A collection of romance-themed songs. Let’s listen to some Japanese love songs.

nocturnalAnonymouz

Anonymouz – Nocturnal

A song that portrays the bittersweet feelings of love that overflow in the sleepless hours of the night.

Chosen as the opening theme for the BL drama “Jack Frost,” which aired in the MBS Drama Shower slot, this track is included on Anonymouz’s first full-length album, “11:11,” released in February 2023.

Its house-tinged track features a comfortably steady four-on-the-floor beat, with a sound that carries a hint of city pop.

The lyrics, which delicately capture the frustration of nights when thinking about the one you love only keeps you more awake, resonate deeply.

It’s a number we especially recommend to anyone struggling with a love they can’t quite be honest about.

Again (with Ai Otsuka)HIROBA

“Futatabi (with AI Otsuka) Music Video | HIROBA”

A collaborative song by HIROBA, a project led by Ikimonogakari’s Yoshiki Mizuno, and Ai Otsuka.

It was released digitally in January 2023 and included on the album HIROBA.

The track was chosen as the theme song for ABC TV’s drama Bokura no Micro na Shūmatsu (Our Micro-End), a boys’ love story about two men who were once lovers spending the ten days leading up to the end of the world.

The song delicately portrays regret toward someone from the past with whom things fell apart, along with feelings that still won’t fade.

It’s a piece that gently stays by your side when you want to look forward while reflecting on an old romance.

Follow your arrowsSSGIRLS (uta: Sasakura Kana)

SSGIRLS (Vocals: Kana Sasakura) "Follow your arrows" -Music Video- (TV anime "Whisper Me A Love Song" opening theme)

A song that captures the stirrings of love that begin the moment you fall at first sight, set to a straightforward guitar rock sound.

It serves as the opening theme for the TV anime Whisper Me a Love Song, with lyrics by Seiko Fujibayashi and composition/arrangement by Katsuhiko Kurosu—an impressive duo.

Released in April 2024 as a double A-side single.

The track expresses, through a driving band sound, the emotional shift from a static daily life to one colored by feelings for someone special.

The lyrics convey the courage to be honest with your feelings and take a step forward without fearing hurt, offering encouragement to the listener.

It’s sure to resonate with anyone who wishes to share their feelings for someone they love without hiding them.

About the two of uskarin

Karin “About the Two of Us” [MV]

Singer-songwriter Karin, who gained attention from her piano-and-vocal videos on TikTok.

Released in March 2023, this song portrays lovers facing a farewell at a quiet bus stop.

Though they speak different languages and grew up in different environments, they spent their days laughing at the same things and crying over the same things.

In lyrics that gently trace the overlapping of their hearts, a form of love that transcends gender and nationality comes into view.

It’s a song that resonates with the determination to keep believing in each other, even when distance keeps them apart and they can’t meet when they want to.

caramelmosao.

Caramel / Mosawo. [Music Video]

This song brings the bittersweet ache of unrequited love right to your chest.

Released in November 2021, it was written as the opening theme for the BL drama “My Beautiful Man.” Crafted to match the drama’s worldview—which portrays the relationship between a high school student with a stutter and someone at the top of the school’s social hierarchy—the lyrics capture a clumsy, heartfelt love from the protagonist’s perspective.

Even while knowing he isn’t worthy of the other person, he can’t help but follow him with his eyes.

The emotions swaying between low self-esteem and feelings that can’t be contained are expressed through the imagery of a sweet yet slightly bitter taste.

RevivalSukima Suichi

Sukima Switch – “Revival” Music Video – SUKIMASWITCH

Ossan’s Love is a drama that comically yet earnestly portrays romance between men and became a social phenomenon in 2018.

Its theme song is “Revival” by Sukima Switch.

The lyrics open with scenes that evoke the lingering traces of summer—like the strong sunlight at the end of September and towering cumulus clouds—and depict memories of someone once spent time with gradually coming back to life.

The way long-forgotten feelings begin to stir again naturally overlaps with the drama’s wavering love stories.

Recommended for moments when you want to quietly reflect on your own emotions.

More beautiful than deathtsukuyomi

Tsukiyomi “Fairer Than Death” Music Video

A Tsukuyomi song that portrays the story of two girls swaying between “death” and “life.” Released in May 2024, this track opens the concept album We Call That God.

Centered on the rooftop moment when a girl with the special ability of precognitive dreams meets a girl about to end her life, it gently weaves the special feelings that grow between them.

It’s a piece I’d especially recommend to anyone who wants to receive the message that you don’t need a reason to care about someone.