Yumi Arai Popular Song Rankings [2026]

I want to go back to that dayArai Yumi8rank/position

Those Were The Days / Anohi Ni Kaeritai (2022 Ｍix)

Yumi Arai’s sixth single, released in October 1975, is a love song that wistfully longs for days gone by.

Chosen as the ending theme for the TBS drama “Kazoku no Himitsu,” it reached No.

1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart, selling approximately 615,000 copies in total and becoming Yuming’s first number-one hit.

Even knowing it can never come true, the heart drifts back to “that day.” The guilty feeling that recalling a past love might hurt someone in the present, and the irrepressible urge to return to it—this duality is rendered with delicate nuance through a restrained yet uplifting melody and a prose-like narrative voice.

It’s a song that gently stays by your side on nights when old romances come to mind.

An Afternoon Spent Watching the SeaArai Yumi9rank/position

An Afternoon Spent Watching the Sea

Every time I think of you, I think of this shop.

Now I’m here alone, drinking soda water.

I wish I had honestly told you back then that I liked you, that I loved you.

When we fought that time, I wonder why I couldn’t cry then.

I’ve come to feel that shedding tears is not something to be ashamed of.

December RainArai Yumi10rank/position

December Rain / Jyunigatsu No Ame

This song, which captures the loneliness of winter and the bittersweet longing for a love that has passed, is a gem that represents the early work of Yumi Arai.

Released in October 1974 and included on the album MISSLIM, it features a restrained band performance as its foundation, while the beautiful choral work by Tatsuro Yamashita and Taeko Onuki leaves a strong impression.

There is even an anecdote that Yamashita agreed to join the recording on the condition that he handle the chorus arrangement.

Set against a winter scene of December rain, a quiet nostalgia for days that will never return rises to the surface.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to softly by a window streaked with cold rain, when you feel like immersing yourself in memories of the past.

No reply needed.Arai Yumi11rank/position

No Need To Reply / Henji Wa Iranai

This is the memorable debut single by Yumi Arai, known as Yuming, who would go on to lead the later J-POP scene.

Produced by Hiroshi Kamayatsu, with illustrious musicians like Yukihiro Takahashi participating, it’s an astonishingly polished track for a debut.

Its light, American rock-style sound pairs perfectly with her urbane, slightly cool vocals.

The lyrics, in which she senses the end of a romance and draws the curtain herself by saying “I don’t need an answer,” also feel like a brave front masking held-back loneliness.

That precocious sensibility may well have been the glimmer of the talent that would later give rise to countless masterpieces.

The Fourteenth MoonArai Yumi (Matsutoya Yumi)12rank/position

Yumi Arai – The 14th Moon (from “Love in Japan, and Yumin.”)

It’s a track included on Yumi’s fourth album.

When we think of the moon, a full moon usually comes to mind first, but these unusual lyrics are inspired by the 14th-day moon—the day before the full moon.

It has a rock feel and is a staple at live shows.

The rock band Spitz has also covered it.

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COBALT HOURArai Yumi13rank/position

Cobalt Hour

It’s well known that before getting married, Yumi Matsutoya performed under the name Yumi Arai! During her Yumi Arai era, she released numerous city pop classics, and this song in particular seems perfect for a grown-up date! It captures the thrill of speeding down the expressway to Shonan and Yokosuka, making you feel excited and full of anticipation!

If I’m wrapped in kindnessArai Yumi (Matsutoya Yumi)14rank/position

Wrapped in Gentleness – Yumi Arai (Yumi Matsutoya)

Yumi Arai’s song “Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara,” also famous as the theme song for Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, is a classic from the period when Yumi Matsutoya—affectionately known as Yuming—was performing under the name Yumi Arai.

What makes this song so easy to sing is, above all, its widespread recognition.

Since people of all ages know it, it’s a reliable choice for karaoke when a wide range of generations are gathered.

If you’ve never sung it before, take this opportunity to add it to your repertoire.

The melody is easy to remember, and it’s a very gentle, soothing song.

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