Hidden gems of Japanese love songs. Recommended popular tracks.
If you’re starting to feel that the love songs you always listen to aren’t quite enough anymore, why not try some hidden gems?
I’m sure you’re very familiar with the songs that make it onto the hit charts.
But what about everything else?
There are surprisingly many songs by artists you know that you just haven’t listened to yet.
So in this article, we’ve gathered hidden masterpieces of love songs that you should hear at least once.
You might just find a wonderful classic you didn’t know before somewhere on this list.
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Hidden gems of Japanese love songs. Recommended popular tracks (11–20)
It’s love, but…Ofisharu Higedan Dism
Commonly known as “Higedan,” the band has even performed on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Their songs about love and romance, such as “Pretender” and “I LOVE…,” have been featured in various works and gained popularity, but there are still some hidden love songs to discover.
Their track “Ai Nandaga…” (“It’s Love, But…”) is sung from a male perspective about lingering feelings.
The realistic emotions of a man who can’t quite let go of a woman are likely to resonate with many listeners.
It’s included on their mini-album “Love and Peace Are Within You.” The understated, steady mood of the song is sure to grow on you.
A triangular lovesaji
The lead track from their second mini-album “Hanabi no Uta,” released in 2020.
The lyrics portray a fleeting, heartrending love story that almost brings you to tears.
The more your feelings for someone grow, the harder it becomes to meet their gaze—haven’t you ever felt that way? In the music video, you’ll also be drawn in by the superb performance of Erika Denya, former leader of Babyraids JAPAN.
If wacci’s “Betsu no Hito no Kanojo ni Natta yo” captures the aftermath of a breakup, then saji’s “Sankaku no Koi” is a love song overflowing with emotions that anyone can relate to, depicting feelings unfolding in the here and now.
WASTED LOVEHIROOMI TOSAKA
WASTED LOVE is a solo track released under the name HIROOMI TOSAKA by Hiroomi Tosaka, vocalist of Sandaime J Soul Brothers.
It’s a love song delivered with an even cooler, more mature expression than in his work with the group.
It depicts a budding romance that accelerates and pulls the two deeper into a world of their own.
While Sandaime J Soul Brothers also have cool songs, this is a more adult number that lets you feel Tosaka’s refined coolness and sensuality even more strongly.
BELOVEDGLAY
One of GLAY’s most beloved love songs, which became a major hit after being chosen as the theme song for the drama “A Summer Proposal.” From the guitar melody in the intro, it flows into GLAY’s signature warm sound, creating a comfort that makes you want to keep listening forever.
No matter what walls you hit or stumbles you take, as long as the one you love is by your side, you can keep living without losing yourself.
This is a song that lets you convey your greatest love to the one who makes you feel that way.
I don’t want to let go.T-BOLAN
Be moved by the love sung in the husky voice of T-BOLAN’s vocalist, Arashi Moritomo, in “Hanashitakuwa Nai” (“I Don’t Want to Let You Go”).
Originally included on the album T-BOLAN, the song was also released as a single about a month after the album’s release.
The lyrics in the first verse’s B section differ slightly between the album and single versions.
The song portrays the moment of realizing anew just how deeply one has always loved someone who isn’t right there in front of them.
If there’s someone in your life you feel you “don’t want to let go,” why not listen to this song and take the opportunity to face that person once again?
greatest common divisorRADWIMPS
RADWIMPS often has lyrics that startle you or make you think deeply, don’t they? This track is from their classic 2006 release, “RADWIMPS 3: The Album We Forgot to Bring to the Deserted Island.” What’s great about this song is how wonderfully romantic the lyrics are, carried by a positive sound.
So many unexpected turns of phrase—maybe hard to say in everyday life, but it makes you want to spend time together with feelings like these.
The final line leaves you feeling warm.
It’s a gentle love song, like taking each other’s hand and walking together.
Hidden gems of Japanese love songs. Recommended popular tracks (21–30)
loveback number
A gem from back number that captures bittersweet, tenderly aching emotions swaying in the limited time before graduation.
The lyrics, which freeze a youthful moment—like following your crush with your eyes from a classroom window—are sure to make anyone overlay their own memories.
Released in March 2012, this song overflows with warmth that gently nudges men who are thinking of confessing on White Day but can’t quite find the courage.
On a night when you want to reaffirm your feelings for someone special, be sure to listen closely.