Songs to listen to in autumn: Ranking of popular Japanese bands [2026]

Nagisasupittsu96rank/position

Spitz / Nagisa

When the summer heat subsides and a hint of autumn rides on the breeze, it makes you feel a bit sentimental, doesn’t it? Gentle and resonant against that late-summer melancholy is a number by Spitz.

Contrary to its sparkling, refreshing sound, it depicts a profoundly layered world where reality and fantasy intertwine.

The ache of clutching warped memories and yearning for someone you can only meet in a mirage overlaps with the loneliness of the passing season, sinking deep into your heart.

Released in September 1996, this song is also included on the album “Indigo Chiheisen.” It became well-loved as the CM song for Ezaki Glico’s “Pocky Love Story.” It’s a track you’ll want to savor alone, lost in your summer memories.

Japanese rice is the best in the world.Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai97rank/position

Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai “Japanese Rice Is the Best in the World”

With their uniquely unparalleled position, Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai deliver what is undeniably Japan’s number-one rice song.

The heavy sound pairs with lyrics that are refreshingly original—once you hear it, no one can complain.

It’s a track that really fires up the crowd live, so be sure to learn the response cues and go absolutely wild.

Feel with your ears how Japan’s natural character spreads across your palate.

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Murakami Shinpei

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Mela!Ryokushokushakai98rank/position

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Mela!' Music Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Mela!

This song powerfully portrays the protagonist’s determination to carve out a new path while staying true to themselves.

Even as they face challenges, their courage to help others and their desire to become a hero come through vividly alongside energetic music.

Included on Ryokuoushoku Shakai’s album “SINGALONG,” released in June 2020, the track stands out for its strong melody and an upbeat style that blends pop and rock.

It was featured in the commercial song for Dariya’s “Palty Coloring,” and was also used in a JRA (Japan Racing Association) commercial in 2025.

It’s a song that gives junior high school students stepping into new environments the courage to believe in their potential and the energy to look ahead.

more than wordsHitsuji Bungaku99rank/position

Hitsujibungaku – more than words (Official Music Video) [TV Anime “Jujutsu Kaisen” Shibuya Incident Arc Ending Theme]

Hitsujibungaku captivates with their unique sound that blends inorganic coolness and warmth, along with poetic, delicate word choices.

Released in September 2023, this track was selected as the ending theme for Season 2 of the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen, the Shibuya Incident arc, and has surpassed 100 million streams.

Incorporating a four-on-the-floor beat and programmed sounds for the first time, the piece is an ambitious work produced by Moeka Shiotsuka after a year of studying DTM (desktop music production).

The lyrics, which reflect on how to convey feelings that words alone can’t express and on how to navigate one’s own life, really resonate.

The transparent vocals meld into the expansive soundscape, making it a song you’ll want to savor on a quiet night.

When it shinesHitsuji Bungaku100rank/position

Hitsujibungaku – When It Shines (Official Music Video) [TV Anime “The Heike Story” Opening Theme]

The shimmering, resounding guitar sound touches the heart.

It’s a song by the three-piece rock band Hitsujibungaku, released in 2022 as their seventh single.

It was chosen as the opening theme for the anime The Heike Story, produced by Science SARU.

The shoegaze-infused sonic approach is irresistible, giving you the sensation of being enveloped by sound.

The lyrics, filled with a resolve to “live,” are moving—an anime song that gives you the strength to face tomorrow.

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Araki Jakkan

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