Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
It seems that when you’re feeling down, listening to somber songs rather than forcing yourself to listen to upbeat ones is actually better for your heart.
This time, we’ve put together a collection of Japanese breakup songs to send to you, who are hurting from heartbreak.
Let yourself fully relate to the songs you connect with, and clear your mind.
- A breakup song with great lyrics. A beautiful message that lingers in the heart.
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 1980s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
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Masterpieces of poignant breakup songs: Recommended popular tracks (101–110)
Cinderella BoySaucy Dog
This song is included on Saucy Dog’s mini-album “Lazy Sunday,” which weaves a heart-wrenching love story that tightens the chest.
It portrays a bittersweet, inescapable dependence, even while suffering the agony of being torn apart by the other person’s lies.
Coupled with a melodious rock sound and written from a female perspective, it leaves a lingering aftertaste where sorrow and affection intermingle.
Released in August 2021, it also drew attention for its animation-style music video by Miku Masuda.
In 2022, the band appeared on Music Station.
It’s a recommended track for those struggling with complex feelings toward someone they love or seeking empathy in the subtleties of human relationships.
LiarUeto Aya
Aya Ueto delivers a moving song that delicately portrays a person trying to move forward after a breakup while hiding their true feelings.
The folkloric, wistful melody and her clear, translucent voice vividly express the emotions of someone putting on a brave face yet still thinking of their former partner.
Released in November 2004 as Ueto’s 10th single, the song was written and composed by Tetsurō Oda and included on the album “Re.” It’s a track that many who are striving to stay positive after heartbreak—while keeping their deepest feelings hidden—will deeply relate to.
Her vocals convey both strength and aching tenderness, sure to leave your heart feeling warm.
NatsumiAKASAKI
A work filled with bittersweet memories that draws you in with words woven from a delicate sensibility.
Released in September 2024, this track became a hot topic on platforms like TikTok.
Crafted by 18-year-old AKASAKI, the pairing of lyrics and melody that evokes the end of summer is exquisite—leaving a lingering poignancy while resonating with a pleasantly pop feel.
It has captured many hearts, with over 3 million plays on Instagram Reels.
A song that stands by those who’ve experienced heartbreak or want to move past a farewell with someone dear.
Perfect for a quiet night.
catDISH//
This is a moving song that overlays the end of a bittersweet love with the ephemeral freedom of a cat.
Written and composed by singer-songwriter Aimyon, it beautifully harmonizes with DISH//’s musical style to create a true masterpiece.
Released in August 2017 as the B-side to the single “We Did It,” it was later featured in 2020 as an insert song in the drama “Cat.” That same year, it received the Excellence Award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards and was included on the album “X.” Embracing listeners who have experienced parting with someone dear, this heartwarming track gently holds universal feelings of loss and lingering attachment, while nurturing the strength to keep looking forward.
Fated OneEXILE
Despite a fateful encounter, by the time they realized its importance, it was already too late… This song, filled with bittersweet regret, is a heart-wrenching ballad that EXILE released in May 2004.
While looking back on a past romance, it delicately portrays the confusion of being unable to fall for anyone else.
Still longing even now, yet unsure whether it’s okay to confess… It’s sure to resonate with anyone who carries that kind of frustrating, unspoken feeling.
Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks (111–120)
In loveHY
HY, a band from Okinawa, released “Koi o Shite” in December 2024.
It serves as the theme song for the film “366 Days,” which hits theaters in January 2025, and is positioned as a sequel to the ballad “366 Days” of the same name that centers on heartbreak.
The lyrics portray moving forward while overcoming the pain of parting, and it’s truly stirring.
Please give it a listen while thinking of someone special to you!
tragic heroineMy Hair is Bad
It’s a song that poignantly captures emotions anyone who’s experienced heartbreak can relate to.
Through a scene where the narrator visits their ex, it vividly portrays the struggle between still loving that person and the reality that they can no longer be together.
The repeated phrase “because I still love you” makes the lingering attachment ache all the more.
My Hair is Bad released this track digitally in February 2024, followed the next week by a single titled “Freedom and Hysteria.” They also held events in Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo in March.
It’s a recommended listen for anyone who’s been through a breakup or wants to sink into a bittersweet mood.