Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

[Spring Love Songs] Recommended Classics and Popular Love Songs to Listen to During Cherry Blossom Season

Accompanist / Piano InstructorYuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

Spring is a season of meetings and farewells.

Some loves begin, while others quietly come to an end.

In this article, we introduce recommended springtime love songs that capture all kinds of romances.

This time, we’ve picked a wide range—from timeless spring classics to the latest hits.

Whether you want to revisit a beloved masterpiece or discover a tear-jerking spring ballad, this playlist is perfect for you.

They’re also great for karaoke, so why not enjoy them with new friends you meet this spring?

[Spring Love Songs] Must-listen classics and popular love songs for cherry blossom season (71–80)

dogwood (flowering dogwood)Yo Hitoto

Hitoto Yo – Hanamizuki

Hanamizuki Hitoto Yo

A beloved masterpiece by Yo Hitoto that gently sings a prayer for loved ones and a wish for peace.

Released in February 2004, it has soothed many hearts with her unique sensibility as a Japanese-Taiwanese artist and her clear, transparent voice.

Using the flower—an emblem of Japan–U.

S.

friendship—as its motif, the song expresses bonds with precious people and hopes for a happy future.

It was featured as the theme song for NTV’s Tuesday Suspense Theater and in JRA commercials, and set a record by staying on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart for 125 consecutive weeks.

Whether in moments of aching love or parting, or at life’s milestones such as weddings and graduations, it remains a song that shines without fading.

Raise the rankinglower

poppy flowerAgnes Chan

Poppy Flower / Agnes Chan (Agnes Chan/Chen Meiling)

Poppy Flower Agnes Chan

This was Agnes Chan’s Japanese debut single, depicting the pure feelings of a girl who tells her fortune in love using poppies blooming on a hill.

Her clear, gentle voice weaves together her thoughts, worries, and loneliness for a lover who has gone off to a distant city.

Released in November 1972, the song became a major hit, reaching No.

5 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

She also performed it at the 24th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1973, which helped ignite her popularity.

It remains beloved by many today as a heartwarming song that evokes the arrival of spring and is perfect for reminiscing about bittersweet memories of first love.

Raise the rankinglower

Smiling BackCandies

Live footage released from Ran Ito's concert tour 2020 “Hohoemigaeshi”! Blu-ray & DVD on sale March 17!

Smile-back Candies

This is a supreme song by Candies that delicately sings of a woman’s bittersweet feelings before parting with someone dear, carried on a melody as fresh as a spring breeze.

Released in February 1978, it reached number one on the Oricon charts and sold over one million copies in total.

Depicting a couple’s breakup through a moving-day scene, it shows the protagonist looking back on their memories, her smile concealing complex emotions beneath.

It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have experienced parting with someone important in the springtime.

Raise the rankinglower

Beautiful SpringYuzo Kayama

Beautiful Spring

Beautiful Spring Yuzo Kayama

A fresh, vivid song that conjures up scenes of sweet, gentle romance.

Depicting a love that sprouted with the arrival of spring, this piece is warmed by Yuzo Kayama’s soft vocals.

Released in April 1968, it was included on the album “Kimi no Tame ni” alongside tracks such as “Kimi to Itsumademo.” Beloved by many as a song that symbolizes the refreshing youth culture of its time, it’s a gem you’ll want to listen to when spring comes around.

It’s a work I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who wants to feel the changing seasons and the beginning of love.

Raise the rankinglower

Spring sceneryYoko Minamino

Harugeishiki by Yoko Minamino

Spring Scenery Nanno Akiko

This gem of a love song by Yoko Minamino portrays the bittersweet feelings of a young woman entering university and her boyfriend who has become a ronin student after failing his entrance exams, set in the spring of graduation.

Initially included on the April 1986 album “Gelato” and later featured as the B-side of “Kanashimi Monument” in July of the same year, the song delicately captures the subtleties of youth against the backdrop of Kobe.

Amid warm sunlight and fluttering cherry blossoms, the couple’s confusion about their changing circumstances resonates with a nostalgic melody.

Celebrated as a classic idol song, it continues to be loved as a piece that stays close to the heart at life’s milestones—love, parting, and setting out on new journeys.

Raise the rankinglower

Cherry blossomSeiko Matsuda

"Cherry Blossom 2021" from Seiko Matsuda Concert Tour 2023 “Parade”

Cherry Blossom Seiko Matsuda

It is a classic song with a refreshing melody that evokes the arrival of spring and heartwarming lyrics portraying the beginning of a new romance.

Seiko Matsuda’s poised vocals beautifully express the feelings of a protagonist taking a brave first step.

The sense of anticipation for the future beneath a blue sky, and the joy of being in love, resonate deeply alongside her clear, transparent voice.

Released in January 1981, this piece was born from producer Muneo Wakamatsu’s challenge to explore new music.

It reached No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and was also included on the album “Silhouette.” Loved for many years by countless listeners as a song to enjoy in spring—especially during cherry blossom season—it’s a lively, hopeful track that cheers on the start of a new chapter, and is highly recommended when you want to make a fresh start.

Raise the rankinglower

My heart is stop-motionTomoko Kuwae

Spring Song ① My Heart is Stop Motion / Tomoko Kuwae

My Heart Is Stop-Motion Tomoko Kuwae

A heartfelt work by Tomoko Kuwae that gently envelops the thrill of unexpected encounters and new love.

Its light, refreshing melody beautifully captures the budding feelings that arrive with spring.

The way a heart, after a long winter, gradually unravels in the warm sunlight is especially memorable.

Released in January 1979, it reached No.

12 on the Oricon weekly chart and was also used in a commercial for Pola’s Vario cosmetics.

In the same year, it earned the Best New Artist Award at the 21st Japan Record Awards and was included on her debut album, Born Free.

A perfect song for anyone feeling the stirrings of romance or eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.

Raise the rankinglower