Stylish Unrequited Love Songs: Heart-Fluttering Must-Listen Japanese Hits and Hidden Gems

AiHata Motohiro

Moto Hiro Hata – “Ai” Music Video

This is a moving ballad where you can fully savor Motohiro Hata’s delicate, heart‑stirring voice.

It portrays a protagonist who had been timid about love, now savoring the joy of meeting someone precious.

The expression that one second feels longer than eternity perfectly captures the feeling of being in love.

It overlaps with the pounding heart and bittersweetness of unrequited love, stirring deep emotion.

Released in January 2010 as his ninth single, the song is also included on the album “Documentary,” and was used as the ending theme for a TV Miyazaki program.

When your heart is full of feelings for someone you love, listening to this will gently embrace that pure emotion.

Unrequited loveGENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE / Unrequited Love

This song, which was released as the B-side to the debut single “BRAVE IT OUT” in November 2012, is also included on the classic album GENERATIONS.

When you like someone, even the smallest reactions tend to weigh on your mind.

This track beautifully captures the heart caught in that frustrating struggle—wanting to move forward but hesitating because you care so much.

The fresh vocals from GENERATIONS at the time of their debut also invite empathy, and their pure resonance really hits home.

If you’re in a love you can’t confess, this song will surely stay close to your heart.

The words penned by their senior, EXILE ATSUSHI, gently permeate the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love.

mayflyONE OK ROCK

mayfly

A ONE OK ROCK track that portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love, where you can’t be honest even though you care so much.

The song likens the unspoken emotions flickering in one’s heart to a fragile heat haze that seems ready to vanish at any moment.

It conveys the unstable fear of admitting those feelings precisely because you love so much—so vividly that it tightens your chest.

This piece is included on their landmark first full-length album, “Zeitakubyo,” released in 2007.

For anyone struggling with a frustrating love, it’s a song that will gently stay by your side.

I…atarayo

Atarayo - “I…” (Music Video) / TV Anime “The Dangers in My Heart” Season 2 Opening Theme

Have you ever found yourself unable to be honest in front of someone you like, with your feelings just swelling up inside you? This song by Atarayo vividly portrays the inner world of such unrequited love.

The emotional vocals express the protagonist’s complex feelings—a blend of timidity and overflowing affection.

Released in January 2024, the track was written as the opening theme for Season 2 of the TV anime “The Dangers in My Heart.” Many listeners will likely relate to the lyrics, which are said to be written from the perspective of the original work’s protagonist.

The Theory of HappinessShiina Ringo

Sheena Ringo – The Theory of Happiness

This is the song that marked Ringo Sheena’s debut.

Set to a driving, exhilarating sound, it celebrates the ultimate form of unrequited love: “Just having you here makes me happy.” With a bold, uplifting declaration that the presence of the one you love is your very worth and the joy of living, its pure, straightforward emotion is deeply moving.

Released in May 1998 as her landmark debut single, it was also used as a theme song for a TBS program.

It’s a track that makes the world seem to shine simply because you’re in love.

Thinking of youKEISUKE

KEISUKE – Thinking of You (Music Video)

Set to a bittersweet yet refreshing melody, this acoustic track by KEISUKE delicately portrays the emotional shifts of unrequited love.

The tender yet powerful vocals bring to life the many feelings unique to one-sided love: the quiet devotion of watching from afar while keeping your feelings hidden, the ache of being unable to confess, and the complex emotions you feel toward yourself for falling in love.

Released in November 2019, it has garnered over 5 million views on YouTube.

It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those caught in the midst of a poignant love—overflowing with feelings for someone, yet unable to take that one step forward.

motion sickness from proximitywanuka

Yori Yoi / Wanuqa [Music Video]

A song by Wanuka that portrays the protagonist’s wavering emotions as they try to confess their feelings to someone they like, borrowing courage from a tipsy buzz yet unable to be completely honest.

Included on the album Aonisei, the track has sparked a major response since its February 2021 release, especially on social media, and has been widely embraced for its uniquely Japanese-flavored melody and relatable lyrics.

The image of a pleasantly drunk protagonist swaying between the desire to get closer and the frustration of not being able to express those feelings is the very essence of a romantic experience everyone’s had.

It’s a heartfelt recommendation for anyone who feels the urge to have someone all to themselves yet struggles to put those feelings into words.