Japanese breakup song ranking [2026]

emptyyuzu92rank/position

Karappo

This is a breakup song released in 1998 as Yuzu’s third single.

Their fresh vocals and melodies tug at your heartstrings in a way that’s hard to describe.

Even though it’s a breakup song, listening to it feels like a refreshing breeze—such a track.

It might not be counted among their signature songs, but it’s a hidden gem packed with Yuzu’s sound.

Since the lyrics are based on Iwasawa’s real-life experience, there are surely people who have felt the same way.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to under a clear, sunny sky, shedding just a few tears.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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playing loversmakaroni enpitsu93rank/position

Macaroni Enpitsu 'Pretend Lovers' MV

A heartrending song that depicts the end of an unstable relationship where “I’m home” and “Goodbye” intersect.

Performed by Macaroni Empitsu, a band made up of music conservatory graduates, it was released digitally in February 2020 and was also featured in a Spotify campaign.

Though the relationship is essentially over, the two continue to act like lovers.

As the line “Just one more time” repeats, the protagonist’s exhausted heart drags the relationship along, and their pain comes through vividly.

It’s a song that makes you acknowledge the part of yourself that wants to forget but can’t—the flawed self living with that conflict.

For those who can’t break free from a lingering, regret-filled love.

Everyday Revolutionneguse.94rank/position

Neguse. “Everyday Revolution” Official Music Video

A poignant ballad by Neguse that captures the moment everyday life changes in the wake of heartbreak.

It delicately portrays everything from sweet memories of teasing each other about morning bedhead to nights spent in tears.

Set to a gentle melody, it expresses how the happy times—watching movies together and browsing vintage shops—fade along with the loss of love.

Included on the September 2022 album “Give Love to Wonderland!,” the song also drew attention for its moving music video.

It’s a heartwarming track that offers comfort to those who’ve said goodbye to someone special or want to linger in memories with a loved one.

You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn95rank/position

You’re the one who let me fall for you / Arekun [Official Music Video]

A song that resonates with the anger toward someone who only reaches out when it suits them, and the aching feeling of not being able to forget them.

In contrast to its melodic, gentle sound, the lyrics are striking for their candid, down-to-earth emotions.

Released in September 2020 and gaining buzz mainly on social media, the track is also included on Are-kun’s album “Breath.” It features the soft timbre of an acoustic guitar and an emotionally rich arrangement.

If you’re struggling with a romantic relationship, sensing your partner’s feelings drifting away but not wanting to admit it, or have been hurt by someone’s misleading behavior, you’ll likely find this deeply relatable.

Silent EveKarashima Midori96rank/position

Silent Eve / Midori Karashima

This is a heartbreak song sung by Midori Karashima, depicting the poignant feelings of a woman who decides to end a relationship against the backdrop of winter’s stillness and Christmas.

The lyrics are striking for their delicate portrayal of complex emotions—like the difficulty of remaining “just friends” and the resolve not to interfere with the other person’s life.

Released in 1990, the song was reportedly conceived with the image of quiet nights spent by women living modestly amid the glitz of the bubble era.

Karashima’s gentle, translucent voice and the sound of the piano offer tender comfort to listeners.

Even while carrying the pain of a broken heart, this is a song that may give you the courage to take a new step forward.

Moon CryingKōda Kumi97rank/position

Koda Kumi / “Moon Crying” (from the new album “WINTER of LOVE”)

Koda Kumi’s “Moon Crying” overlays the image of the moon floating in the sky with a beloved person she can no longer meet.

Released in 2008 as her 40th single, it remains one of her most popular ballads.

From the quietly opening piano notes, the sorrow wells up.

The lyrics convey the regret of not being able to say feelings like “I love you” or “thank you” in time.

Let’s share our feelings to the fullest while we still can, so we won’t have regrets.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo98rank/position

Atarayo – “I Didn’t Want to Know, If It Meant Losing You” (Music Video)

This piece portrays the emotional struggle of someone hurt by a lover’s betrayal, yet tormented by feelings that won’t fade.

Released by Atarayo in January 2022, it was produced as an advance single for the album “Gokuya ni Oite Tsuki wa Katarazu.” Born from a collaboration with the platform Jun-Aidan, which features real-life romance stories, the song is based on a story selected from over ten thousand submissions.

Even after being lied to repeatedly by someone you trusted, and knowing in your head that you should break up, you still can’t stop loving them.

It’s a song that will resonate with anyone carrying those contradictory feelings.