Ranking of Popular Japanese Love Songs and Romance Tracks [2026]

I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci8rank/position

wacci “I Became Someone Else’s Girlfriend” Music Video

A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.

Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.

Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.

Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.

Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.

balladKetsumeishi9rank/position

Ketsumeishi “Ballad”

A love ballad from Ketsumeishi that offers a different flavor from their usual cheerful image.

It’s a tear-jerker that gently yet poignantly sings of unfulfilled feelings for someone special, carried by a tender, aching melody.

With rap kept to a minimum and piano and strings that seep into the heart, this piece also surprised longtime fans as a bold departure.

Released in January 2011 as one half of a double A-side single and included on the classic album Ketsunopolis 7, it was also used as the theme song for Nippon TV’s information program Sukkiri!!.

If you sing it softly at karaoke—where upbeat tracks usually steal the show—its contrast will draw everyone in.

Why not showcase a new side of yourself with this hidden gem?

bouquetback number10rank/position

back number – Bouquet (full)

This is a gem of a love song where unpretentious conversations between lovers convey a clumsy yet profound affection.

It portrays a vague anxiety about the future alongside a straightforward desire to stay together, and listening to it warms the heart.

Released in June 2011 as back number’s second single, the track is also included on the acclaimed album “SUPER STAR.” Many will recognize it as the ending theme for TBS’s COUNT DOWN TV.

The fact that it received over 50 power plays on radio stations nationwide at the time speaks to how much attention it garnered.

This work, which makes you feel the preciousness of everyday life with someone important, continues to be cherished as a classic wedding song.

Poisonous possessivenessDECO*2711rank/position

DECO*27 – Toxic Possessiveness feat. Hatsune Miku

A shocking work that portrays a warped form of love.

Frenzied obsession and possessiveness are expressed through electronic sounds and Hatsune Miku’s translucent vocals.

The conflict of excessive affection—desperately trying not to lose someone so precious you can’t take your eyes off them, yet ending up hurting them—is woven with DECO*27’s characteristically deft word choice.

Included on the album “Conti New,” released in March 2014, this piece may prompt you to face your own emotions when your feelings of love seem on the verge of running wild or when you’re suffering from attachment to someone important.

Karakuri Pierrot40mP12rank/position

[Hatsune Miku (40mP)] Karakuri Pierrot [Original]

A song about a girl who keeps waiting for her lover even two hours past their meeting time.

Unable to accept that she’s been dumped, she sings that as long as she can stay with them, she doesn’t mind being like a puppet or a clown who’s just manipulated.

It’s famous as a heartbreak song, but I can’t help sensing a suspicious, obsessive vibe in the way the girl still clings to the other person.

As Love Is (feat. Tsubaki)BASI13rank/position

BASI / As I Am in Love feat. Tsuwaki (Official Music Video)

BASI is a member of the group Insist, which started its activities in 1998, and a rapper at the forefront of the scene who launched his own label, BASIC MUSIC, in 2011.

This work features the hugely popular Okinawa-born rapper Tsuvaki and became such a hot topic that it can be called one of their signature tracks.

It’s a mellow song with lyrics centered squarely on the theme of “love.” It makes you feel that the love found close to home, and the days spent living in that love, are a repeating source of true happiness.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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Happy Endingback number14rank/position

back number – Happy End (full)

Produced in November 2016 as the theme song for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday,” this piece portrays the poignant feelings of a woman who has decided to part ways.

Though her love remains, she suffers because she must leave the person she cares for.

Inside, the pain makes her want to cry, yet she puts on a brave face and pretends to be fine with a smile.

These complex emotions are expressed with delicate nuance.

Written and composed by Iyori Shimizu and co-arranged with Takeshi Kobayashi, the song reached No.

3 on the Oricon weekly chart and was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

It is a song that deeply resonates with those who, despite the pain of heartbreak, are trying to move forward, and with anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear.