Songs to Listen to in September: Popular J-POP Tracks That Capture the End of Summer and Early Autumn

Summer EndKoresawa

Koresawa “Summer End” Official Audio

The end of summer somehow feels a little lonely and makes you long for someone, doesn’t it? That’s when Koresawa’s track gently stays by your side.

You can almost see the scenes where the fleeting summer is overlapped with the “you” who’s no longer here.

It’s a mellow ballad that tenderly captures that helpless, aching feeling of a summer, a love, and a dream that never came true, carried by her smooth, wistful vocals.

This song is included on the mini-album “Summer Love,” released in August 2022, closing out an album packed with summer memories.

Listen to it on a late-summer drive or on your solitary walk home lost in thought, and you’ll feel a surge of affection for the season that has slipped away.

Summer FeverNatsunose

MECRE – Natsunose feat. Sumi “Transparent Summer Fever” MV

The track I find myself wanting to hear in that faintly wistful season when summer fades and autumn begins to stir is a song composed by Natsunose.

It sings of the loneliness of summer’s heat gradually turning transparent, and of memories that refuse to disappear.

The scene of cicadas’ frantic cries receding into the distance and the sudden pangs of loss are rendered with delicate clarity by vocalist Sumi’s refreshing voice—it really hits you in the chest.

Released in August 2023, the piece came about through a creator matching project sparked by Sumi’s 9th-place finish in the UtaKore 2022 Spring Top 100.

It’s perfect for a late-summer walk or drive—a number that gently keeps you company as you reminisce about days gone by.

Crimson-colored sunsetFujifaburikku

Fujifabric – Akane-Colored Sunset

The autumn-tinted evening sky has a way of stirring a certain wistful sadness, doesn’t it? A perfect match for such a scene is a classic ballad by the rock band Fujifabric.

It captures the loneliness of being far from home, and yet the glimmers of hope one still manages to find, resonating with a lyrical melody.

It’s not merely sorrowful—there’s a curious strength to it that lets you look forward just a little, even as you reflect on the past.

After first appearing as a demo on their indie-era mini album “a la mold,” the song was released as a single in September 2005.

It was also used as the ending theme for the TV Kanagawa program “saku saku.” It’s a track you’ll want to listen to on nights when you want to bask in summer memories, or when you wish to quietly sink into your thoughts alone.

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

Utakata / Wa Nuka [Music Video]

As the clamor of summer fades and a hint of loneliness settles in, Wanuka’s songs resonate deeply.

Like bubbles that rise to the water’s surface and vanish at once, they seem to sing of fleeting summer romances and memories.

Beneath the wish to be beautiful lies an inescapable emptiness and bittersweet ache, carried on delicate, subtly Japanese-tinged melodies that press upon the heart.

This work was released in February 2022 and is also included on the first album Aonizai, released the same year.

It’s the perfect track for a late-summer dusk, when the night breeze turns a little chilly and you want to be alone with your thoughts.

It will gently stay by your side as you reflect on the season that has passed.

Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako

Unchanging Things

A piano ballad that lets you sink into a wistful mood, as if longing for the summer that has passed.

The singer is Hanako Oku, a singer-songwriter often praised as someone whose “voice alone can move you to tears.” This work centers on the irreplaceable nature of everyday life and feelings that never fade, even as time goes by.

Its message—yearning to reach someone you may never meet again, transcending time and distance—truly strikes the heart.

Included on the single “Garnet,” released in July 2006, it served as an insert song in the feature-length animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, heightening the emotion of its climactic scenes.

It’s a number you’ll want to listen to on a slightly chilly evening at dusk, as you look back on your summer memories.

Shadows of SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Summer Shadow” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, known for popular songs like “Lilac” and “Dancehall,” released a perfect end-of-summer track in August 2025.

It’s their first summer-themed song in about seven years since “Ao to Natsu.” The lyrics capture an indescribable, sentimental feeling that comes with the changing seasons.

There’s a bittersweetness in the way the protagonist blames their pounding heart and hesitation on the summer heat and the lengthening shadows.

Give it a listen as you savor the passing days of summer.

Harmony at Summer’s EndInoue Yosui & Anzen Chitai

Yosui Inoue & Anzenchitai - Harmony at the End of Summer

A classic created by the collaboration between Yosui Inoue and Koji Tamaki’s band Anzen Chitai, “Harmony at Summer’s End.” Released in 1986, it’s the perfect song to wrap up the joyful moments of summer.

The lyrics were written by Yosui Inoue, and the music composed by Koji Tamaki.

True to its title, their two voices weave a beautiful harmony.

On top of that, the lyrics are very romantic, ensuring the end of a summer becomes a special memory.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Yoimachi Jēn

Report a problem