song by Tatsuro Yamashita that evokes a nostalgic feeling, like a summer evening.

The beautiful melody woven by piano and strings makes it feel as if you’re watching a film from start to finish.

The lyrics seem to carry images of Japan’s lost pastoral landscapes and a gentle wish for the future, and listening to it may slowly warm your heart.

It’s a track with a warm theme that conveys bonds with loved ones and a sense of hope.

Released as a single in August 2009, it moved many people as the theme song for director Mamoru Hosoda’s animated film “Summer Wars.” It’s perfect for a summer drive with the windows down, feeling the breeze, and just as fitting for nights when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood.

Sing it at karaoke, and it’s sure to resonate with everyone.

Blue JeanGLAY

GLAY / Blue Jean

From an intro that evokes a glittering summer seaside, there’s that track that instantly draws you into its world.

In this song by GLAY, the delicate emotions stirred by memories of a past love and an unexpected reunion are portrayed through a melody that’s fresh yet tinged with melancholy.

In the lyrics’ world, an accidental encounter with a former lover unfolds into a bittersweet story where faint hopes and confusion intertwine.

Released in August 2004 as their 31st single, the song topped the Oricon weekly chart.

It also became widely known as the theme for Esthetic TBC’s commercial.

The track is included on albums such as -Ballad Best Singles- WHITE ROAD.

It’s perfect not only as BGM for a summer drive, but also for those slightly sentimental twilight hours when listening might bring back precious memories you’ve tucked away deep in your heart.

mixMarushii

Marcy – Mix (Official Music Video)

Known as the song from the Google Pixel 7a web commercial, this track by Marcy has captured the hearts of many.

Its delicate, emotional melody creates an atmosphere where the bittersweetness and warmth of late summer coexist.

It carefully depicts the subtle movements and tremors of the heart in love, gently resonating with listeners.

Released in August 2023, the song is also included on the album Candle.

A Shortcut to SummerSakurazaka46

Sakurazaka46 'Short Cut to Summer'

Its sweet-and-sour, refreshing melody is striking, as if capturing the tender feelings of first love that blossom with the arrival of summer and the casual yet sparkling moments with friends.

This track is included on the fifth single, “Sakurazuki,” released in February 2023.

A love song perfect for summer, coloring a page of youth.

Be sure to listen to it in your favorite scene!

You’re not here.Saucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Kimi ga Inai” Music Video <5th Mini Album “Lazy Sunday” Released on 2021.8.25>

A number by Saucy Dog that resonates with the heart in the summer twilight.

This song sets the protagonist’s aching feelings—holding on to unforgettable memories of love and a longing that can’t reach its destination—to a driving, exhilarating melody.

The emotions wavering between scenes of joyful days and the reality that can never be reclaimed tighten the listener’s chest.

The sentiment, akin to resignation, of “I can’t believe in forever” deeply resonates.

Released in July 2021, the track is also included on the mini-album Lazy Sunday.

It served as the ending theme for Iwate Menkoi TV’s music program BEATNIKS in September 2021.

Give it a listen on a summer night when you want to feel a little sentimental, or when you’d like to quietly reflect on a past love.

It will surely stay close to your heart.

TSUNAMISazan Ōrusutāzu

Tsunami – Southern All Stars

Like waves that surge and recede, this is one of Southern All Stars’ signature songs, painting an overwhelming swell of emotion you can’t control.

The lyrics, which layer the deep sorrow of heartbreak and a sense of helplessness over the irresistible force of nature, have touched countless hearts.

Beginning quietly with a piano melody and then enveloping you in grand strings as the feelings rise, the song was released in January 2000.

Embraced as the theme for the TV show segment “Mirai Nikki III” on “UNNAN no Hontoko!”, it became a work remembered both in records and in memories, winning the Grand Prize at the 42nd Japan Record Awards that same year.

On nights when you’re weighed down by unbearable sadness, listen to this song—surely it will stay close to your heart.

Summertime CinderellaRyokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Summer Time Cinderella' Official Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Summer Time Cinderella

It’s a song packed tight with a love that shines like the midsummer sun—dazzling, yet a little bittersweet.

Like Cinderella’s magic, it captures the thrill of a love that sparkles in a fleeting moment, along with the urgency to confess those feelings before summer ends.

The protagonist’s emotions—drawn in despite confusion by a romance sparked by an unexpected encounter—will deeply resonate with anyone who’s experienced unrequited love.

Released first digitally in July 2023 and later as a CD single in September of the same year, the track colored Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama, “Midsummer Cinderella.” It also won an Excellence Award at the 65th Japan Record Awards.

Why not listen to it with someone special as you make summer memories?