Unrequited love songs recommended for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

When I realized it, I was in unrequited love.Nogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 'Kizuitara Kataomoi' Short Ver.

The eighth track, released in 2015.

Whereas previous lyrics were often written from a masculine perspective, this one is written from a feminine point of view.

The music video is a story-driven, drama-style production and is very moving.

I’ve always liked you.Saitō Kazuyoshi

Kazuyoshi Saito – I’ve Always Loved You [Music Video Short.]

It’s their 38th single, released in 2010.

Highly praised by well-known musicians, it has been covered by many artists.

The song has a mature vibe and is a very soothing unrequited-love track.

Unrequited Love in the Music RoomKeyakizaka46

Keyakizaka46 'Unrequited Love in the Music Room' Short Ver.

It’s a song about unrequited love set to a catchy sound.

It’s a track by the popular idol group Keyakizaka46, released in 2018 as their seventh single.

The lyrics tell of someone who finds themselves admiring a person playing the piano in the music room—surely a situation teenage girls could easily fall for.

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Araki Jakkan

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bagaiko

aiko - 'Kaban' music video

When it comes to love songs, you just can’t talk about them without mentioning aiko, right? Her song “Kaban” is her 15th single, released in 2004.

It’s packed to the brim with the feelings of unrequited love—the overwhelming, unstoppable emotion of liking someone so much you can’t help it.

If you’re in the middle of a one-sided crush, these lyrics will surely make your chest tighten.

That raw, true-to-life emotion is exactly what makes aiko so beloved.

The way your whole mind gets filled up with thoughts of that person when you’re in unrequited love—I know that feeling all too well.

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utatane

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Happinessback number

Happiness / back number (cover)

This song is truly heartbreaking.

From beginning to end, everything about it is poignant—almost unbearably so.

You know the person you love has feelings for someone else, so you don’t confess and tell yourself you’ll wish for their happiness, but you still love them so much it hurts.

You talk to them because you like them, yet everything they talk about is someone other than you.

The unrequited love portrayed in these lyrics is so heartrending it brings me to the verge of tears.

The gentle vocals and the piano’s timbre stir our hearts to the core.

I love you, I love you, I love you.Kōda Kumi

Koda Kumi — “Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.” ~ 20th Year Special Full Ver. ~

Although Kumi Koda has become firmly associated with a sexy-and-cool image, the ballads she has produced are truly wonderful across the board! Among them, this song, “Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.”, is a track that sings of the ache of unrequited love.

It’s a love song that perfectly captures the delicate feelings of a woman whose emotions rise and fall with every little move of the person she likes.

The repeated, simple phrase “I love you, I love you, I love you.” carries all her feelings, and the vocals make your heart tighten.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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planetariumOtsuka Ai

Ai Otsuka / Planetarium (Short Ver.)

Ai Otsuka’s song portrays the bittersweet feeling of continuing an unrequited love for someone you can no longer see.

It was used as the image song for the drama Hana Yori Dango starring Mao Inoue.

The days spent with the person you like are filled with an irreplaceable flutter and joy.

But because you’re not actually together, you end up parting in the end.

Even after growing apart, you find yourself reminiscing about the happy times you shared—something that often happens when you’re in unrequited love.

The song captures the delicate, uniquely feminine emotional nuances that fill the loneliness of one-sided love.

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SAKI

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