Japanese breakup song ranking [2026]

mutual feelingsthe shes gone36rank/position

the shes gone “Omoi Ai” Music Video

This song, which captures the ache of unrequited love, is one of the signature tracks by the shes gone.

It portrays lingering feelings for a former lover and how a single word from them can change everyday life, offering comfort to anyone who has experienced heartbreak.

Released in January 2019, its music video on YouTube helped raise the band’s profile.

It’s a recommended track for those carrying the pain of a breakup or harboring deep feelings for someone special.

You’re sure to find something to relate to in the lyrics, sung over a gently flowing melody.

tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa37rank/position

Koresawa “Tobacco” [Music Video]

A singer-songwriter beloved for relatable, down-to-earth lyrics, Koresawa delivers a piercing song of regret.

The protagonist is portrayed desperately trying to recover the warmth of lost days from the small personal items their partner left behind.

The depictions of miscommunication—“If only I’d paid more attention to them,” “If only they had cared more about me”—will resonate painfully with anyone who has parted ways with a long-time partner.

Released in March 2017, this work is marked by its acoustic sound.

For those who feel their own shortcomings led to the breakup, this song may quietly sit with you and allow you to shed your tears.

As an ex-girlfriendMy Hair is Bad38rank/position

Moto Kanojyoto Shite

This song by My Hair is Bad is portrayed through the gaze of a woman exhausted by love.

It’s striking how, as she faces a breakup, she tries to move forward in her own way—changing her appearance and throwing herself into parties.

Behind that are a distrust that leaves her unable to believe in anything and a wish to be freed from past relationships.

Included on the November 2017 album “mothers,” this work is a ballad that stands beside those confronting the end of a romance and evokes deep empathy.

Even while carrying the pain of heartbreak, it’s sure to spark a shift of heart in anyone trying to take a new step forward.

MPRINCESS PRINCESS39rank/position

PRINCESS PRINCESS M cover

A major presence that could even be called the “founding mother of girls’ bands,” PRINCESS PRINCESS—aka PuriPuri—scored this huge hit.

If you’re in your 50s, it’s right in your wheelhouse.

When the lyrics mentioned a boyfriend whose initial is M, fans at the time were all abuzz: “Who is M?” This straightforward breakup ballad—about a beloved boyfriend M she never wanted to part from—also opened up a new frontier for PuriPuri.

If you’ve gone through a breakup, you might sing this at karaoke to soothe the hurt.

A nostalgia-filled heartbreak song—highly recommended across generations.

Even if I forget somedayback number40rank/position

Even if I forget someday

A cityscape changing with the passage of time, and the unforgettable feelings that remain in the heart.

It’s back number’s song that gently embraces such bittersweet emotions.

Included on their first album “Ato no Matsuri,” released in June 2010, this track is distinguished by Iyori Shimizu’s delicate lyrics and a melody that sinks deep into the soul.

Memories with someone important may one day fade away.

Even so, it conveys the desire to cherish each and every moment.

For those whose heartbreak has yet to heal, this is a song that quietly stays by your side.

Why not surrender yourself to it while holding close the feelings you keep in your heart?

Unrequited lovemiwa41rank/position

miwa 'Unrequited Love'

This song marks a new frontier for miwa, as it’s her first to feature a piano performance since her official debut.

You usually picture miwa bouncing around energetically when she sings, right? In contrast to that familiar image, the somewhat mature and gently mellow melody here tenderly echoes the song’s motif of unrequited love.

The lyrics—about liking someone for so long but not knowing what to do—straightforwardly capture the feelings of a woman encountering her first love, and it’s refreshing to hear.

It’s a track I’d love anyone currently in love to listen to.

Blue BenchSasuke42rank/position

Blue Bench / Sasuke

It’s a pure love song wrapped in a sense of longing.

Set on a nostalgic bench after the lover is gone, it delicately portrays the emotions of looking back on an unrequited love.

Regret over not being able to convey one’s feelings and lingering attachment to a love that will never return resonate through the delicate vocals and melody.

Released independently in 2003, the song sold out all 500 copies immediately, despite being available only at a single store in the artist’s hometown of Ōmiya.

When you think back to “that moment” when you couldn’t be honest with a beloved partner, this song will be there to embrace your heart.