Okubo Hanako’s Love Songs: Popular Song Ranking [2026]

GarnetOku Hanako1rank/position

Garnet

This is the theme song of the animated film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” a track where Hanako Oku’s vocals resonate deeply with the heart.

It captures the sparkle of days gone by and an unchanging feeling for someone precious—listening to it might just make your heart ache a little.

Released as a single in July 2006, it further heightened the film’s emotional impact.

Try listening to it on a summer evening when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood or when you’re remembering old friends.

It’s a song that will surely stay gently by your side.

Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako2rank/position

Unchanging Things

It’s a ballad in which Hanako Oku’s piano tones and clear, translucent voice gently nestle close to the listener’s heart.

The piece centers on treasured memories from days gone by and feelings that never change, and it almost seems to convey the aching wishes of the film’s characters.

Featured as an insert song in the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, released in July 2006, it moved many people and can be heard on the single Garnet and the album TIME NOTE.

If you listen to it when you’re feeling a touch of loneliness at summer’s end, or when reminiscing makes you long to see someone again, the worldview of the lyrics will surely resonate with you.

It’s the perfect song for those moments when you want to tuck away memories of someone dear and indulge in a slightly sentimental mood.

Please take your time and savor it!

wedge (kusabi)Oku Hanako3rank/position

Kusabi (Wedge) by Hanako Oku

Kusabi (Wedge) is a heartbreak song sung by singer-songwriter Hanako Oku, known for her gentle, soft vocals.

It was released in 2015 as her 15th single.

The word “kusabi,” which is also the title, means something that holds things together.

The song is about parting from someone you deeply love, poignantly portraying the fragility of the promises that were supposed to keep the two of them connected.

Oku’s voice carries even more sorrow than usual here.

It’s the ultimate tearjerker, one we hope reaches anyone who couldn’t fulfill a promise with someone they love.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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First loveOku Hanako4rank/position

Oku Hanako – First Love

Okubukako is known for many love songs that are so heartrending they make listeners cry.

Her song “First Love” is her 10th single, released in 2010.

She knows everything about the guy she loves—except for just one thing, and that one thing is shocking: he no longer loves her.

Still, the song conveys her aching feelings—because she loves him, she says she’ll go back to being just friends, so please stay by my side.

It’s a track filled with tenderness and pain.

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utatane

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Little StarOku Hanako5rank/position

Hanako Oku - Little Star

Beyond her beautiful voice, many women probably find themselves moved and relatable to Oku Hanako’s love songs with their heartrending lyrics.

The song “Chiisana Hoshi” (A Small Star) is a poignant love song that was released in 2006 with new arrangements from her indie days.

The anxiety of not knowing how the other person feels, and the way long distance or busy schedules keep you from meeting and only intensify that anxiety—many listeners will surely feel these emotions as if they were their own and be brought to tears.

It’s also a song that will undoubtedly resonate with those who have experienced heartbreak.

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utatane

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I want you to tell me you love me.Oku Hanako6rank/position

Hanako Oku – I Want You to Say You Love Me (Live ’08)

It’s a sad unrequited love song about not being considered a romantic interest, yet being unable to suppress your feelings.

It’s a work by singer-songwriter Hanako Oku, also known for the hit “Garnet.” Released in 2008 as her eighth single, Oku’s unadorned vocals deliver the message embedded in the lyrics straight to the listener.

By the time the song ends, the tears come naturally—it’s that heart-wrenching.

Don’t we all want a love we won’t regret…

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Araki Jakkan

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Anniversary for the two of usOku Hanako7rank/position

Oku Hanako – Our Anniversary (Futari Kinenbi) – Oku Hanako

A song by Hanako Oku, a singer-songwriter from Chiba Prefecture who started playing piano at age five and continued enthusiastically performing street concerts even after her major-label debut.

Featured on her 6th album “good-bye,” this track is considered one of her signature songs, included on her best-of album despite having no single release or tie-in.

The lyrics, which candidly express feelings toward a partner, add a special touch to important days like anniversaries and weddings.

Carried by her cute voice, the gentle melody resonates in the heart, conveying a love that remains unchanged—now and forever.

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Hoshino Takashi

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