What is your favorite Japanese summer song?

There are many Japanese summer songs that make me feel nostalgic and sentimental whenever I listen to them.

Today, I’d like to introduce one of my favorites:

真夏の果実（まなつのかじつ）— サザンオールスターズ
 Manatsu no Kajitsu — Southern All Stars

This song is a beautiful and slightly melancholic song about love, summer, memories, and longing.

Let’s look at some interesting and useful Japanese words and expressions from the lyrics.

① 四六時中も好きと言って

四六時中も好きと言って
 Shirokujichū mo suki to itte

四六時中（しろくじちゅう） = all day long / around the clock

This is an interesting expression because:

• 四 = four
• 六 = six
• 時 = time
• 中 = during / throughout

4 × 6 = 24, so 四六時中 literally represents all 24 hours of the day.

好きと言って means “tell me you love me” or “say that you love me.”

Although 好き（すき）literally means “like,” it is often used to express romantic love in Japanese.

四六時中も好きと言って
  “Tell me you love me all day long.”

② こらえきれなくて　ため息ばかり

Koraekirenakute tameiki bakari

こらえきれない = be unable to hold back / unable to endure

• こらえる = to hold back, suppress, endure
• ～きれない = unable to do something completely

So こらえきれない means “I can’t hold it back” or “I can’t bear it anymore,” depending on the context.

～くて connects this expression to what follows.
 For example:

忙しくて、疲れています。
 I’m busy, and I’m tired.

ため息（ためいき） = sigh

～ばかり = nothing but / only / repeatedly

So:

こらえきれなくて　ため息ばかり
 “I can’t hold it back, and I do nothing but sigh.”

It gives us a strong feeling of longing and emotional pain.

③ 通り過ぎゆく

Toori sugiyuku

通り過ぎる（とおりすぎる） = to pass by / go past

ゆく is a more literary or poetic form of 行く（いく）, meaning “to go.”

In 通り過ぎゆく, the two ideas are combined:

通り過ぎる + ゆく

This creates a poetic feeling of something passing away / gradually going by.

In the context of this song, I think it beautifully suggests the way summer—and perhaps a short-lived love—passes by.

It feels almost like watching waves come and go.

④ 黄昏時

Tasogaredoki

黄昏時（たそがれどき） = twilight / dusk

黄昏（たそがれ） refers to the time when the sun is going down and it is becoming dark.

This is also an interesting Japanese word because the reading たそがれ cannot be easily guessed from the individual kanji:

• 黄 = yellow
• 昏 = becoming dark

The image is of the sky gradually becoming darker after sunset.

黄昏時 has a poetic and somewhat nostalgic feeling, so you’ll often find it in songs, literature, and poetry.

⑤ こんな夜は涙見せずに

Konna yoru wa namida misezu ni

こんな = such / like this

夜（よる） = night

涙（なみだ） = tears

見せる（みせる） = to show

Here, 見せずに is the important expression.

～ずに = without doing something

It is a literary/formal expression similar to ～ないで.

For example:

朝ごはんを食べずに学校へ行った。
 I went to school without eating breakfast.

So:

涙見せずに
 “without showing your tears”

こんな夜は literally means “on a night like this,” but depending on how you interpret the song, it can evoke the feeling of such a lonely or beautiful night.

⑥ 涙の果実よ

Namida no kajitsu yo

涙（なみだ） = tears

の connects two nouns, often showing possession or relationship.

For example:

あなたの名前
 your name

果実（かじつ） = fruit

よ is a sentence-ending particle used to add emphasis, or in poetic language, to address something/someone.

So 涙の果実よ can be understood literally as:

“Oh, fruit of tears.”

The phrase is poetic rather than everyday Japanese.

The combination of 涙 (tears) and 果実 (fruit) creates a beautiful contrast: something sweet and ripe, but also associated with tears and sadness.

A little Japanese + a little summer nostalgia

One thing I love about Japanese songs is that you can learn vocabulary and grammar while also experiencing Japanese culture and the emotions behind the language.

You don’t always need to understand every single word to enjoy a song.

Sometimes, understanding just a few key expressions can make the lyrics feel much more meaningful. 

What is your favorite Japanese summer song?

I’d love to hear your recommendation! ☀️