Bittersweet feelings come rushing back! Recommended love songs for the Yutori generation

User ManualNEW!Kana Nishino

Kana Nishino “Torisetsu” MV Full

Kana Nishino’s 27th single, used as the theme song for the film “No Longer Heroine,” released in September 2015.

Its unique lyrics, which liken a woman’s delicate emotions to an instruction manual, became a hot topic and won the Grand Prize at the 57th Japan Record Awards.

The lyrics, where she introduces herself through the metaphor of a user manual, are both chuckle-worthy and heart-fluttering just by listening.

The song is included on her 6th album, “Just LOVE,” and has become a wedding staple.

It’s a perfect love song not only for those with a crush or in a relationship, but also for when you want to convey your feelings to your partner.

Night of OsmanthusNEW!Mushroom Empire

Kinoko Teikoku — Night of the Osmanthus

This song by Kinoko Teikoku delicately portrays the sentimental feelings that arrive in fleeting moments on autumn nights.

Carried by a beautiful, slightly ephemeral guitar tone, it quietly speaks of longing for someone unforgettable.

With the scent of fragrant olive stirring old memories, the lyrics—steeped in the ache of time that can never return—perfectly accompany the uniquely melancholic mood of autumn.

It was included on the album Time Lapse, released in September 2018.

An emotional yet gentle track, ideal for listening to at night when you’re spending time alone.

Promise in Madder RedNEW!Ikimonogakari

Ikimonogakari 'Akane-iro no Yakusoku' Music Video

Written and composed by Yoshiki Mizuno, this song deliberately uses the word “farewell” to express the vow “until death do us part,” carefully weaving feelings that we want to cherish precisely because our time is limited.

Kiyoe Yoshioka’s translucent vocals intertwined with warm strings evoke the poignancy of an autumn dusk.

Released in October 2007 as their seventh single, it was featured in au’s “LISMO!” commercial and served as the ending theme for tvk’s “saku saku.” It’s a perfect track for long autumn nights, one that makes you want to listen while reminiscing about your school days.

Love WindNEW!Lila Ikuta

Lila Ikuta “Koikaze” Official Music Video

This song gently wraps around a heart that’s become timid about love, like a spring breeze.

It carefully depicts the protagonist, who carries past wounds, meeting someone who looks at them with unwavering eyes and slowly trying to move forward.

The moment when the wish for love to be simpler intersects with the courage to take a step anyway is achingly poignant, and as you listen, it resonates with your own feelings of love.

Lila Ikuta’s clear, translucent voice delicately conveys these wavering emotions and truly strikes a chord.

Released in April 2025, it was chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s dating reality show “Kyo, Suki ni Narimashita.

New Zealand Edition.” This marks the third time Lila Ikuta has provided a theme song for the series, following “Romance no Yakusoku” and “Sparkle.” It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you don’t quite have the courage to start a new romance, or when you’re feeling your heart race over a new encounter.

Love SongGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Love Song

A song characterized by emotional vocals and a catchy melody.

Released in May 2007 as the 3rd single, it was used as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “UtaSuta!!”.

The lyrics, which honestly express feelings for a loved one, are imbued with everyday, simple happiness and gratitude.

If you’re part of the yutori generation, it will surely bring back memories of your youth.

This work is perfect for times when you want to reaffirm your bond with someone important or convey feelings that are hard to put into words.

GReeeeN’s straightforward expression of love is sure to warm your heart.

red-yellow fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans)NEW!Fujifabric

Fujifabric – Red-Yellow Osmanthus

That flutter in the chest at dusk in autumn, stirred by the elusive scent of fragrant olive drifting from who knows where.

Released in September 2004 as the autumn installment of Fuji Fabric’s Four Seasons series, this song delicately captures the moment when an invisible thing like a scent awakens memory.

From the opening guitar arpeggios, a lyrical mood wafts in as if the very air of autumn had been turned into sound, unfolding a lyrical world where impatience with the passage of time intersects with resignation toward fading memories.

Masahiko Shimura’s expressive power in portraying the subtle wavering of a heart that can’t fully give in to sentimentality is breathtaking.

Also included on their major-label debut album “Fujifabric,” it’s cherished as a staple that gets airplay on the radio every fall.

It’s a track you’ll want to savor on a long autumn night, recalling your walk home from school days.

C.O.S.M.O.S. ~Cosmos (Autumn Cherry Blossoms)~NEW!Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE

Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS from EXILE TRIBE / “C.O.S.M.O.S. ~Autumn Cherry Blossoms~” Music Video

For those seeking a ballad that evokes a mellow mood as the feeling of autumn deepens, we recommend an autumn song by Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE.

Released in October 2014, this work was produced as the third installment in their four-seasons series.

Centered on the theme of a forbidden love, it portrays a poignant world where unfulfilled feelings are likened to autumn cosmos flowers.

The song was also featured in commercials for the jewelry brand Samantha Tiara and for Huis Ten Bosch.

Ryuuji Imaichi’s delicate vocals carefully weave each word as if speaking directly to the listener, resonating deeply in the heart.

It’s the perfect track for when you want to immerse yourself in the complex emotions of love that you can truly understand only now as an adult, while recalling autumn nights spent with friends during your school days.