Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s
From around the 1990s through the 2010s, countless timeless songs were released in the Heisei music scene.
Among them were many heartbreak songs, and I’m sure many of you have been listening to them ever since they first came out.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide selection of those Heisei-era heartbreak songs all at once.
We’ve chosen tracks that carry a nostalgic feel—ones that will bring back memories from those days when you listen.
If you lived through that era, please enjoy them while reminiscing.
And if you’re from a younger generation and didn’t experience that time, we encourage you to take your time listening while reading the lyrics.
Playlist
| Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | single bedSha ran Q |  play_arrow | After going through a breakup with a long-term partner, the next love… |
| 2east | One more time one more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi |  play_arrow | Unable to accept the breakup, I've been thinking about my lover all this time… |
| 3east | I won’t fall in love anymore.Makihara Noriyuki |  play_arrow | “There’s no point in clinging to regrets,” and… |
| 4east | Time goes byEvery Little Thing |  play_arrow | "Time goes by" is Every… |
| 5east | Until the day I can no longer rememberback number |  play_arrow | You don’t have to force yourself to forget about your partner… |
| 6east | Blue BenchSasuke |  play_arrow | If you spent your youth around the mid-Heisei era... |
| 7east | Maplesupittsu |  play_arrow | Turn all my memories with my lover into strength to live for tomorrow... |
| 8east | First LoveUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | An earnest longing for the unforgettable lover I love so much... |
| 9east | I miss you so much, I want to see you.Nishino Kana |  play_arrow | I was cast down into the depths of despair by a broken heart... |
| 10east | NAOHY |  play_arrow | It’s clear you won’t come to like me, … |
| 11east | You’re no longer here.FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S |  play_arrow | After a heartbreak, if it’s going to hurt this much, … |
| 12east | SEASONSHamasaki Ayumi |  play_arrow | With Ayumi Hamasaki’s first-ever use as a drama theme song... |
| 13east | nape (of the neck)aiko |  play_arrow | It was, for me, the fullest expression of love I could manage… |
| 14east | First loveOku Hanako |  play_arrow | She has released so many songs about heartbreak that she’s even been called the queen of breakup songs... |
| 15east | Just… I want to see youEXILE |  play_arrow | “Just... I Want to See You” is by ATSUSHI— |
| 16east | Don’t Leave MeB’z |  play_arrow | A poignantly urgent blues of farewell |
| 17east | Stop this nightJUJU |  play_arrow | A poignant song of love and farewell, a classic by JUJU |
| 18east | Because… feat. Maiko NakamuraLGYankees |  play_arrow | Hip-hop LGYankees classic ‘Because…’ |
| 19east | The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi |  play_arrow | A gem-like ballad portraying rain and parting |
| 20east | Last LoveKato Miria |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that expresses the pain of heartbreak with a transparent voice |
| 21east | tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa |  play_arrow | The regret of parting as I search for the warmth that was lost |
| 22east | 366 daysHY |  play_arrow | A ballad that sings of heartbreak |
| 23east | Never again…BENI |  play_arrow | A poignant R&B ballad that sings of the emotions of parting. |
| 24east | Don’t forget.DREAMS COME TRUE |  play_arrow | A heartfelt DCT ballad that portrays the pain of parting |
| 25east | beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko |  play_arrow | Aiko’s love songs: bravado and delicacy |
| 26east | Flavor Of LifeUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | A classic song by Hikaru Utada that portrays heartbreak |
| 27east | SakurazakaFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | A love ballad by Masaharu Fukuyama that portrays parting and love |
| 28east | The Continuation of TearsKahara Tomomi |  play_arrow | A moving ballad that sings of a woman’s feelings as she overcomes a broken heart |
| 29east | P.S I miss youTakahashi Yoko |  play_arrow | Yoko Takahashi’s solo debut work that sings about the heartache of a long-distance relationship |
| 30east | Graduationgagaga supi |  play_arrow | A love song that likens a breakup with a lover to a graduation |
| 31east | A piece of youKahara Tomomi |  play_arrow | A ballad that reflects Tomomi Kahara’s heartrending emotions |
| 32east | planetariumOtsuka Ai |  play_arrow | A ballad imbued with the bittersweetness of love under the starry sky |
| 33east | Sing of springback number |  play_arrow | back number heartbreak support song |
| 34east | GarnetOku Hanako |  play_arrow | Okubana's heartbreak songs heal the heart |
| 35east | Sakura GirlNEWS |  play_arrow | Expressing the bittersweetness of spring love through cherry blossoms |
| 36east | AloneMayo Okamoto |  play_arrow | A ballad that sings of a woman’s complex feelings after her lover was taken by her friend |
| 37east | Lovers AgainEXILE |  play_arrow | Recovering from heartbreak and stepping into a new love |
| 38east | Tearful KissSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | A signature ballad by Southern that depicts the pain of heartbreak |