[Tanabata Song] Exquisite Japanese love songs to listen to under the starry sky
When it comes to Tanabata on July 7, the famous story is that it’s the one day of the year when Orihime and Hikoboshi are allowed to meet.
Maybe because of that episode, don’t you find yourself wanting to listen to fleeting, bittersweet love songs when Tanabata comes around? In this article, we’ll introduce love songs with a Tanabata theme that we recommend, as well as tracks that will move those in long-distance relationships and romantic songs that are perfect for the night sky.
If you’re looking for BGM for a Tanabata event or want to expand your karaoke repertoire, be sure to check it out!
- Songs of the constellations: classic and popular tracks you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the night sky
- A timeless masterpiece that lets you feel the cosmos. A space-themed song filled with dreams and love, evoking starry skies and galaxies.
- Masterpieces that sing of the stars. Star songs that resonate in the heart, best heard beneath the night sky.
- A song perfect for fireworks that color the summer night sky
- [July Songs] A selection of Japanese summer tunes perfect for the start of the season!
- A love song for grown-ups. A romantic tune to listen to at night.
- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- Popular songs on MixChannel. Heart-throbbing tunes [Dance cover / Lyrics video]
- Songs to give to your lover or someone you like. Love songs devoted wholeheartedly to your boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Love songs you want to listen to in summer. Love songs that color the summer.
- [Summer Love Songs] Hot and Heart-wrenching! Carefully Selected Summer Tunes of Love That Set Your Heart Ablaze
- Hidden gems of Japanese love songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- [Love Songs] Must-Relate! A Selection of Japanese Love Songs with Great Lyrics
[Tanabata Songs] Exquisite Japanese Love Songs to Enjoy Under the Starry Sky (41–50)
I’m Pegasus, you’re Polaris.MISIA
This is a song by the accomplished female singer MISIA.
Released in 2014 as her 30th single, it was written specifically as the theme song for a TV drama.
MISIA herself has said that she feels a deep love in the strength of the shining stars, and the lyrics—conveying a powerful sense of love—are especially compelling.
Night on the Galactic RailroadGOING STEADY
When I think of a song I’d like to sing while making a wish upon the stars, the first one that comes to mind is GOING STEADY’s “Night on the Galactic Railroad.” Sharing its title with Kenji Miyazawa’s work, this song truly evokes a mystical atmosphere that feels like the very sound of the starry world.
It’s not exactly a Tanabata song, but it’s one of the songs I’d love to sing while wishing on the stars.
When the night is filled with falling starsFujifaburikku
On a Tanabata night when the stars shine beautifully, Fujifabric’s “Hoshifuru Yoru ni Nattara” makes you long to see the one you want to meet.
Included on the 2008 album TEENAGER, this song is packed with an overwhelming desire to be with someone precious.
If only I could see such a beautiful, breathtaking view together with that person… Isn’t that what anyone with someone dear to them can’t help but wish for? Once that thought takes hold, no matter what situation you’re in, you’ll want to rush out from where you are and go meet them, just to share that scenery together! It’s a song that captures the momentum of acting on impulse while letting you feel the bottomless love that drives those actions.
The Empty One Beside the Star ~Orihime~ura man P
If you’re looking for a slightly dark-humored Tanabata song, I recommend “The Airhead Next to the Stars ~Orihime~” by Ie no Ura de Manbou ga Shinderu-P.
Longing to meet Hikoboshi, whom she can hardly see on Tanabata because of bad weather, Orihime searches for a kappa that can cross the Milky Way—yet somehow ends up getting absorbed in running a company.
When she finally meets a kappa and asks it to bring Hikoboshi to her, the story comes to an “oh dear” kind of ending.
It’s a number that portrays the bittersweet Tanabata legend with a comical, dark twist.
Did Orihime ever meet Hikoboshi? Find out with your own ears.
planetariumBUMP OF CHICKEN
Just by listening to the sound, an image of a starry sky springs to mind, doesn’t it? It’s a song by BUMP OF CHICKEN, a rock band from Chiba Prefecture.
It was released in 2005 as their ninth single.
In the stars of a homemade planetarium, you see the figure of someone dear, and think of them.
It leaves you with a kind of bittersweet feeling, doesn’t it? Please listen while gazing up at the night sky.
Night sky.miwa feat. haji→
A love ballad by miwa featuring singer-songwriter Hajime.
It’s a poignant song about longing for someone you can no longer be beside, sung as a duet between Hajime’s male vocals and miwa’s female vocals.
Their back-and-forth feels like their feelings are missing each other, which deepens the sense of heartbreak.
They care for one another, yet they can’t meet… it evokes Orihime and Hikoboshi, who can only see each other once a year.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to on Tanabata, gazing up at the night sky.
The scent of summerLUNKHEAD
Like Orihime and Hikoboshi, who can only meet once a year, LUNKHEAD’s “Natsu no Nioi” portrays the feelings you have while waiting to finally see someone important whom you rarely get to meet.
Released in 2006, the song was used in Calbee’s “Natsu Potato” commercial, and the music video features Mikako Tabe and Takahiro Hojo, who also appeared in the ad.
In keeping with the Tanabata legend, some people may be dreaming of the romantic idea of reuniting with someone special on the day of Tanabata.
This song is there to embrace those fluttery, heart‑pounding emotions you feel until the moment you meet.