Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
We’ve put together a collection of love songs that were hits in the 2000s.
When you think of hit songs from the 2000s, what tracks come to mind?
For those who spent their youth in that era, you might recall so many classics that it’s hard to choose just one.
This isn’t a list of every song that charted between 2000 and 2009, but we’re highlighting beloved love songs that almost everyone has heard at least once—timeless favorites that are still cherished as staples of romance today.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for those days, be sure to give them a listen!
Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs (1–10)
fragileEvery Little Thing
A hugely popular dating reality show, Ainori depicts the romantic entanglements of seven men and women traveling together in a wagon van known as the “Love Wagon.” The song in question is a 2001 track by Every Little Thing, which also drew attention for being used as the show’s theme.
Love can feel as if everything around you—yourself and the world you share with that person—changes from the very moment you meet.
You just love them so much and want to be by their side, yet because you’re awkward, you can’t quite express your feelings…
The song captures the poignant, sweetly bittersweet experience of unrequited love.
CHE.R.RYYUI
A lively, cute, pop and catchy love song—something rare for YUI, who’s strongly associated with singing songs that carry a certain wistful sadness.
Centering on a clumsy girl as the protagonist, this track is packed with the sweet-and-sour flavor of young love and all the excitement and heart-pounding thrills that come with it.
Can You Keep A Secret？Utada Hikaru
Should I keep these feelings of “I like you” hidden just as they are, or not? If you’re in unrequited love, you might feel anxious about what lies ahead and struggle with that kind of inner conflict, right? Hikaru Utada’s song “Can You Keep A Secret?”, which captures those emotions, was released in 2001.
It was also used as the theme song for the smash-hit drama “HERO” starring Takuya Kimura.
I love you so much that I want to become your type, but it’s not that easy—and more than anything, I’m still unsure whether to reveal these feelings at all.
That back-and-forth inside yourself, while your mind is constantly filled with thoughts of that person—that’s what being in love is like.
crescent moonayaka
Ayaka’s 2006 release “Mikazuki” set many hearts ablaze, especially those in love and in long-distance relationships.
It drew attention when it was used as the CM song for au’s “LISMO” and when former figure skater Miki Ando performed to it in an exhibition.
Ayaka is said to have written the song when she moved from Osaka to Tokyo, infusing it with feelings for someone dear back home.
Gazing at the same crescent moon floating in the sky, the song conveys: even though we’re far apart, I’m doing my best—and I’ll always love you.
Love SongGReeeeN
Ai Uta, the song that made GReeeeN a household name, became a huge sensation, especially among junior high and high school students at the time.
Released in 2007, it saw explosive downloads as both “chaku-uta” and “chaku-uta full,” becoming the first in history to surpass one million downloads.
It was also featured widely as a theme song for TV programs and in commercials.
The lyrics, which overflow with love for someone dear, grab you by the heart.
In a sense, it’s like a proposal song, expressing a promise to keep loving someone for a long, long time to come.
EverythingMISIA
Misia’s “Everything,” a song that sings of a single-minded, boundless love—“my beloved is my everything.” Released in 2000, it became a huge hit, helped by being featured as the theme song for the drama “Yamato Nadeshiko” starring Nanako Matsushima.
Compared to her previous songs, it’s easier to sing, which also made it a karaoke staple.
As long as I have you, nothing else matters.
Many people must have longed, along with the drama, for a relationship so full of love, where both partners love and are loved that deeply.
Snow BlossomNakajima Mika
Mika Nakashima’s “Yuki no Hana,” released in 2003, has long remained a beloved winter classic.
It has been widely covered not only by Japanese artists like Hideaki Tokunaga and Akina Nakamori, but also by artists in countries such as South Korea and China.
In 2019, a film inspired by the song was released, bringing it back into the spotlight.
The music video, filmed in subzero, bitterly cold conditions, was also memorable.
Carried by a heartrending melody, the lyrics sing of a warm love that seems to melt the snow—making it a deeply moving song.