Breakup songs sung by male Japanese (J-pop) artists
There are so many words about love.Unrequited love, mutual love, breakups… There are lots of songs about these, too—perhaps it’s a national trait.Interestingly, in Japanese music, breakup songs seem especially common among them.Here, I’ve gathered 30 such heartbreak songs sung by male artists.May these masterpieces seep into and soothe your wounded heart.
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Breakup songs by male J-Pop artists (21–30)
I want to take only you away just like this.DEEN
It was released in 1993 as DEEN’s debut single.
Despite being their debut, it became their best-selling song and was also used in an NTT DoCoMo commercial.
Many artists have covered it.
The lyrics poignantly express the loneliness and pain of a man who realizes that his beloved is trying to leave him.
The straightforward feelings he has for her make the song deeply moving.
OrangeSMAP
It was included as the coupling track to SMAP’s 32nd single, “Lion Heart,” and was released in 2000.
Even outside of SMAP’s fan base, it’s widely known and often sung at karaoke.
It’s a very poignant song about a situation where they don’t want to break up but have to; the man decides to initiate the breakup, believing it will spare his girlfriend from greater pain—a heartbreakingly considerate gesture.
Breakup songs by male Japanese artists (31–40)
Surely somewhereTUBE
Released in 1998 as TUBE’s 28th single, it was used as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Sekai de Ichiban Papa ga Suki,” and reached No.
2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
While TUBE is often associated with summer songs, this track evokes meetings and partings that aren’t bound to any particular season.
It’s a poignant song about not wanting to say goodbye if there’s even the slightest hope that someday you might understand each other again and love one another once more.
for a whilerikon densetsu
A ballad that gently nestles up to memories of lost love.
The music unit Divorce Densetsu released it in January 2025.
While lamenting a past that can never return, the song portrays the aching sway of trying to forget someone dear.
Vocalist Matsuda’s sweet, mellow voice rides atop a nostalgic sound reminiscent of ’80s New Music, soaking into the heart.
A healing track that wraps you in sentimental emotion.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism
I can’t stop crying at this heartbreaking story of someone stepping back on their own.
This is the song that truly made Official HIGE DANDism a nationwide name.
It’s easy to be captivated by Satoshi Fujihara’s beautiful vocals, but the real charm lies in the lyrics that portray the protagonist’s emotions.
Realizing he won’t end up with the one he loves, the song conveys the feelings of a man who chooses to bow out.
He can no longer say “I love you”; all he can do is praise the other person’s beauty.
The world it paints—where dignity and lingering attachment intersect—tightens your chest, doesn’t it? Released as a single in May 2019, it became a massive hit as the theme song for the film The Confidence Man JP, spending 34 consecutive weeks at No.
1 on Billboard Japan’s streaming chart.
On nights when you’re tormented by unrequited love, it’s sure to gently stay by your side.
The Summer When You Were ThereNEWS
A bittersweet end-of-summer love song sung by NEWS.
Despite its refreshing melody that conjures up glittering scenes, the lyrics depict memories of a love that will never return.
The more you remember those happy days, the tighter your chest feels—many of us know that sensation well.
This track was included on the single “ONE – for the win-,” released in June 2014.
When you want to immerse yourself in an unforgettable summer romance, it will quietly stay by your side.
Sad feelingsKuwata Keisuke
This is the solo debut single by Keisuke Kuwata, the vocalist of Southern All Stars.
At first listen it has a bright, breezy sound, but beneath that lies the inescapable loneliness of a man heartbroken in love.
The contrast between the cheerful tone and the heartrending lyrics may, if anything, tighten many listeners’ chests.
Released in October 1987, it was later included on the album “Keisuke Kuwata.” Please take your time and give it a careful listen.