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 | Until the day I can no longer rememberback number |  play_arrow | You don’t have to force yourself to forget about your partner… |
| 5east | 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... |
| 6east | Maplesupittsu |  play_arrow | Turn all my memories with my lover into strength to live for tomorrow... |
| 7east | NAOHY |  play_arrow | It’s clear you won’t come to like me, … |
| 8east | SEASONSHamasaki Ayumi |  play_arrow | With Ayumi Hamasaki’s first-ever use as a drama theme song... |
| 9east | Time goes byEvery Little Thing |  play_arrow | "Time goes by" is Every… |
| 10east | First LoveUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | An earnest longing for the unforgettable lover I love so much... |
| 11east | nape (of the neck)aiko |  play_arrow | It was, for me, the fullest expression of love I could manage… |
| 12east | Blue BenchSasuke |  play_arrow | If you spent your youth around the mid-Heisei era... |
| 13east | You’re no longer here.FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S |  play_arrow | After a heartbreak, if it’s going to hurt this much, … |
| 14east | Just… I want to see youEXILE |  play_arrow | “Just... I Want to See You” is by ATSUSHI— |
| 15east | First loveOku Hanako |  play_arrow | She has released so many songs about heartbreak that she’s even been called the queen of breakup songs... |
| 16east | Stop this nightJUJU |  play_arrow | A poignant song of love and farewell, a classic by JUJU |
| 17east | 366 daysHY |  play_arrow | A ballad that sings of heartbreak |
| 18east | Don’t Leave MeB’z |  play_arrow | A poignantly urgent blues of farewell |
| 19east | Because… feat. Maiko NakamuraLGYankees |  play_arrow | Hip-hop LGYankees classic ‘Because…’ |
| 20east | Last LoveKato Miria |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that expresses the pain of heartbreak with a transparent voice |
| 21east | The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi |  play_arrow | A gem-like ballad portraying rain and parting |
| 22east | Never again…BENI |  play_arrow | A poignant R&B ballad that sings of the emotions of parting. |
| 23east | beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko |  play_arrow | Aiko’s love songs: bravado and delicacy |
| 24east | Don’t forget.DREAMS COME TRUE |  play_arrow | A heartfelt DCT ballad that portrays the pain of parting |
| 25east | tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa |  play_arrow | The regret of parting as I search for the warmth that was lost |
| 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 | Sing of springback number |  play_arrow | back number heartbreak support song |
| 30east | planetariumOtsuka Ai |  play_arrow | A ballad imbued with the bittersweetness of love under the starry sky |
| 31east | A piece of youKahara Tomomi |  play_arrow | A ballad that reflects Tomomi Kahara’s heartrending emotions |
| 32east | Graduationgagaga supi |  play_arrow | A love song that likens a breakup with a lover to a graduation |
| 33east | P.S I miss youTakahashi Yoko |  play_arrow | Yoko Takahashi’s solo debut work that sings about the heartache of a long-distance relationship |
| 34east | GarnetOku Hanako |  play_arrow | Okubana's heartbreak songs heal the heart |
| 35east | Tearful KissSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | A signature ballad by Southern that depicts the pain of heartbreak |
| 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 | Sakura GirlNEWS |  play_arrow | Expressing the bittersweetness of spring love through cherry blossoms |