A rainy heartbreak song. A collection of bittersweet love songs set against the backdrop of rain.
When you hear the phrase “breakup song,” what kind of track comes to mind?
For example, there are plenty of songs set in specific scenes—like the room where two people spent time together or the park where they often took walks.
When these songs overlap with your own experiences, your sense of empathy suddenly deepens, and you find yourself wanting to listen to them over and over.
Among the scenes often depicted in breakup songs, isn’t rain one of the classics?
Rain is frequently used in imagery to express negative emotions, and it suits that gloomy feeling after a breakup very well.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of songs themed around rain and heartbreak.
See if you can find one that resonates with you.
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- [Female Heartbreak Song] A soul-stirring song dedicated to you, who loved with all your heart.
- Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
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- [Tear-Jerking Breakup Songs] A curated selection of love songs that gently comfort a wounded heart!
- [Today’s Heartbreak Song] A poignant love song that gently wraps your wounded heart
- Breakup songs by female artists recommended for the yutori generation
- Rain Songs: A curated selection of tracks that feature rain in the lyrics — including many nostalgic Japanese hits
A rainy heartbreak song. A collection of poignant love songs set against the backdrop of rain (1–10)
cherry blossom rainJUJU
Sakuraame is JUJU’s 12th single, released in 2010.
It was issued as her first quadruple A-side single and was used as the opening theme for TBS’s COUNT DOWN TV as well as in corporate commercials for RecoChoku.
In the song, “rain” plays various roles: it hides tears, washes away memories of the two of them, and is described in a very poetic way.
Spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom, is a season of meetings and farewells.
Rain that falls in such a season seems to accentuate the poignancy of parting.
refrainSandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu
“Refrain” is the fifth single by Sandaime J Soul Brothers, released in 2011.
It was issued as a single from the album “TRIBAL SOUL” released the same year, and was featured in an H.I.S.
commercial and as the November ending theme for NTV’s information program “Sukkiri!!”.
The lyrics are poignant, depicting lovers who have somehow missed each other and passed the point where things could still be mended, wishing they could meet again if life could refrain and replay.
The line “I just hope you’re not getting caught in the rain right now” painfully conveys the lingering feelings for a former lover.
Helpless RainNakajima Mika
“Helpless Rain” is Mika Nakashima’s fourth single, released in 2002.
It reached No.
8 on the Oricon singles chart and was used as a commercial song for La Parler, a company in the bridal industry.
With a cool R&B-flavored sound, the song portrays yearning for someone who won’t stay close despite overwhelming feelings.
Rain amplifies the sense of poignancy, and “Helpless Rain” is a perfect example of a track where that effect is fully realized.
A rainy heartbreak song. A collection of bittersweet love songs set against the rain (11–20)
Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA
AAA’s ‘Koion to Amazora’ is a song that captures the wavering feeling of wishing you could honestly confess your love.
Released in 2013 as their 38th single, it reached No.
3 on the Oricon Singles Chart.
The lyrics can be interpreted as either unrequited love or a couple in the middle of a fight, and the inability to express their feelings straightforwardly only widens the gap between them.
The episode of always meeting up on rainy days evokes the happiness of the time they shared.
Although the song doesn’t reveal how things ultimately turn out, we’re left hoping their misunderstandings are resolved.
Rainy SundayMISIA
The rainy heartbreak song included on MISIA’s second album, LOVE IS THE MESSAGE, released in 2000, is Ame no Nichiyōbi (Rainy Sunday).
The album topped the Oricon charts and won the Best Album Award at the 42nd Japan Record Awards—a true classic.
It’s a quintessential MISIA track: mellow yet driven by a solid beat, so groovy it makes your hips want to move.
The lyrics, which sing about how seeing the umbrella the other person left behind on a rainy day brings back memories and makes it hard to bear, are heartbreakingly poignant.
Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki
Rainy Blue is an urban ballad that epitomizes the 1980s.
It was the debut single released in 1986 by Hideaki Tokunaga, an artist known for his husky, sultry vocals.
The scene of trying to call an ex-girlfriend from a phone booth is something many who lived through the Showa era can probably relate to.
Just picturing him wandering a rainy city at midnight, looking back on memories with her, is enough to tug at the heartstrings.
It’s a classic that’s even been covered by international artists, so be sure to give it a listen!
umbrellaSEKAI NO OWARI
“umbrella” depicts a tender scene of staying close when rain falls on a loved one’s heart.
Created by SEKAI NO OWARI—known for their genre-defying appeal—the song was released in 2020.
A driving band sound resonates, incorporating translucent strings and synth tones.
Many listeners may relate to the pure desire to protect someone dear, even if only for the brief moments until the rain stops.
It’s a healing track, with Fukase’s vocals gently enveloping the loneliness and solitude one carries in their heart.
