[2026] Songs for Graduation Season: Exquisite Japanese Unrequited Love and Breakup Tracks
When graduation season approaches, don’t you ever find yourself wanting to listen to bittersweet love songs? Unspoken feelings, the ache in your chest as a farewell draws near.
It’s precisely in this season that classic Japanese songs that embrace those emotions resonate deeply in the heart.
Songs about the sorrow of parting ways while still in unrequited love, or saying goodbye to someone precious, take on a special resonance as they overlap with each listener’s own memories.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wide range of exquisite love songs perfect for graduation season—from the Showa era to Heisei and the latest Reiwa hits.
Whether you want to relive the feelings of that time or are right now burning with emotion, take your time and immerse yourself to your heart’s content!
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[2026] Songs for Graduation Season: Exquisite Japanese Unrequited Love and Breakup Tracks (41–50)
Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI
While thriving as the lead vocalist of EXILE, ATSUSHI also actively pursues solo activities.
“Sakura no Kisetsu” is one of his staple graduation songs.
The lyrics are crafted for someone dear to him.
It’s a distinctive piece with abstract lyrics that could even be interpreted as a song about unrequited love.
Word(s) / Words of language / Utterance (kotonoha)EVE
Eve’s “Kotonoha” portrays layered emotions with a refreshing touch, gently reaching the listener’s heart.
It’s a song that brings back the bittersweet memories of youth as you approach the milestone of graduation.
As you listen, the freshness of unrequited love, the struggle before confessing, and the lingering ache will remain with you over time.
It’s a ballad that encourages you to take a brave step and voice the feelings you’ve kept in your heart on graduation day, offering a gentle push to wavering hearts in love.
Surely, you’ll find the words to express your own precious feelings too…
A bouquet of flowers with loveSuperfly
Superfly’s “Ai o Komete Hanataba o” (“A Bouquet with All My Love”) was also chosen as the theme song for the TBS drama Edison no Haha (Edison’s Mother).
Amazingly, the song was originally written and composed by Shiho Ochi when she was 16! It’s a cherished piece that has been lovingly nurtured over many years.
Don’t bloom.WHITE JAM
WHITE JAM’s “Sakanaide” is a popular farewell song that’s often hailed as the number one graduation song.
In the music video, they showcased beautiful visuals using chalkboard art.
Their other songs are also famous among young people for being real tearjerkers.
First loveaiko
Singer-songwriter aiko skillfully captures the bittersweet feelings of a woman in unrequited love.
Her song “First Love” pairs lyrics and melody with a heart-clutching sweet-and-sour ache that’s irresistible.
Listening to it while remembering the person you liked all through class and recess can make your feelings overflow—so much that you might almost cry.
Aiko’s powerful voice gives you courage, so it’s also a great song to play when you’re about to confess your feelings to someone you like!
Unrequited lovemiwa
Miwa, who sings about the real feelings of young women and is especially supported by women, has a song whose title, just like hers, is “Kataomoi” (Unrequited Love) — a track that women experiencing unrequited love will surely relate to completely.
Released in 2012 as Miwa’s eighth single, it’s one of the definitive songs that comes to mind when you think of unrequited love.
There are many situations that fall under unrequited love, but this song plainly portrays a love that won’t come true.
If you’re overwhelmed with the anxiety of an approaching graduation and the feelings of unrequited love, this song might be the perfect one to have a good cry to.
Last sceneikimonogakari
This song, “Last Scene” by Ikimonogakari, which was the theme for the film Your Lie in April.
I’m sure it’s a number that will tear at the hearts of those with unrequited love, or those who can’t convey their feelings even as the time to say goodbye approaches—like people about to graduate.
It perfectly fits the idea that spring is the season of partings, and it’s a bittersweet love song that makes you think you’ll remember that person every spring from now on—next year, the year after, and beyond.