Unrequited Love Song Ranking in Japanese Music [2026]

#302Hirai Ken51rank/position

Ken Hirai '#302' MUSIC VIDEO

“#302,” a song by Ken Hirai that painfully captures one-way feelings—aching, bittersweet, and sad.

Paired with his vocals, it’s a heartbreaking unrequited love song that tightens your chest.

Every lyric is poignant and painful, and it even makes you feel like you’re watching a drama.

The song conveys, with striking clarity, the strong yet gentle desire to stay close to someone you love, even knowing they love someone else.

If you’re experiencing a similar kind of love, it’s a sorrowful love song that will surely bring you to tears.

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Blue BenchSasuke52rank/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.

Love thief.Yuika53rank/position

Love Thief. / “Yuika” [MV]

Its relaxed, sweet vocals and lyrics that candidly portray a girl falling in love are striking! This is a cute love song sung by singer-songwriter Yuika, who’s active on YouTube and TikTok.

Many people have probably experienced being captivated the moment their eyes met, unconsciously following their crush with their gaze, or feeling their heart race just from hearing their laughter.

Released in March 2022, this song gently encourages those who want to make their one-sided love come true with the twist that “it turns out the other person liked me too.”

Your favorite songUVERworld54rank/position

UVERworld 'The Song You Like'

Hearing the melody hummed by someone you like and growing to love the song—that bittersweet sense of distance in unrequited love is what UVERworld captures in this work.

It depicts a heart wounded by past romances, closed off and vowing never to love again, gradually regaining warmth through meeting someone special.

Released as a single in November 2006, it also became familiar as the theme song for the TBS variety show “Koisuru Hanikami!” On nights when you carry feelings you can’t put into words, why not let yourself be enveloped by its warm sound that gently gives you courage?

RomanticismMrs. GREEN APPLE55rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Romanticism

A song by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE that sings of a bittersweet, long-distance kind of love.

With a theme of love for humanity, it portrays a fateful romance born from a chance encounter.

The lyrics asking, “What kind of person are you?” convey a heartfelt desire to understand the other.

Released in October 2019 as the theme song for Shiseido’s “Sea Breeze” commercial, the track also drew attention for its innovative music video—an uncut, simultaneously shot split-screen in two vertical halves.

The lyrics, which evoke the end of spring and summer, compellingly reflect relationships changing over time.

It’s a recommended track not only for those struggling with love, but also for anyone feeling unsure about their relationships.

I like you.Little Glee Monster56rank/position

Little Glee Monster 'I Love You.' × 360 Reality Audio MUSIC VIDEO

A song that powerfully expresses the wavering emotions of youth, this is Little Glee Monster’s fourth single.

Chosen as the theme song for the TBS Friday drama “Omotesando High School Chorus Club!” it was released in September 2015.

Featuring fresh, vibrant melodies and robust harmonies, the track is a coming-of-age song centered on young love.

Showcasing Little Glee Monster’s signature powerhouse vocal performance, its lyrics portray bittersweet feelings and inner conflict that resonated with many listeners.

It’s a recommended track not only for those troubled by love, but also for anyone feeling nostalgic about their youth.

AitaiKato Miria57rank/position

Miliyah Kato - “Aitai”

A straightforward portrayal of unrequited love for someone who loves another—this is Kato Miliyah’s renowned ballad.

No matter how much it hurts, I don’t need to be number one; I just want to be loved…

The protagonist’s heartrending cry comes through palpably.

Featured on the album “Ring,” released in July 2009, the song also added depth to the film “Villain” as an insert track.

Beginning with a melancholy piano melody, the R&B-tinged track beautifully captures the agony of a love that cannot be.

This is a song especially for those whose hearts ache with feelings they know can never be returned, yet cannot stop.

It feels like I’m in love.Yuika58rank/position

It’s like I’m in love / “Yuika” [MV]

The moment their eyes met, her heart was stolen, and just hearing his laughter made her heart race…

Everyone’s had the experience of having their head filled with thoughts of someone they like, right? This song by Yuika is a sweet and bittersweet love song that captures those exact feelings.

Its relaxed, gentle vocals and lyrics depicting a girl completely absorbed in love are especially memorable.

Released in February 2024, it was also featured as an insert song in Koi-suru Shuumatsu Homestay 2024 Winter.

It’s a perfect pick not only for those with a crush, but also for anyone who wants to remember what it feels like to be in love.

So it wasn’t me, huh.riria.59rank/position

riria. / So it wasn’t me. [Music Video]

A heart-stirring ballad by Riria.

that gently embraces the delicate emotions of a woman tossed around by someone’s misleading behavior.

With a tender, translucent voice, she vividly portrays a woman who struggles with helpless longing yet cannot sever her lingering feelings.

Released digitally in October 2021, the song also drew major attention with its music video that premiered the same year.

If you sing it earnestly at karaoke, it’s sure to resonate with anyone who knows the pain of heartbreak.

It’s a song that quietly stays by the side of those facing a farewell with someone dear.

The world is falling in loveCHiCO with HoneyWorks60rank/position

The World Is Falling in Love / CHiCO with HoneyWorks

A debut song by CHiCO with HoneyWorks that portrays the sparkle of the moment you fall in love, with a heart that feels pierced by an arrow of light.

The refreshing, youth-drama-like lyrics and the driving melody leave a strong impression.

The delicate emotions swaying between friendship and romance resonate deeply with listeners.

Released in August 2014, it drew attention as the opening theme for the TV anime Blue Spring Ride (Ao Haru Ride).

It’s a recommended track for those who want to recall the sweet-and-sour taste of first love or who are in the midst of a one-sided crush.