2000s Japanese Hits | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! Exquisite Masterpieces
What kind of music were you listening to back then? The 2000s can be called a turning point for J-POP.
Theme songs from TV shows and dramas, the background music of school life, the songs we sang at karaoke—many people only need to hear them and a page of youth, etched together with the music, comes vividly back.
In this article, we present hit songs that defined the 2000s.
Shall we look back once more at the music of that special era, where nostalgia and novelty intertwined?
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- [2026 Hit Songs] Iconic Heisei-Era Classics and Nostalgic Japanese Music
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2008: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
- Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
2000s Japanese Hit Songs | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! A Collection of Timeless Gems (111–120)
chicken riceHamada Masatoshi / Makihara Noriyuki
This single was released in 2004 as a result of a collaboration planned on the TV show “HEY! HEY! HEY!” between Masatoshi Hamada of Downtown and Noriyuki Makihara.
The lyrics were written by Hitoshi Matsumoto of Downtown, and it’s a touching Christmas song based on his own experiences.
It reached No.
2 on the Oricon weekly chart.
2000s Japanese Hit Songs | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! A Collection of Gemlike Masterpieces (121–130)
Your nameKumaki Anri
Her 14th single as a singer-songwriter from Nagano Prefecture.
She participated in a singer audition on the TV program “Aa! Bara-iro no Chinsei!!,” won the grand prize, and that victory opened the door to her debut.
SakurazakaFukuyama Masaharu
A bittersweet love song that captures feelings for a former lover.
It was also used as the theme song for a TBS variety show and was released in April 2000.
Based on Masaharu Fukuyama’s real-life experience, the song set the all-time record for the highest first-week sales by a male solo artist.
Its cumulative sales reached 2.299 million copies, and it ranked second on Oricon’s 2000 annual singles chart.
Waiting for spring to arrive, yet the dream remains just a dream… Those wistful emotions are gently wrapped in Fukuyama’s sweet vocals and the sound of his guitar.
A perfect track for healing the pain of a breakup or reflecting on memories with someone special.
Shall we travel?kuuki koudan
Formed in 1997, they are a pop-rock band known for a sound that blends the catchiness of J-pop with the emotive feel of post-rock.
They also have a side as a creative production group involved in projects like picture books and video.
sense of shameshuuchishin
This is the debut song of a three-member unit that emerged from a quiz variety show.
It’s a track that conveys a strong determination to stay true to oneself, even if others laugh at you.
Incidentally, the artist’s name was apparently inspired by a wrong answer one of the members gave during a quiz.
Tears of Polarisonsoku rain
Their 11th single.
The limited first edition featured illustrations from the anime Telepathy Shōjo Ran.
The coupling track, Omoidashite, is a song by Super Relax, a full-band incarnation of ONSO9LINE.
It was recorded as a self-cover.
Mileage of LoveRAG FAIR
This is RAG FAIR’s second single, released in 2002.
An a cappella boom was ignited by a Fuji TV variety show, and RAG FAIR helped lead and energize the trend.
This song debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon chart, while “SEA Side Story,” released the same day, reached No.
2.
RAG FAIR achieved the remarkable feat of monopolizing the top two positions.