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!
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Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Japanese classics and popular tracks (61–70)
sign; mark; symbol; omenMr.Children
This is a signature ballad by Mr.Children, featuring an inspiring ensemble that unfolds from a quiet piano melody into grand strings.
Its universal lyrics can be heard as either a song of meeting or parting, gently accompanying each listener’s personal story.
Released in November 2006, it was used as the theme song for the drama “14-Year-Old Mother,” which became a social phenomenon.
Many were surely moved by its melody and Sakurai’s passionate vocals.
With total sales exceeding 740,000 copies, it’s truly a love song that symbolizes the 2000s, reminding us of the bonds we share with those we hold dear.
Love is…Kato Miria
The grand ballad inspired by the classical masterpiece Canon delivers a straightforward message—no matter what happens, we’ll stay together—that truly resonates.
Even when loneliness and anxiety make it hard to see ahead, there is someone who will never give up on you and keep supporting you.
It sings of the strength and preciousness of such love and bonds.
Released in June 2007 as Miliyah Kato’s tenth single, the song also served as the ending theme for the anime Toward the Terra.
Its inclusion in the best-of album M BEST II shows how it has continued to be loved over time.
A pledge of eternal love, this work is the ultimate love song—one that makes you want to stay with the person you cherish forever.
Sayonara, baby.Kato Miria
This is a bittersweet love song about a heart swaying between true feelings and outward appearances.
She wants to believe his words, yet deep down she doubts them, and still can’t bring herself to end things… You can sense her wavering emotions in the chorus’s back-and-forth between the man and woman.
The track is a work by singer-songwriter Miliyah Kato, released in September 2008 as her 13th single.
Its arrangement is striking, unfolding from a wistful piano intro into a danceable four-on-the-floor sound.
The song is also included on the acclaimed album “Ring.” When you’re unsure of the other person’s feelings and don’t know what to do, listening to this might resonate with your complicated state of mind.
Close your eyesHirai Ken
Singer-songwriter Ken Hirai captivates listeners with his deep, resonant voice.
This work poignantly yet purely sings of love—bearing the sense of loss after losing a loved one, yet being able to meet them in your heart whenever you close your eyes.
The lingering traces of absence in everyday life intersect with warm memories of the past, evoking a tightness in the chest.
Released in April 2004 as his 20th single, the song was written as the theme for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World” and became a million-selling smash hit.
It is a gem of a ballad that stirs the heart—perfect for nights when you want to immerse yourself in memories of someone precious or quietly let the tears fall.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, WinterHilcrhyme
A melodious hip-hop tune that fantastically paints the beautiful scenery of the four seasons.
Its light, breezy rap flow delicately weaves the changing seasons spent between lovers.
Released in September 2009, the track was featured as the ending theme on music programs nationwide and topped the Oricon daily chart.
It became a massive hit, chosen for numerous TV tie-ins.
A perfect song for revisiting seasonal memories shared with someone special.
Baby Don’t CryAmuro Namie
The ultimate love song that blends poignancy with strength was brought to life by Namie Amuro in January 2007.
Portraying the resilience to overcome life’s hardships and sorrows, this piece was also chosen as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Himitsu no Hanazono,” capturing the hearts of many women.
Set to a medium-tempo melody that fuses R&B and J-pop, Amuro’s vocals—at times gentle, at times powerful—strike a deep chord.
It’s a song for anyone on the verge of giving up on love or their dreams, one that stirs courage from the depths of the soul.
SEASONSHamasaki Ayumi
A memorable masterpiece that stands as one of the defining ballads of the 2000s.
Released in 2006 as Ayumi Hamasaki’s 16th single, it portrays the transience of life and hope for the future through the shifting of the seasons.
Chosen as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Weather Forecaster’s Lover,” starring Koichi Sato and Izumi Inamori, it strikingly colored the romantic story of a protagonist working as a weather forecaster.
It’s a song that gently stays by your side when you’re at a crossroads in life or feeling uncertain about the future.