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

Those summer fireworksDREAMS COME TRUE

That Summer’s Fireworks ~DWL2011 VERSION~

A medium-tempo number with a striking intro that bursts like fireworks.

It’s a quintessential DCT summer classic from their 1992 album The Swinging Star.

Summer is long, yet somehow it feels like it passes in an instant.

They say fun times fly by, and the lyrics that nostalgically look back on a fleeting summer, paired with a beautiful melody, really hit home.

The version sung a cappella, with Miwa Yoshida and Masa’s perfectly balanced harmonies, is especially heartrending and can move you to tears.

Maybe you’ve even had that moment where Ano Natsu no Hanabi was playing at a fireworks festival you went to with someone you love.

Fireworks seem to instantly bring memories rushing back, and while they revive all kinds of moments, they also carry a special feeling that lets you savor your current happiness.

All the bittersweetness and joy wrapped up in one—Ano Natsu no Hanabi.

Try listening to it while overlaying it with your own summer.

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KEI

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fireworkskyanai

Kyannai – Fireworks [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Singer-songwriter Kyannai, who shot to fame with the hit song “Vanilla,” took a brief hiatus from activities but made a comeback in 2023.

The song she released then is “Hanabi” (“Fireworks”).

It’s a summer breakup song that expresses the feeling of not being able to forget someone you let go of yourself, wanting to go back but being unable to.

Combined with Kyannai’s heartrending vocals, it’s a track that squeezes your chest.

Don’t you also have someone who comes to mind when you see fireworks? Please give it a listen while remembering someone special from your past.

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sasashina

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Golden MoonSuga Shikao

Golden Moon – Suga Shikao

Suga Shikao’s husky singing voice really suits the summer, doesn’t it? And more than anything, I find myself gripped once again by this pleasantly languid melody.

What does a relationship between two people without light look like? Please listen while imagining the various stories and dynamics woven into the lyrics.

Even without light, they search for the light that exists somewhere between them—what awaits beyond that? Pay attention to the thrilling lyrics that feel like watching a single drama unfold!

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SAKI

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bubble; foam; ephemeral (as in something short-lived)wanuka

Utakata / Wa Nuka [Music Video]

Singer-songwriter Wanuka, who has gained popularity on social media as an “active college student singer,” released this single, Uroko, digitally in 2022.

It’s a summer song whose beautiful Japanese lyrics carry a hint of traditional Japanese flavor.

Rather than evoking the blazing, scorching sun and crystal-blue skies of typical summer imagery, it offers a mellow sense of summer with its unique vibe.

Perhaps the touch of nostalgia comes from the way it sings about feelings that can’t be forgotten.

It’s an addictive track that lingers in your ears.

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utatane

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blue moontoukyou shoki shoudou

Tokyo First Impulse – blue moon (MV)

A track from Tokyo Shoki Shodo—an indie band that debuted in 2019 and is known for a punk sound influenced by Ging Nang Boyz—off their third single, “Second Kill Virgin.” It’s a rock ballad whose bittersweet lyrics poignantly capture feelings that never quite reach their destination, even as memories keep piling up.

The flowing bass, graceful drums, sparkler-like guitar in the interlude, and Shiina-chan’s richly sultry vocals all nestle up to a fleeting summer romance.

That sense of “not getting through” really is heartbreaking, isn’t it? The slow-build arrangement is sure to resonate with your heart.

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KEI

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Summer DayMoritaka Chisato

Chisato Moritaka 'Summer Days' (PV)

A heartfelt love song that sings of the small joys of spending summer with someone special.

It’s a track by Chisato Moritaka, who’s active as both an actress and a singer-songwriter, released in 1994 as her 23rd single.

At the time, it drew attention for being used as the ending theme of the variety show “Asakusabashi Young Yōhinten.” Its sound—blending lightness with a touch of melancholy—really resonates.

By the way, the drums on this track are played by Moritaka herself.

She’s truly multitalented.

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Araki Jakkan

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SquallFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Squall (WE’RE BROS. TOUR 2014 in ASIA)

Squall is a summer-themed love ballad by the hugely popular singer-songwriter Masaharu Fukuyama.

Written from a woman’s perspective, the lyrics overflow with love for the man she longs for and convey a sincere, straightforward wish to “stay together much longer.” Precisely because she’s fallen so deeply in love, she can’t help but feel lonely and wistful when parting or on the way home.

Many listeners can probably relate to those emotions.

Be sure to savor the many summery images sprinkled throughout the lyrics as well.

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Hane Keisuke

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