Youthful songs to listen to in summer. Classic summer hits and recommended popular tracks.

Heat haze of Augustmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “August Heat Haze” MV

This is a song by the rock band Macaroni Enpitsu, formed at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Kanagawa Prefecture.

It begins with a cool, understated vibe that feels like a summer breeze, then builds powerfully toward the chorus as if pouring out emotion—an impressive sonic development.

As suggested by the title, the song evokes a desperate figure chasing something intangible and the emptiness that accompanies it.

It can also be heard as expressing the loneliness felt when the summer heat has passed.

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kappamaki

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Midsummer SunŌhara Sakurako

Sakurako Ohara – Midsummer Sun (Music Video Short ver.)

It’s the third single, released in 2015.

Seiji Kameda handled the lyrics, composition, and arrangement, making it a lavish track.

Centered on a refreshing acoustic guitar sound, it’s structured with a full band arrangement.

Our Summer DreamYamashita Tatsuro

Our Summer Dream / Tatsuro Yamashita (Cover)

No matter how old you get, summer memories are the very essence of youth.

Be sure to listen to these summer songs that touch the heart.

This track is by Tatsuro Yamashita, a singer-songwriter who has been at the forefront of the Japanese music scene for many years, released as a single in 2009.

It was written as the theme song for the animated film “Summer Wars.” Every word and every note of his voice carries depth, and as you listen, you may feel as if the sound itself is wrapping around your body.

Please enjoy it while gazing at summer’s beautiful scenery—the vast ocean, the lush green mountain ranges, and more.

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Araki Jakkan

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TSUNAMISazan Ōrusutāzu

Tsunami – Southern All Stars

Like waves that surge and recede, this is one of Southern All Stars’ signature songs, painting an overwhelming swell of emotion you can’t control.

The lyrics, which layer the deep sorrow of heartbreak and a sense of helplessness over the irresistible force of nature, have touched countless hearts.

Beginning quietly with a piano melody and then enveloping you in grand strings as the feelings rise, the song was released in January 2000.

Embraced as the theme for the TV show segment “Mirai Nikki III” on “UNNAN no Hontoko!”, it became a work remembered both in records and in memories, winning the Grand Prize at the 42nd Japan Record Awards that same year.

On nights when you’re weighed down by unbearable sadness, listen to this song—surely it will stay close to your heart.

Stars swimmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “Hoshi ga Oyogu” MV

This song, created by Macaroni Enpitsu, serves as the opening theme for the TV anime “Summer Time Rendering.” Its exhilarating yet solid rock sound leaves a strong impression, capturing themes of summer’s restless impatience and a fate that vanishes as fleetingly as fireworks.

The lyrics convey a fierce resolve to confront an unavoidable destiny, the sorrow of losing someone dear, and a determination to keep looking forward nonetheless.

Released digitally in April 2022, the track is also included on the EP “Tamáshii no Ibasho” (“Where the Soul Belongs”).

Mirroring the anime’s edge-of-your-seat developments, this piece is perfect for summer nights when you want to steep yourself in a touch of melancholy or relive the story’s emotional impact.

Magic hourRyokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Magic Hour' Official Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Magic Hour

On a summer evening at dusk, when the sky is dyed with a magically beautiful gradient, it stirs a bittersweet, slightly wistful feeling, doesn’t it? This piece by Ryokuoushoku Shakai gently accompanies such a scene—a heartwarming song about mutual love.

In the lyrics, the cherished person is likened to fireworks blooming gloriously in the night sky, while the singer likens themselves to the water’s surface quietly reflecting those fireworks, depicting a steadily growing, honest and pure emotion.

Its hauntingly nostalgic, beautiful melody evokes the wistfulness of summer’s end—an enchanting track that makes the heart flutter.

Released in August 2023, the song colored the story as an insert track for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama “Midsummer Cinderella,” and is also included on the album “Channel U.” If you share this song with someone you love while holding your joyful summer memories close, it might deepen the bond between you even more.

Season in the SunTUBE

TUBE 'Season in the Sun @ Yokohama Stadium (2013) LIVE'

This is a song by TUBE that has continued to vividly color Japan’s summers with music.

It’s said that “Season in the Sun” was actually the band’s fate-defining track, with their very survival on the line.

Under the production of Daikoh Nagato, founder of Being, Tetsuro Oda’s yearning for the sea took shape as a glittering sound that feels like dazzling sunlight and endless blue skies.

The wistful lyrics, lamenting the passing of the season, ring out powerfully in Nobutaka Maeda’s piercing high tenor, wrapping you in a rush that brings back sweet-and-sour memories of youth with striking clarity.

That exhilarating feeling is nothing short of overwhelming, no matter when you listen.