Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revival Included! A J-POP Hit Song Special
The 2000s marked a major turning point for Japan’s music scene.
While CD sales were strong, ringtones and digital distribution also began to spread.
Superstar icons like Ayumi Hamasaki, Hikaru Utada, and Masaharu Fukuyama commanded overwhelming presence, while a new generation of artists such as ORANGE RANGE and GReeeeN emerged one after another.
In recent years, classic Heisei-era hits have been rediscovered through social media, capturing the hearts of a new generation.
This time, we look back on the gem-like hit songs that colored the 2000s.
- All big hits! A roundup of classic J‑Pop songs that were popular in 2000
- 2000s Japanese Hits | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! Exquisite Masterpieces
- Heisei-era masterpieces revisited through the hit songs of 2001
- [Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics.
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- Hit J-Pop songs from 2002. Recommended classics and popular tracks.
- [2013 Japanese Hit Songs] Masterpieces that Colored the Ama-chan Boom, Group Popularity, and the Band Scene
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2008: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
- Girls’ rock: female vocal bands that were active in the 2000s
- [Heisei Songs] Classic hits from the Heisei era that are popular on Instagram Reels
- 2003 J-Pop hit songs special: the golden age of music when diversity blossomed
- Hit J-pop songs of 2005. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Heisei-era masterpieces. Hit songs that represent the Heisei period.
Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revival Hits Too! J-POP Hit Songs Special (1–10)
StoryAI
Singer-songwriter AI, born in Los Angeles, captivates audiences with a powerful voice honed through gospel.
The lead single from her May 2005 album “Mic-a-holic Ai” is known as an enduring masterpiece of a ballad that brought her name to widespread recognition.
Opening with beautiful piano tones, the song gently stays close to the listener’s heart and delivers a strong message that you are not alone.
Its outstanding lyrics spread into households through radio and other media, and in 2014 it drew renewed attention when it was selected as the Japanese ending theme for the film Big Hero 6.
It’s a defining song of the 2000s that helps us reaffirm our bonds with the people we cherish.
Close your eyesHirai Ken
Singer-songwriter Ken Hirai captivates listeners with his deep, resonant voice.
This work poignantly yet purely sings of love—bearing the sense of loss after losing a loved one, yet being able to meet them in your heart whenever you close your eyes.
The lingering traces of absence in everyday life intersect with warm memories of the past, evoking a tightness in the chest.
Released in April 2004 as his 20th single, the song was written as the theme for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World” and became a million-selling smash hit.
It is a gem of a ballad that stirs the heart—perfect for nights when you want to immerse yourself in memories of someone precious or quietly let the tears fall.
crescent moonayaka
Ayaka’s fourth single, released in September 2006.
A love ballad that captures the heartache of a long-distance relationship, it remains a beloved classic for many.
Even when apart, looking up at the same sky connects their hearts, and the resolve to keep moving forward despite loneliness deeply resonates with listeners.
It’s said the song reflects Ayaka’s own feelings when she moved to Tokyo, and that genuine emotion adds depth to her vocals.
It was featured in an au “LISMO” commercial and as a theme song for an NHK program, and it earned her the Best New Artist award at the 48th Japan Record Awards.
It’s a sentimental number you’ll want to listen to alone on nights when you can’t see someone dear to you.
[2000s Japanese Music] Revival, too! J-POP Hit Songs Special (11–20)
sign; mark; symbol; omenMr.Children
This is a signature ballad by Mr.Children, featuring an inspiring ensemble that unfolds from a quiet piano melody into grand strings.
Its universal lyrics can be heard as either a song of meeting or parting, gently accompanying each listener’s personal story.
Released in November 2006, it was used as the theme song for the drama “14-Year-Old Mother,” which became a social phenomenon.
Many were surely moved by its melody and Sakurai’s passionate vocals.
With total sales exceeding 740,000 copies, it’s truly a love song that symbolizes the 2000s, reminding us of the bonds we share with those we hold dear.
powder snowRemioromen
This is the seventh single by Remioromen, a three-piece rock band that announced a hiatus in 2012.
Released in November 2005, it was featured as an insert song in the Fuji TV drama “1 Litre of Tears,” becoming the band’s biggest hit and signature track.
The song overlays the fleeting nature of snow that disappears the moment you touch it with the emotional distance and frustrating miscommunication between lovers.
Even while knowing they may never fully understand each other, the pure, single-minded feelings for the other person tighten the chest.
The piercing high notes in the chorus—a highlight—are extremely well-known, and the song is widely beloved as a winter karaoke staple.
It resonates even more deeply when you’re going through a bittersweet romance.
Youthful AmigoShūji to Akira
A signature 2000s youth anthem by the duo Shuuji to Akira.
The golden pairing of Kazuya Kamenashi and Tomohisa Yamashita, who co-starred in the drama “Nobuta wo Produce,” generated huge buzz.
The melancholic ensemble—created in collaboration with a Swedish songwriting team—leaves a strong impression.
The lyrics depict a passionate friendship and vows for the future between two guys undefeated in their hometown, sparked by a call from a best friend in a tight spot.
The track topped the 2005 annual singles chart, and many people likely fired it up as a karaoke duet.
It’s a song packed with the radiance and bittersweetness of youth—one that still makes your heart swell even as an adult.
Tree of WadatsumiHajime Chitose
This is the debut single by singer Chitose Hajime, who is also known as a uta-sha—a bearer of the traditional music of the Amami Islands.
With lyrics that tell the story of “a woman who, in loving someone so deeply, becomes a flower,” and an arrangement that strongly reflects the atmosphere of folk music, the song sent shockwaves through the J-pop scene at the time.
Released in February 2002, it reached No.
1 on the Oricon charts about two months after its debut.
The distinctive melodic inflections characteristic of Amami folk music and her mystical voice evoke the timeless melodies passed down in Japan since ancient times.
It is a truly one-of-a-kind masterpiece, perfect for immersing yourself in the grandeur of nature and the world of myth.