[Songs for Thinking of Someone You Love] Love Songs That Make Your Chest Tighten—From Unrequited to Mutual Love

dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo

Hitoto Yo – Hanamizuki

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.

An unfinished love song I’ve been working on foreverHata Motohiro

Motohiro Hata “An Always-Unfinished Love Song” Music Video

Written specifically as the theme song for the film “A Love Letter on Our 35th Year,” this gem of a ballad gently and warmly portrays a love that deepens with the passage of time.

Motohiro Hata’s clear, luminous vocals resonate as if tenderly enveloping feelings for a cherished person.

The track began streaming in February 2025, and a CD single was released in March ahead of the film’s premiere.

The movie depicts a husband who, upon retiring, struggles to write a love letter to his wife; accompanying the protagonist’s emotions, Hata carefully weaves his words like a letter.

It’s a song we recommend to anyone who, in the course of days shared with someone precious, has rediscovered the profound significance of their presence.

more than anyoneBE:FIRST

BE:FIRST / Stronger Than Anyone -Lyric Video- (Theme song for the film “Hold Me Tighter Than Anyone”)

A gem of a ballad where longing and love intersect has arrived from BE:FIRST.

Delicately portraying the frustration of not being able to touch the one you love, and the unwavering feelings that persist nonetheless, this piece gently envelops listeners’ hearts with its sophisticated melody and meticulous arrangement.

Included on the double A-side single “Spacecraft / Sailing,” released on February 5, 2025, it also serves as the theme song for the film “Hold Me Tighter Than Anyone,” which premiered around the same time.

With lead actor RYOKI contributing to the lyrics, the work achieves a beautiful harmony between visuals and music.

Recommended for those who resonate with the feelings of loving someone and the bonds shared with someone precious.

Lovers AgainEXILE

EXILE / Lovers Again

While it’s a bittersweet romantic ballad, this song is also a masterpiece that exudes mature allure.

Released in January 2007, it originated as the required piece for EXILE’s vocalist audition and was featured in au’s “LISMO!” campaign commercial.

It reached No.

2 on the Oricon chart, selling over 250,000 copies, and ranked in the top 10 of karaoke charts for three consecutive years.

The melodic composition and deeply poetic lyrics that portray two lovers draw listeners in.

This track is perfect for a night when you want to spend time leisurely by candlelight or reminisce about precious memories with someone special.

It also makes a great soundtrack for a calm nighttime drive.

Be sure to give this sophisticated, adult-tinged song a listen.

Tears are about to fall.[Alexandros]

[Alexandros] – Tears Are About to Fall (MV) @ALEXANDROSchannel

This is a poignant song by [Alexandros] that depicts the moment the protagonist—who had kept a distance from others and avoided crowds—falls into a fateful love.

So absorbed in the blissful time with a cherished person, they become oblivious to the eyes around them.

Even so, the pure resolve to go and meet “you” is deeply moving.

Included on the album “Me No Do Karate.” released in January 2013, it drew attention as the other A-side to the single “Starrrrrrr.” It’s a song that gently encourages those who, though bewildered by meeting their destined person, are trying to look ahead and keep moving forward.

Happy Endingback number

back number – Happy End (full)

A heartrending story, delicately told from a woman’s perspective, about a breakup she once believed was a fated encounter.

While she puts on a brave face and says she’s fine, she chooses to part ways even as she still carries deep feelings for the other person—an inner struggle anyone can relate to.

Written in November 2016 as the theme song for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday,” this piece captured many hearts with back number’s signature beautiful melody and moving lyrics.

It’s a song I wholeheartedly recommend to those who continue their days unable to sever their feelings for someone even after love has ended.

If you’ve experienced parting with someone precious, this song will surely stay close to your heart.

I loved (it/you)erica

erica – “I Loved You” Full PV

A ballad by singer-songwriter Erica that weaves together the ache of heartbreaking unrequited love and the feelings left unspoken, set to the sound of piano.

The sorrow of a breakup and the pain of parting are delicately expressed through her clear, translucent voice.

Released in November 2015 and included on the album “Koku-uta 2: Things I Want to Tell You Before Graduation,” this song stands by those who have experienced parting, offering the courage to face forward while embracing the pain.

It will gently envelop the hearts of those who cannot accept the end of a romance, or who carry the regret of not having conveyed their feelings before it was over.