Japanese breakup song ranking [2026]

me me sheRADWIMPS8rank/position

RADWIMPS – me me she [Official Music Video]

Let me introduce a classic ballad that sings of a man’s aching heart, still thinking of his former lover even after the breakup.

Created by RADWIMPS, one of Japan’s leading popular bands, this track is included on their landmark album “RADWIMPS 4: Okazu no Gohan,” released in December 2006.

Despite never being released as a single, it has long enjoyed overwhelming support among fans.

The lyrics vividly depict the lingering attachment to a love that has ended, as well as the ego that, while wishing for the other’s happiness, can’t help but prioritize oneself.

The world of Yojiro Noda’s honest and complex emotional landscape—so distinctly his—will pierce the hearts of adults who usually put on a brave face.

On nights when you carry a weakness you can tell no one about, why not listen to this song alone in silence and let yourself cry your heart out?

somedaySaucy Dog9rank/position

Saucy Dog "Someday" MUSIC VIDEO

The starry sky we saw at the top of that hill, the carefree way we lay down on the ground—those vivid memories shared by just the two of us squeeze my chest with the ache of knowing that time will never return.

It’s a heartbreak song that powerfully conveys the struggle to accept a farewell while recalling the profile of someone precious.

This track is included on Saucy Dog’s first mini-album, “Country Road,” released in May 2017.

It’s the song that changed their fate, becoming the catalyst for winning the Grand Prix at an audition in December 2016.

While holding a past love as a beautiful yet painful memory, it gently gives you a push to keep moving forward.

Until the day I can no longer rememberback number10rank/position

back number – Until the Day It Becomes Unrememberable (full)

A poignant ballad by back number that quietly sings of lingering feelings and a sense of loss for a former lover.

Released in October 2011 as their third single, the song is also included on the album “Superstar,” which came out the same month.

The lyrics portray the emptiness of days that keep going even after losing the most important person in the world, and the deep bond in which the two formed halves of each other.

Fear of memories of the other fading intertwines with the resignation that they will eventually be forgotten, and the realization that the time spent with the person was part of oneself wells up with aching tenderness.

A song that offers comfort to anyone who has lost someone dear.

wishsumika11rank/position

sumika / Wish [Music Video]

A heart-stirring ballad by sumika that portrays the ache of unrequited love and the inner conflict of wishing for the other person’s happiness.

Included on the single “Negai / Higher Ground,” released in December 2019, this song was written as the theme for TV Asahi’s Saturday Night Drama “Ossan’s Love -in the sky-.” In an astonishing anecdote, vocalist Kenta Kataoka reportedly revised the lyrics 117 times to align with the drama’s worldview.

The lyrics, which struggle to hold back overflowing feelings, and the melody that grows more heated as the emotions rise, are sure to bring tears.

It’s a gentle yet heartrending masterpiece, one we especially hope those who can’t muster the courage on Valentine’s Day and are holding onto painful feelings will listen to.

Happinessback number12rank/position

Shiawase

Back number, known for lyrics and melodies that ache and tighten the chest, has won wide support.

This work is the B-side track included on their major-label debut single “Hanabira,” released in April 2011.

It was later included on the album “Superstar,” released in October of the same year, and has continued to be cherished by fans as a hidden gem.

Realizing that the person you love is thinking of someone other than you, yet being able to stay by their side only by wishing for their happiness—these painfully selfless feelings and inner conflicts are depicted in the lyrics, piercing listeners’ hearts.

The beautiful arrangement incorporating strings further stirs the emotions.

For those suffering from unrequited love or who have once prayed for a loved one’s happiness from afar, this is a song that will bring you to tears.

LemonYonezu Kenshi13rank/position

Kenshi Yonezu – Lemon

It’s a bittersweet ballad that portrays a deep sense of loss and a love that refuses to fade.

The loneliness of a world without someone precious, and the vivid feeling that their presence still lives on within you, come through with aching clarity.

Released as a single in March 2018, it was written as the theme song for the drama “Unnatural.” During production, Kenshi Yonezu’s own experience of losing his grandfather is said to have informed the profound sorrow and prayer at the heart of the piece.

Like the fragrance of fruit that hints at bitterness and tartness, if you sing while holding on to indelible memories, the tension in your heart may gradually unwind.

How about it for a night steeped in grief, when you want to cry your heart out and heal your soul?

OverMr.Children14rank/position

Mr.Children over with Chinese subtitles

A Mr.Children masterpiece that gently wraps the pain of heartbreak: “Over.” As you revisit the moment of parting, your heart trembles with faint memories… In this way, the song perfectly synchronizes with the emotions of anyone nursing a broken heart.

Since their debut in 1993, they’ve stood by our hearts with countless hits, and “Over” is one of them.

Its lyrics portray a protagonist who looks back on a past love while feeling the sting of loss.

As hope and despair intersect, we realize that beyond the darkness overflowing with sorrow lies a new self.

It’s a masterpiece I wholeheartedly recommend not only to those who experienced heartbreak on Valentine’s Day, but to everyone carrying a past etched into their hearts.