Ranking of Popular Breakup Songs by Male Japanese Artists [2026]
When you’ve had your heart broken, you often feel like listening to sad breakup songs rather than upbeat ones, don’t you? For those in that situation, here’s a ranking of popular breakup songs by male singers that we recommend.
These are masterpieces that will help heal your heart and guide you toward your next love.
- Breakup songs sung by male Japanese (J-pop) artists
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Top 2026 Breakup Songs by Male Japanese Artists: Ranking (81–90)
GLASSKawamura Ryuuichi81rank/position
Released in 1997 as Ryuichi Kawamura’s second single.
Including his time with LUNA SEA, this was the first song by Ryuichi Kawamura to sell over a million copies, and it remains his only million-selling solo hit.
It was used as the ending theme for the TV program “Beat Takeshi’s TV Tackle.” The song’s arrangement and melody overflow with the pain and heartbreak of a lost love, and Kawamura’s voice further elevates the piece.
End of SummerShimizu Shota82rank/position
Shota Shimizu’s “Natsunoowari” portrays a bittersweet summer romance.
It’s included on the 2014 album ENCORE.
They meet at the start of summer, fall in love, and make countless memories… but by the time summer ends, that person is gone.
Though there’s a sense of loneliness, the song focuses even more on gratitude for having met.
Breakups are painful and sad, but if you have the memories you made together, you’ll be okay.
It’s a song that brings light to the sorrow of heartbreak.
Prologue feat. AimerShimizu Shota83rank/position
Shota Shimizu is a singer-songwriter who has been in the spotlight since his teens for his gentle vocals and overwhelming singing ability.
“Prologue feat.
Aimer,” included on his 9th album HOPE, drew attention as a track featuring Aimer, just as the title suggests.
The lyrics look back on a romance that ended before it could reach the future they had envisioned, evoking the image of someone not yet ready to step into the next love.
It’s a heartrending love ballad, with their interwoven voices coloring a sentimental story.
The town where you liveShimizu Shota84rank/position
This is a ballad that paints the feelings of someone who, in unguarded moments, finds themselves searching for traces of a lover who should no longer be there.
It’s a song by singer-songwriter Shota Shimizu, released in October 2010 as his eighth single.
The track is also included on the album COLORS.
You can almost picture the protagonist overlaying the face of the one they can no longer meet onto a lookalike spotted on a station platform or onto familiar cityscapes.
Imagining the city where that person lives and simply wishing to see them—those one-sided feelings are, in a way, the very essence of a lingering “unrequited love” that follows a finished romance.
The melody, like an autumn dusk—lonely yet warm—soaks into the heart.
If there’s someone you can’t forget, listening to this will surely resonate deeply.
Love SongShimizu Shota85rank/position
This is a song by Shota Shimizu, whose vocals leave a strong impression with a sense of wistfulness that seems to express regret.
It depicts a love that ended without coming to fruition, and from the lyrics you can feel the pain of wanting to forget yet being unable to let go.
While the sound carries a calm atmosphere, the lyrical content also seems to convey a sense of inner emptiness and futility.
The expressions of how the self changed through falling in love, and then changed again when the love ended, likewise evoke feelings of regret.
Azusa No. 2karyūdō86rank/position
This is a classic song from 1977 that portrays love and parting in the city, heralding the arrival of spring.
It vividly conveys the protagonist’s state of mind as they, exhausted by urban life, decide to set off on a journey.
The Hunters’ striking harmonies blend beautifully with the powerful yet wistful melody composed by Shunichi Tokura and the delicate lyrics by Machiko Ryu.
After its release in March 1977, it reached No.
4 on the Oricon weekly chart and No.
15 on the year-end chart.
It also won the New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards that same year, and has continued to be cherished as one of The Hunters’ signature songs.
It resonates deeply with those taking a new step forward or parting from someone dear.
Why not listen to it on a morning train, accompanied by the gentle scenery of spring?
IT’S ONLY LOVEFukuyama Masaharu87rank/position
This is one of Masaharu Fukuyama’s signature numbers, which became widely known in living rooms across Japan as the commercial song for DyDo Drinco’s “DyDo Blend Coffee,” and marked his first million-selling hit.
Released in March 1994, it also achieved the remarkable feat of topping the Oricon Weekly Chart for four consecutive weeks.
Despite its refreshingly rock-flavored sound, the lyrics reveal lingering attachment and a sense of loss toward a former lover, making it a heartbreak song where the more bravado you show, the more the sadness wells up.
Arranged by Makoto Saito to sit in a comfortable vocal range, it’s also appealing in how easy it is to sing with feeling.
It’s a classic I recommend when you want to look forward while reflecting on a past love, or when you want to belt it out at karaoke and feel refreshed.
SquallFukuyama Masaharu88rank/position
One breakup song from the ’90s that you just can’t leave out is this very track by Masaharu Fukuyama.
It’s a love song that’s also a breakup song, and a breakup song that feels like a love song.
Those heart-trembling lyrics flow along with his sweet voice.
The songs in which he sings from a woman’s perspective captivate everyone, don’t they? It’s almost mysterious how deeply he understands a woman’s delicate feelings.
“Squall” is a self-cover of a song he originally provided to singer Eiko Matsumoto.
Both versions are charming, aren’t they?
shooting starFukuyama Masaharu89rank/position
When you’re going through the pain of a breakup, having a good cry on your own can be one way to feel better.
In times like that, I recommend Masaharu Fukuyama’s “Nagareboshi” (Shooting Star).
It’s a track from his 2009 album Zankyo, and its intro featuring saxophone and shakuhachi leaves a lasting impression.
The lyrics, told from a woman’s perspective as she puts the brakes on her feelings—telling herself she mustn’t fall for the other person—evoke a poignant sadness as you listen.
When it’s tough, let yourself cry your heart out, then refresh yourself and take a confident step forward!
loverFukuyama Masaharu90rank/position
音楽活動でも俳優活動でもその名を広く知らしめ、今なお精力的な活動を続けている長崎県出身のシンガーソングライター・福山雅治さんの8作目のシングル曲。Panasonic「SC-CH505<レスティ>」CMソングとして起用された楽曲で、『All My Loving』との両A面シングルとしてリリースされました。別れてしまった大切な人への思いが断ち切れないというストーリーは、秋という人恋しくなる季節に同じ気持ちになる方も多いのではないでしょうか。福山雅治さんのやさしい低音ボイスが心にしみる、秋の夜長に聴きたくなる失恋ソングです。