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

Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi43rank/position

[Official] Aoi Teshima – Letter to Tomorrow (Theme Song for the Monday 9 PM Drama ‘Someday I Will Surely Cry When I Remember This Love’)

This song is unbearably poignant, carried by Aoi Teshima’s delicate voice.

Yet the depth of feeling for the other person, and the strength in choosing to accept it and move forward, come through straight and true.

The words evoke vivid scenes, making it a track you’ll want to listen to quietly.

Even the intro is wistful.

I want to be your lover.Abe Mao44rank/position

Mao Abe – I Want to Be Your Lover [Official Music Video]

Singer-songwriter Mao Abe, known for her songs featuring a striking worldview and a vocal range that sometimes even sounds like a man’s, has gained widespread popularity.

Her second single, “Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu” (“I Want to Be Your Girlfriend”), is a track that depicts a one-sided love she experienced during her school days.

The message, which weaves together the things she wants to do and ask the person she likes, speaks for those who, like the story in the lyrics, find it hard to take that first step.

It’s a sentimental pop tune that would likely captivate male listeners when sung at karaoke.

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Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA45rank/position

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

With a tightening in the chest under rainy skies, the frustration of holding feelings you can’t put into words.

This song is a love ballad that gently weaves together that kind of bittersweet longing.

The feeling of love is real, yet fear of changing the relationship keeps you from taking a step forward.

That push-and-pull of love that everyone experiences overlaps with the image of autumn rain and hits close to the heart.

Released by AAA in September 2013 as their 38th single, this track won the Excellence Award at the 55th Japan Record Awards and was also performed on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

With male and female parts sung from their respective perspectives, it’s perfect for a karaoke duet.

When you’re troubled by a love that keeps missing the mark, this song is sure to gently stay by your side.

loveback number46rank/position

back number – Love (Short ver.)

Back number is a three-piece band that captures the hearts of many listeners with poignant lyrics and melodies.

Here is a classic song representing their early work, released in March 2012.

This piece is a sentimental number depicting a gaze fixed on you from a school building window and an earnest wish to confess one’s feelings before graduation.

In addition to being used as an ending theme on shows like TV Asahi’s “Music-ru TV,” it was included on the album “blues” and the best-of album “Encore,” and has continued to be loved over the years, surpassing 100 million total streams.

The band sound, enriched with strings, tightens the chest and evokes the bittersweetness of youth that everyone has experienced.

It’s a song you’ll want to hear in March—especially if you’re facing graduation with unspoken feelings or want to immerse yourself in memories of a fleeting love.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number47rank/position

back number - “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” Music Video (Theme song for the TBS Tuesday drama “A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love”)

An emotionally moving medium-tempo ballad that portrays the complex feelings of unrequited love—from the faint expectations on the eve of a birthday to the ache of emotions that never reach their destination.

In contrast to the happiness of a birthday, the loneliness and the sorrow of being unable to express one’s feelings straightforwardly resonate with a delicate melodic line.

Released in February 2019, the song was featured as the theme for the TBS drama “A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love,” and was also included on the album “MAGIC.” With vocals that gently embrace the bittersweet emotions of love that everyone has experienced, it’s a song well-suited for karaoke, where it can be performed in a calm, composed manner.

DarlingNishino Kana48rank/position

Kana Nishino 'Darling' Live Performance

A song by Kana Nishino that captures the feelings of a woman in love.

It depicts small expressions of affection in everyday life and moments when even minor complaints feel endearing.

Released in August 2014, the song was used as the Tuesday theme for Fuji TV’s “Mezamashi TV” and was performed at the 65th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Its warm, country-style melody gently wraps around the couple’s daily life.

This is a recommended track for times when you want to renew your feelings for your partner or reaffirm your feelings for someone special.

knot; tie; bind; concludeSaucy Dog49rank/position

Saucy Dog “Yui (Knot)” Music Video <4th Mini Album “Take Me” Released on 2020.9.2>

A song by Saucy Dog that vividly captures the restless, fidgety feelings from a male perspective and the slightly awkward atmosphere of a new relationship.

It was released in March 2020 and included on the mini-album “Take Me,” which came out in September of the same year.

The anxiety and jealousy born from being mutually in love—and therefore not wanting to lose the other person—tighten your chest, especially when mixed with the exhilaration of summer.

Yet the song also expresses deep affection for a partner who accepts that clumsiness, along with a warm resolve to build a future together, which makes your heart feel at ease as you listen.

If you play it on a summer evening spent together, you’ll surely be reminded of how precious you are to each other.