Rain Songs: A curated selection of tracks that feature rain in the lyrics — including many nostalgic Japanese hits
Japan has words for rainy seasons and seasonal rains, such as tsuyu (the rainy season), harusame (spring rain), and shigure (late autumn showers).
In Japanese popular music, there are masterpieces that depict the look of “rain” in each season, as well as lyrics that poignantly link rain with one’s emotions.
In this article, we’ve selected songs that feature the word “rain” in their lyrics.
We’ll cover a wide range, from nostalgic classics everyone knows to the latest hits.
Please relax and enjoy to the end as you picture scenes of rain.
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- Songs of the Rainy Season: Classic Tracks and Rain Songs That Evoke Tsuyu Through Their Lyrics
- Cool songs from the Showa era. Masterpieces from Showa that shine with sensuality, passion, and rugged charm.
- Children’s songs to sing on a rainy day / children’s songs with a rain theme
- A classic Japanese song that sings of sorrow
- A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
[Rain Songs] Carefully selected tracks with 'rain' in the lyrics! Many nostalgic J‑Pop hits also featured (21–30)
Rain and CappuccinoYorushika
A gem of a ballad perfect for the rainy season, suffused with the sound of rainfall and the aroma of a café.
It’s included on the album “Elma,” released in August 2019, and memorably portrays the fictional character Elma as she carries the pain of losing her loved one while living on with cherished memories in her heart.
It’s a pivotal track that established the worldview of Yorushika’s album “Elma,” and it beautifully depicts scenes of Visby, Sweden, which Elma visits in the story.
Recommended for those who want to empathize with the feeling of longing for someone important, or for anyone who wants to savor music gently on a rainy day.
rainNakajima Miyuki
It is a quintessential heartbreak song by Miyuki Nakajima, evoking a poignant scene of a helpless farewell.
Originally written in November 1978 as a song for Rumiko Koyanagi, she performed it at that year’s NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
The following year, Nakajima rearranged it in a folk style and included it on her first self-cover album, “Okaerinasai.” The profound despair of being betrayed by a lover, and the loneliness like being struck by cold rain, are sung over a quiet and beautiful melody.
When you want something to gently stay close to an unhealed wound in your heart, isn’t this a work that makes you want to listen closely to that pain?
You are the rain.Ōhashi Torio
It’s a ballad overflowing with emotion that could only come from Ohashi Trio, its jazzy, sophisticated piano tones resonating deep in the heart.
You can picture someone alone on a breakwater, looking up at the night sky while hiding their tears.
That helpless loneliness of longing for someone dear overlaps with the quietly falling rain, leaving you with a poignant ache.
The beautiful melody tightens your chest before you know it.
The track is included on the acclaimed album “I Got Rhythm?” released in November 2009, which reached No.
1 on the charts.
Later selected for his best-of compilation, it stands as one of his signature ballads.
On a quiet night when you want to sink into a sentimental mood, its gentle tones will surely stay close to your heart.
Heart Rainindigo la End
A beautiful ballad by indigo la End that sings of rain falling endlessly on the heart.
Through the symbolic motif of rain, it poignantly portrays the complex emotions of a woman facing the end of a relationship.
The lyrics delicately express the wavering between the resolve to leave and the guilt that comes with it, as well as the gradual cooling of affection—feelings anyone who has experienced a breakup can relate to.
Released in February 2016, this song was also featured in a commercial for the smartphone game “Shoumetsu Toshi” (Disappearing City).
It’s a track that gently keeps you company on a rainy night in the rainy season, when you’re alone in your room listening to the sound of the rain, or when you want to face the end of a romance.
Rainy Driverimase
Set against a rainy-day drive, this gem by imase delicately portrays the subtle dynamics and emotional shifts between lovers.
The rain that starts after crossing the Shuto Expressway mirrors the cold distance growing between the two, sensitively expressing the moment when a once-sunny relationship begins to cloud over.
The frustration of trying to convey your feelings only to be met with feigned indifference, and the hope that two parallel lines might one day converge, resonate alongside the sound of the rain.
Featured on the May 2024 album “Bonsai,” this track is highly recommended for anyone struggling with the instability of love or those who want to savor the special atmosphere of a rainy day.
Rain followed by clear skiesMr.Children
This is a song by Mr.Children that portrays everyday life with the hope that a constricted heart will be set free.
The light sound, played with a simple arrangement, makes the world of the song feel more familiar.
Many listeners may find the lyrics relatable, as they depict a monotonous daily routine that repeats almost unconsciously, along with the attempt to find hope within it.
The lyrics also provide detailed depictions of everyday scenes, making the characters’ emotions feel vividly real.
Rain MelodyKinKi Kids
This is a KinKi Kids ballad adorned with delicate expressions that seem to reflect emotions in each raindrop.
Released in October 1999 as a double A-side single, the song blends a wistful melody line with mature vocals to stunning effect, topping the Oricon weekly chart for two consecutive weeks.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to quietly during the rainy season, watching the rain flow past your window.
For those carrying the pain and loneliness of heartbreak, it will gently stay by your side.