For When You Want to Get Sentimental: Classic Japanese Songs Overflowing with a Melancholic Atmosphere
There are times when you suddenly find yourself feeling sentimental, aren’t there?
Cheering yourself up is one way to go, but it might also be nice to just let yourself be as you are in those moments.
In this article, we’ve picked out songs you can sink into on a sentimental day.
Letting yourself go with the flow and listening to classics like these can be surprisingly soothing.
These tracks aren’t just for autumn nights—you can enjoy them in all sorts of seasons and situations.
Hopefully you’ll find a song that fits your sentimental mood.
- Emotional songs that resonate in a sentimental autumn. A collection of autumn tunes.
- A nostalgic song—a timeless classic that somehow feels familiar and touches the heart.
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[For When You Want to Get Sentimental] Classic Japanese Songs Overflowing with Melancholy (41–50)
bergamotTomonari Sora
A captivating piece of urban pop that reflects the loneliness of the city.
Created by Sora Tomonari and released in February 2025.
It blends a city pop foundation with retro-futuristic elements for a stylish finish, complemented by a beautiful, memorable melody.
The lyrics unfold a love story where scent and memory intertwine.
It’s the perfect track for nights when you want to linger in your memories.
Crescent Moon SunsetSakanakushon
Sakanaction masterfully fuse electronic music with a band sound, captivating listeners with their unique musical world.
This track, included on their debut album GO TO THE FUTURE released in May 2007, is a number that symbolizes the early days of the band’s career.
Evoking a scene where the sun sets and a slender moon peeks into the sky, the song conveys the frustration felt within the repetition of everyday life, as well as a quiet resolve to change something.
Upon its release, it garnered major attention in their home of Hokkaido, reaching No.
2 on the Sapporo Hot 100 chart, and it was also selected as the ending theme for MBS’s MM-TV.
It’s a stylish track that gently accompanies reflective autumn nights.
moon bathingYorushika
As the clamor of summer recedes and quiet nights grow more comforting, there’s a dreamlike song by Yorushika I want you to hear.
Their music is known for its literary worldview, and this piece is a beautiful ballad through and through, layering the feeling of cherishing what matters as time slips by over scenes bathed in moonlight.
Suis’s clear yet powerful vocals deepen the bittersweet, grand atmosphere even further.
Released in October 2023, the song also served as the theme for the feature anime Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: Star Sage, so many listeners may have immersed themselves in that world as well.
When you’re reminiscing about a joyful summer and feeling a touch lonely, this song will surely stay gently by your side.
Gray and Blue (+Masaki Suda)Yonezu Kenshi
This is a song by Kenshi Yonezu that drew huge attention through a collaboration with Masaki Suda, who also radiates overwhelming presence as an actor.
The track is included on Yonezu’s fourth album, “BOOTLEG,” released in November 2017.
Looking back on the bygone days of youth, this slightly sentimental piece is perfect for long autumn nights when the clamor of summer has subsided.
It depicts a yearning for those radiant “blue” days and the struggle of living in a “gray” reality, with the poignant feeling of missing an old friend you can no longer see conveyed through their two voices.
It’s a heart-tugging song that, when you listen to it as you recall happier times and feel a bit lonely, seems to awaken emotions tucked away deep in your heart.
Late Summer (A Season for One)Arai Yumi
This is a song by Yumi Arai that overlays the changing seasonal scenery with the end of a romance and the beginning of time alone.
The sight of leaves blazing with color and delicate flowers swaying in the wind seems to reflect the protagonist’s loneliness.
The song was included on the album “The 14th Moon,” released under the name Yumi Arai in November 1976, and it also served as the theme song for the NHK dramas “Natsu no Furusato” and “Maboroshi no Budōen.” Its poignant melody—mingling a lingering affection for the summer that has passed with a quiet resolve for the seasons to come—resonates deeply with listeners.
Whether you play it on a drive while reminiscing about summer or during a slightly chilly evening stroll, it will gently keep you company.
Memory LaneCIMBA
This is a masterpiece by Simba, a rising star in Japanese R&B.
While it carries a bright mood, its sentimental lyrics, which recall important memories and make you reflect on the present moment, resonate deeply in the heart.
to shake; to sway; to waverDADAKAKA
This is luxury neo-soul filled with the chill-out mood of Dadakaka, who enjoys strong support in the underground scenes centered around Kyoto and Osaka.
The comfortable piano melodies and rich vocals create an exquisite experience, letting you sink into a nostalgia for your hometown.