Rain Songs: A curated selection of tracks that feature rain in the lyrics — including many nostalgic Japanese hits

Hydrangea KaleidoscopeFlower

Flower Hydrangea Kaleidoscope

Hydrangeas, which bloom with beautiful blue and pink flowers during the rainy season, appear in the title of Flower’s “Hydrangea Kaleidoscope.” It was included as the B-side to JUJU’s 2016 cover song “Yasashisa de Afureru You ni.” Like hydrangeas made up of many small blossoms layered together, this love-filled track expresses the wish for the couple to keep layering memories together forever.

Listening to it might just make you want to see your lover, even in the rain.

innocent worldMr.Children

Mr.Children 「innocent world」 MUSIC VIDEO

This song, one of the signature tracks by the national rock band Mr.

Children, was released as a single in 1994.

Featured in a Coca-Cola commercial, it also won the Japan Record Award that same year.

Many listeners have surely been encouraged by its lyrics, which convey a strong will to keep moving toward one’s dreams even when drenched by the rain.

It’s a rousing message song that gives you the strength to face tomorrow.

Rain followed by clear skiesMr.Children

Rain followed by clear skies

This is a song by Mr.

Children that portrays everyday life with the hope that a constricted heart will be set free.

The light sound, played with a simple arrangement, makes the world of the song feel more familiar.

Many listeners may find the lyrics relatable, as they depict a monotonous daily routine that repeats almost unconsciously, along with the attempt to find hope within it.

The lyrics also provide detailed depictions of everyday scenes, making the characters’ emotions feel vividly real.

A million rainsclass

class Million Rains PV

Just as expectations were rising for their future after disbandment, reformation, and lineup changes, class went on hiatus due to the death of member Katsuyuki Tsukui.

While their debut hit “Natsu no Hi no 1993” remains hugely popular, the song “Hyakuman-bon no Ame” (“A Million Raindrops”) is equally beloved.

Its lyrics—about how each raindrop pierces the heartbroken chest, yet the rain eventually turns into something that washes the sorrow away—left a strong inspiration on later artists.

The melody, which could be called the distinct, untrendy “class style,” is soothing to listen to.

It’s a song you’ll want to play on a quiet rainy day.

A street corner where even lovers get wetMasatoshi Nakamura

A street corner where even lovers get wet

When you’re in the mood for a suave, mellow mood-kayo song about rain, the top recommendation is Lover’s Wet Street Corner.

It’s the 17th single released in 1982 by Masatoshi Nakamura, an all-around entertainer active as an actor and singer.

Keisuke Kuwata of Southern All Stars wrote both the lyrics and music.

Set in Yokohama, its mature worldview resonates with poignant imagery that seems to fill a sense of loneliness.

The seductive arrangement intertwined with Nakamura’s rugged vocals is superb—an undeniably cool track.

It was rainy again in Nagasaki today.Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five

Nagasaki Was Rainy Again Today (High Quality) — Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five

The musician Hiroshi Uchiyamada hails from Fukuoka.

The song he released jointly with the kayō group he led, Cool Five, is “Nagasaki Was Rainy Again Today.” The group is from Nagasaki, and the lyrics are sprinkled with phrases that evoke the city’s streetscape.

With an especially memorable chorus, it’s a song you’ll want to sing all the way through, letting your vibrato ring out comfortably!

TokyoKeisuke Kuwata

Keisuke Kuwata – Tokyo (Full ver.)

Rain falling in the city feels strangely cold.

The emotionally rich vocals and sound seep into your heart.

It’s a solo track by Keisuke Kuwata, released in 2002 as his eighth single.

You’ll be drawn in by the interplay between the trendy vibe and the melody.

Listening to it, you almost feel as if you’ve stepped into the world of the song.

On rainy days—especially at night—it’s bound to pierce your heart.