Popular Unrequited Love Songs: Japanese Music/J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]

Unrequited loveAimer8rank/position

Aimer “Kataomoi” MUSIC VIDEO (FULL ver.)

A female singer with a soulful, smoky voice you can’t forget once you hear it—Aimer.

This song, provided by Takahito Uchisawa of androp, is a straightforward love song about deep, enduring affection.

It carries a vow to keep loving the other person even as they grow older, and a wish to always feel as fresh as when they first met, creating a warm, happy atmosphere that evokes a future with someone special.

The track is included on the album “daydream,” released in September 2016, and also served as the opening theme for the music program CDTV.

Unlike a sad unrequited-love song, it’s a heartwarming number that brings back the pure feelings of a first crush.

OrangeGReeeeN9rank/position

GReeeeN – Orange

This is a song by GReeeeN that refreshingly depicts a faint budding romance through scenes bathed in the orange glow of dusk.

The lyrics, which straightforwardly express feelings for the other person, are striking; they carefully portray the joy of the moment when love becomes mutual and the anticipation for the future that lies ahead.

Released in April 2012, the track was featured in a Shiseido “SEA BREEZE” commercial and is included on the album “Utautai ga Utautai ni Kite Utau tae to Iu ga Utautai ga Utau dake Utai Kireba Uta Utau keredomo Utautai dake Utautai Kirenai kara Uta Utawanu!?” It’s a recommended song for times when you feel unsure about your feelings for someone or when you want to cheer on a romance that’s about to begin.

Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA10rank/position

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

Koioto to Amazora portrays a love that’s so sincere it makes it hard to be honest about your true feelings.

The performance group AAA released it in 2013.

With lyrics that conjure scenes of a rainy day and the members’ emotional vocals, it’s a heartrending number.

It depicts how taking a little distance can make you realize how precious the one you love is and deepen your feelings for them.

It’s a song that expresses a straightforward desire to be together, even for just a brief moment.

Even when they sometimes miss each other emotionally, it shows that the feelings of two people who love each other don’t change.

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mutō

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Hey,SHISHAMO11rank/position

SHISHAMO “Hey,”

SHISHAMO is a three-piece band with a solid, powerful sound and down-to-earth lyrics, leading the girls’ rock scene.

“Nee,” which opens their fifth album, SHISHAMO 5, was featured in a Calpis commercial and used as the theme song for ABEMA’s Today, I Fell in Love.

The lyrical storyline, conveying both the ache of unrequited love and the resolve to take a step forward, is perfect for spring, the season of new beginnings.

It’s a refreshing pop tune with a tight, guitar-driven, catchy ensemble that sticks in your ears.

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Hoshino Takashi

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somedaySaucy Dog12rank/position

Saucy Dog "Someday" MUSIC VIDEO

This is a song by Saucy Dog that sings of a bittersweet love.

The lyrics, filled with youthful memories—like climbing a hill, gazing at the stars, and the moment of holding hands for the first time—resonate deeply.

Included on the mini-album “Country Road” released in May 2017, it later reached No.

95 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 in October 2021 following their performance on THE FIRST TAKE.

It has also become a popular track, surpassing 200 million streams.

Recommended for those who can relate to holding onto hope—“until the day we meet again”—even while carrying the pain of heartbreak.

wishsumika13rank/position

sumika / Wish [Music Video]

A song by sumika that portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love and hope for the future.

The protagonist’s inner struggle—wishing happiness for the one they love while being unable to suppress their own feelings—is especially striking.

Released in December 2019 as the theme song for the drama “Ossan’s Love -in the sky-,” it reached No.

6 on the Oricon charts.

The music video has also been viewed over 20 million times, capturing the hearts of many.

It’s recommended not only for those wrestling with love, but also for anyone who wants to cherish the feeling of wishing someone else happiness.

Why not listen to this piece and face the “wish” that lies within you?

Sniper.Yuika14rank/position

Sniper. / “Yuika” [MV]

This is a pop number by Yuika, who has been gaining buzz thanks to dance videos on TikTok.

The song comically portrays a one-sided-crush strategy, treating the person she likes as a “target” and aiming straight for their heart.

The play-by-play, live-broadcast-style lyrics are memorable, and listening to it really makes your heart flutter! Yuika wrote this track when she was a second-year high school student; it was released digitally in April 2024 and later included on the album “Longing for Navy.” With its up-tempo melody and the protagonist’s earnest feelings, it’s a song that sends emotions soaring.

If you’re in the middle of a crush, you might just find yourself unable to sit still when you listen!