Unrequited Love Song Ranking in Japanese Music [2026]

On nights when I’m too lonely to sleepAimer50rank/position

Aimer 'On Nights When I’m Too Lonely to Sleep'

When it comes to songs that gently stay by your side on lonely, anxious nights, there’s Aimer’s “Sabishikute Nemurenai Yoru wa,” released in 2011.

It portrays the sleepless feelings of thinking about someone you can no longer meet.

The simple arrangement of piano and vocals conveys a sincere emotion.

Her powerful yet heartrending, emotional voice is also soothing.

It’s a ballad where the straightforward wish—“I want to see that person once more…”—resonates in your heart.

On a cold winter day, give this gently spreading, heartwarming track a listen.

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mutō

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#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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utatane

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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.

AitaiKato Miria56rank/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.