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

I love you more than anyone.Furuchi Toko

Toko Furuuchi - Even Though I Love You More Than Anyone

“Dare Yori Suki na no ni” is Toko Furuuchi’s seventh single, released in 1996.

No matter what the person you have a crush on does, you’re overwhelmed with heartache, anxiety, and sadness.

You can’t let yourself be happy because, on that very edge, you’re painfully aware he isn’t yours alone.

I think the lyrics are highly relatable.

Graduation PhotoMatsutōya Yumi

Graduation Photo – Yumi Arai (Yumi Matsutoya) (Full)

It’s an old song, but it’s a timeless classic.

It’s about thinking of him as we graduate and go our separate ways.

The lyrics don’t only dwell on him—they evoke who we were back in our school days, the very essence of youth.

No matter how many years pass after graduation, this song strangely pulls you right back to that time.

I won’t fall in love anymore.Makihara Noriyuki

[Official] Noriyuki Makihara “I Won’t Fall in Love Again” (Music Video) [5th Single] (1992) Noriyuki Makihara / Mou Koi Nante Shinai

Because it’s sung in Noriyuki Makihara’s gentle voice, it’s a song that vividly brings to mind a tender, slightly sensitive boy trying to get over a heartbreak.

The lyrics convey an endearing determination to move forward little by little, even if it takes time.

It’s a track I’d like you to listen to when you’re trying to bounce back from a broken heart.

ambushIshikawa Hitomi

Hitomi Ishikawa ♪ Ambush ♪ Ishikawa Hitomi

A classic song written and composed by Yumi Matsutoya.

Hitomi Ishikawa, who hadn’t had much luck with hit songs, sang this track and became a breakout star.

Though the title “Machibuse” (Ambush) might sound a bit stalker-ish, it’s actually a purer, more bittersweet song about unrequited love.

I’m aloneayaka

I'm alone.

“I’m alone” is the B-side track to Ayaka’s single “Jewelry day,” released in 2007.

In the song, the protagonist is actually disliked by the person they have a crush on.

In such a situation, they can’t say they love them, nor can they say they’re hurting.

It’s not only the pain of unreturned feelings; the very fact of being disliked makes you feel on the verge of tears.

Love SongGO!GO!7188

Koi no Uta / GO!GO!7188

“Koi no Uta” is GO!GO!7188’s third single, released in 2000.

While many of their songs are pretty upbeat, this one felt very gentle and deeply relatable.

I’m not asking for anything extravagant—just make me laugh and stay by my side.

Even if we’re not lovers, maybe the happiest kind of relationship is one where we’re always together and can laugh with each other.

Friend’s PoemNakamura Ataru

Ataru Nakamura / Friends' Poem

“Tomodachi no Uta” (Friend’s Poem) is a single by Ataru Nakamura, released in 2005 on an indie label.

Nakamura, who is transgender, fell in love with someone of the same sex while a student, and this song expresses the pain of being unable to confess those feelings.