Classic songs about the four seasons—recommended popular tracks.
Music that sings of the four seasons holds a mysterious charm.Perhaps it’s because, as the seasons change, a variety of emotions take root in our hearts.Scenes of spring’s cherry blossoms in full bloom, the sparkle of summer fireworks, landscapes dyed with autumn foliage, and snow quietly piling up in winter.Artists have captured those quintessential seasonal moments through beautiful vocals and melodies—sometimes infusing their songs with joyous excitement, and other times with poignant longing.Today, I’d like to introduce you to a collection of exquisite songs that superbly depict Japan’s four seasons.
Masterpieces that sing of the four seasons. Recommended popular songs (1–10)
Spring, Summer, Autumn, WinterHilcrhyme
A gem of J-pop released in September 2009 that beautifully portrays the changing of the seasons.
In this offering from Hilcrhyme, vivid seasonal imagery and the subtleties of romance are delivered over a melodious hook, making for a touching love song.
Cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks in summer, autumn foliage, and winter snowscapes—quintessentially Japanese scenes—are woven together and overlap with memories shared with a lover.
Recommended for those who want to feel the joy of spending time with someone special and the beauty of the four seasons.
seasonikimonogakari
A song by the three-member music group Ikimono-gakari.
It’s a moving number whose lyrics link the spring of nature with the spring of life, conveying that after repeatedly experiencing and overcoming joys and sorrows, the season when flowers bloom will come again.
With a bittersweet yet powerful melody and the pleasant sound of acoustic guitar, it’s a track that evokes the feeling of spring.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Wintersumika
A song that beautifully portrays the changing of the four seasons, which gained attention as the theme song for the animated film Let Me Eat Your Pancreas.
Released by sumika in August 2018, this slow ballad features a warmly resonant acoustic guitar, and the delicate emotions depicted across spring, summer, autumn, and winter deeply move the listener.
Along with the shifting seasons, memories with a loved one and farewells are depicted, and the hope that leads into the next spring is expressed through gentle vocals and melody.
Its beautiful, heartrending lyrics—echoing the film’s story—are sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear.
cherry blossomKetsumeishi
The song itself was, of course, great, but the music video really became a hot topic.
The MV is set up like a drama and features Emi Suzuki and Naoto Hagiwara.
Suzuki looked truly neat and innocent—so adorable, right? It became Ketsumeishi’s biggest hit, fully capturing the feeling of spring.
Spring ThiefYorushika
It’s a beautiful piece that conjures up images of cherry blossoms in full bloom and petals swirling in the wind.
The message attached to the music video—“We liken life to cherry blossoms”—suggests that it’s not merely depicting spring scenery, but expressing the transience of life.
Our lives, while feeling the cycle of the seasons on our skin, will one day scatter like cherry blossom petals.
Just as people say, “This year’s cherry blossoms were beautiful,” it would be wonderful if we, like the blossoms, could remain beautiful to the very end and fulfill our lives.
fireworksaiko
This is a masterpiece whose sweet melody—like a slice of the summer night sky—and poignant lyrics about an unattainable love resonate deeply.
Released by aiko in August 1999, the song vividly portrays the fleeting yet beautiful scenes of love, like fireworks rising into the night.
Included on the album “Sakura no Ki no Shita,” it gently envelops those quiet moments before sleep or the times you gaze up at the night sky thinking of someone dear, with its delicate vocals.
It remains a song many wish to listen to alone on a quiet night, and one that continues to comfort those carrying the ache of a tender, unfulfilled love.
Winter and Springback number
Back number’s stirring melodies and delicate vocals beautifully capture the emotions of moving on from heartbreak amid the transition from winter to spring.
Produced in January 2024, the piece was helmed by Masanori Shimada, who also produced “Suiheisen,” and the music video marks Iyori Shimizu’s first attempt at directing.
The use of snow-covered asphalt on the jacket symbolically expresses both the change of seasons and the transformation of the heart.
It’s a song that resonates with the pain of heartbreak—an experience shared by all—and the journey of recovery that follows, making it a track you’ll want to listen to alone on a quiet night.