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

Happy Endingback number15rank/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.

Love and romanceNovelbright16rank/position

Novelbright – Love and Romance [Official Music Video]

A love song by Novelbright that depicts life-sized love overflowing in the small moments of everyday life.

Yudai Takenaka gently sings about the changes of heart unique to romance, where your hobbies and preferences shift under the influence of someone you love.

Included on the album “Assort,” released in May 2022, this track features a simple, warm sound built on acoustic guitar and synth bass that’s soothing to the ear.

It’s a perfect song for couples who value ordinary moments over flashy gestures.

For White Day, why not spend a calm moment together, appreciating each other’s presence?

MetronomeYonezu Kenshi17rank/position

Kenshi Yonezu – Metronome

A song that overlays the gradual misalignment of two people’s relationship with an instrument keeping a steady rhythm, conveying a poignant sense of missed connections that tugs at the heart.

Included on the 2015 album “Bremen,” this track powerfully conveys the helplessness of starting in the same tempo only to drift apart over time, as well as the lingering attachment that makes you keep searching for the other person even after you’ve parted.

The animated music video—hand-drawn by Kenshi Yonezu himself with about 200 illustrations—visually deepens the song’s world and leaves a strong impression.

For anyone with an unforgettable love or who has experienced growing apart from someone dear, this is a sorrowful yet beautiful ballad that resonates deeply.

Christmas songback number18rank/position

back number – Christmas Song (full)

This is a song by back number themed around the winter season and romance.

It’s a sentimental, melodious ballad characterized by gentle vocals and expressive instrumentation.

It was also used as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama “5→9: The Monk Who Fell in Love with Me.” Released in 2015, it is included on the album Chandelier.

Set against images of winter’s chill and Christmas scenes, the song portrays poignant feelings and desires for a lover.

It expresses the loneliness of being unable to see that person and the aching longing for them, making it a track you’ll want to listen to during the winter season.

Love StoryAmuro Namie19rank/position

[Love Story] (stage-MIX 2011–2018) | Namie Amuro | chd

It’s a love ballad in which you can feel the pain conveyed through Namie Amuro’s powerful vocals.

It was also used as the theme song for the drama “Reasons I Can’t Find My Love.” The sound has a gentle atmosphere that evokes the image of slowly facing your own heart, and the piano accents seem to heighten the sense of poignancy.

The lyrics express both the growing love within oneself and the regret of not being able to be together.

It’s a moving song that suggests realizing the magnitude of love only after losing it.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Before GoodbyeAAA20rank/position

AAA / "Before the Goodbye" Music Video

This is a song released in 2014 by AAA, a popular dance-vocal unit from avex, which won an Excellence Award at the Japan Record Awards.

The song depicts the breakup of two people who were once lovers.

No matter how deeply two people love each other, there are times when a breakup comes inevitably.

In such moments, I think all we can do is quietly wait for the painful time to pass… This is a song that helps support your feelings during those times.

It expresses, in a straightforward way, the feeling of still loving someone even as you part.

contact lens caseSaucy Dog21rank/position

Saucy Dog “Contact Case” (from LIVE DVD & Blu-ray “YAON de WAOOON,” recorded at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on April 30, 2019)

Just as you cherish and tuck away mementos, you want to gently store the pain of heartbreak in your heart.

This Saucy Dog song resonates with that feeling.

The bittersweet ache of waiting, somewhere inside, for someone who will never return, softly echoes over a calm melody.

Included on the album Salad Days, this track has been soothing the hearts of those who’ve experienced heartbreak since its release in May 2018.

Each time you notice traces of memories etched into everyday things and feel the warmth of those days again, this is a song that quietly stays by your side.