A classic song themed around a summer festival. A song of summer memories (2026).

Love FestivalNEWS

Love Festival

Drawn in by the heart-pounding rhythm of the festival music, you can’t help but feel your heart flutter with the arrival of summer.

Capturing that very exhilaration of summer festivals and the sparkle of bittersweet romance is a standout song by NEWS.

Its up-tempo sound, highlighted by taiko drums and flutes, feels as if it has turned the unique bustle and heat of a festival straight into music.

The lyrics seem to portray a fleeting yet beautiful love swaying beneath the lights of night stalls and the burst of fireworks.

Released as a single in July 2013, this track brims with the momentum of the moment when the group was embarking on a new chapter as a four-member unit.

The same single also includes WORLD QUEST, which fired up an international soccer tournament.

It’s the perfect companion for times when you want to revel in summer’s euphoria or sink into sweet, wistful memories.

Yes, the summer festival.angela

Yes, the summer festival.

There’s a song that brilliantly expresses the heat and festive spirit of summer through sound.

Created by angela, this piece features KATSU’s sanshin and powerful Japanese taiko as a backdrop, while atsuko channels summer’s heat with her voice, delivering a track that makes you feel as if you’re right in the middle of a Japanese summer festival.

The lyrics skillfully weave in not only the bustling energy of a festival under the blazing sun, but also phrases that evoke traditional rain-invoking rituals, conjuring a scene where prayers to nature merge with the fervor of the people.

This track is an original new song included on the album “LOVE & CARNIVAL,” released in August 2016, which reached No.

4 on the Oricon charts.

It’s a perfect choice for those seeking live-concert-level intensity and the uniquely moving spirit of a Japanese summer.

Aoba Castle Love Songsatou muneyuki

Aoba Castle Love Song

This song, Masayuki Sato’s major-label debut, was released as a single in May 1978 and became a smash hit, selling over one million copies and earning him the New Artist Award at that year’s Japan Record Awards.

It vividly conjures images of Sendai’s beautiful cityscape and the flow of the Hirose River, and can be called a masterpiece that resonates deeply with listeners.

The lyrics portray the aching feelings of someone thinking of a loved one, leaving a poignant afterglow reminiscent of the quiet that follows a lively summer festival.

It was once used as the departure melody at JR Sendai Station, so many people may have heard it before.

If you enjoy lyrical songs that evoke the timeless scenery of Japan, or if you want to bask in gently nostalgic summer memories, this is a piece you should definitely listen to.

End of Summer, Beginning of Lovesukoppu feat. GUMI

[GUMI] End of Summer, Beginning of Love [Original Song with PV]

The masterpiece by Vocaloid producer Scop sparkles like fireworks fleetingly coloring a summer night sky, capturing both a momentary glimmer and a heart-aching poignancy.

Amid the bustle of a festival, you look up in a yukata at the final burst of light—along with feelings of love that end without ever being spoken.

That bittersweet scene is vividly expressed through a melody that is light on its feet yet tinged with melancholy.

First released in July 2012, the song later became available as a commercial single in February 2013.

It has also been included in compilations such as “Seishun Vocalo starring GUMI, Lily” and “EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocaloseasons feat.

Hatsune Miku Summer.” It’s the kind of song that gently stays by your side when the summer festival ends and a sudden loneliness sets in, bringing back those faint memories of days gone by.

Smile Ondoyuzu

Smile Ondo

Just hearing the intro, buzzing like a festive hayashi, instantly transports you to the lively bustle of a summer festival—Yuzu has crafted just such a song.

Included on the mini-album “Yuzu Smile,” released in July 2003, it overflows with a charm that puts a smile on everyone’s face.

The sound of Japanese taiko drums and spirited calls ring out, conjuring scenes of people of all ages forming a circle and dancing.

In the lyrics, bonds that span generations, gratitude for everyday life, and a warm wish for a peaceful world are sung alongside the joyful atmosphere of a festival.

This mini-album reached No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

It also includes “Mata Aeru Hi Made,” the ending theme for the anime Doraemon, making it a work the whole family can enjoy.

Perfect for summer events—and for those times you need a boost—listening to it will naturally bring a smile to your face.

First Love KamishibaiRēmondo Matsuya with Mabuchi Chion

Hatsukoikamishibai (Duet Version)

This is a duet by Raymond Matsuya and Chi­haru Sakai, performing under their real names, Tomo­no Mabuchi.

The song vividly revives the scenes of a summer festival that set hearts aflutter in yukata, and the kamishibai storytelling seen in a shrine grove.

Through their harmonies, you can keenly feel the faint yearning glimpsed through cotton candy and the bittersweet ache for a first love that can’t be redone.

Released in May 2014 as the coupling track to the single “Asayake no Futari,” many may also recognize it from Karaoke DAM.

Mabuchi’s winning the grand prize at a 2013 audition led to the birth of this emotionally rich duet.

When you want to bask in the bittersweet memories of a summer day, this song will gently stay by your side.

Goldfish scoopingHitoto Yo

Yo Hitoto / Goldfish Scooping

Inspired by that familiar game from summer night stalls, this classic by Yo Hitoto beautifully captures the passing of the seasons, fleeting feelings of love, and a touch of melancholy nostalgia.

Beginning with a quiet piano melody that gradually shifts into a seductive R&B vibe, the sound seems to mirror the loneliness that follows a summer festival.

The choice of words and rhythmic flow evoke scenes like lights shimmering on the water’s surface.

Released in July 2003 as Hitoto’s third single, the song reached No.

13 on the Oricon weekly chart.

That same month, a special live show for purchasers, “Sarasaraiya,” was held at Tokyo Kinema Club—an unforgettable memory for fans.

It’s also included on the album “Hitotoso.” This is a song you’ll want to hear at summer’s end, when you’re in the mood to savor a touch of bittersweet afterglow or the quiet that settles in after lively days.