Unrequited love songs from the Showa era. Those nostalgic classics.

Ballad of the RainYubara Masayuki

Ballad of the Rain / Masayuki Yuhara (1971)

As a song that symbolizes the shift from the decline of Group Sounds in 1971 to the era of kayō ballads, Masayuki Yuhara’s signature solo work is indispensable.

Set against a backdrop of urban rain, this piece quietly gives voice to lingering feelings for a departed lover, with baritone-centered vocals and strings heightening its wistful mood.

Released as a single in April 1971, it is a self-cover of a track that originally appeared as a B-side during his Swing West days.

In October, it topped the weekly charts for three consecutive weeks and ranked eighth on Oricon’s year-end chart.

It also won the Hope Prize at the Japan Cable Awards, cementing Yuhara’s status as a vocalist.

A classic perfectly suited for reflecting on a lost love alone on a rainy day.

Embraced by the wintry windKoizumi Kyoko

"Embraced by the Wintry Wind" Kyoko Koizumi (VINYL)

Songs that portray a heart-wrenching, tightening-in-the-chest kind of love resonate with many listeners.

Kyoko Koizumi’s 20th single is truly a masterpiece that captures just such bittersweet feelings.

Written and composed by Toshihiko Takamizawa of THE ALFEE, it was released in November 1986.

The song was also used as the theme for the film “Don’t Lay a Hand on My Woman,” starring Koizumi.

Its lyrics, which evoke the chill of winter, and its melody, which expresses aching love, blend exquisitely, making it a track that offers comfort to those troubled by love.

It’s a song you’ll want to hear if you’re experiencing the pangs of unrequited love or holding onto feelings that won’t reach the one you care for.

I like you.Shimizu Shota

Shota Shimizu “I Love You” MV

A cell phone suddenly rings on a sleepless night.

Starting from that everyday moment, this is an unrequited love song that makes your chest ache.

The protagonist is afraid to take a step forward for fear of breaking the relationship, yet can’t suppress the overflowing feelings.

Shota Shimizu’s sweet, heartrending vocals gently cradle a lovestruck heart.

Released as a single in December 2009, it’s also included on the album Journey.

At the time, it topped mobile distribution charts, capturing the hearts of many young listeners.

It’s a song to play when your feelings for someone are about to spill over, or when you need a little courage.

Love without meetingUchiyamada Hiroshi to Cool Five

Love without meeting

A number by Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five that portrays the love of two people who cannot meet.

Precisely because there is a distance that keeps them apart, their love blazes even more fiercely.

That bittersweet yet passionate longing is sung through Kiyoshi Maekawa’s rich, resonant low voice.

Tears, dreams, and flowers—all sway violently like a life burning crimson, despite never being able to meet.

The contradictory feeling of continuing to love without seeing each other presses on the heart alongside the sounds of saxophone and piano.

Although released in December 1969, the song topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for three consecutive weeks in February 1970, becoming the group’s only number-one hit.

Why not listen to it when you’re in the midst of that frustrating kind of love where you want to meet but just can’t?

LetterYuki Saori

Tegami

Released as a single in July 1970, this signature song cemented Saori Yuki’s reputation as a serious vocalist following her hit the previous year.

The lyrics, depicting a woman who has resolved to part ways quietly putting away each shared memory, are deeply moving.

Layer upon layer of symbolic imagery rises like a film and converges, in the end, on a farewell letter penned through tears—a structure that even feels literary.

Yuki’s crystalline voice, set against the lyrical melody, conveys a poised, restrained adult parting with elegance.

The single topped the Oricon weekly chart for six consecutive weeks, and she won the Vocal Performance Award at that year’s Japan Record Awards.

It’s a recommended listen for anyone facing the end of a romance or wishing to observe the rituals of parting in a quiet light.

Passionate loveSaijō Hideki

Hidetoshi Saijo - Passionate Love

Opening with a striking phrase, this song portrays a passionate love that the singer is determined to pursue even against others’ opposition.

Released in May 1974 as Hideki Saijo’s 9th single, it stands as a quintessential example of funky kayō, with lyrics by Kazumi Yasui and composition/arrangement by Koji Makaino.

A buoyant, leaping beat led by the horn section underpins Saijo’s dynamic shouts, directly expressing the unstoppable impulse of love.

Though it peaked at No.

2 on Oricon, it stayed on the charts for 19 weeks and ranked No.

8 for the year.

Its powerful TV performances also became a hot topic, cementing Saijo’s image of passion and action.

It’s a classic Showa-era tune that gives you a push when you can’t hold back your feelings for someone and want to charge ahead.

Heavenly KissMatsuda Seiko

Seiko Matsuda “Heaven’s Kiss” (from LIVE 1992 Nouvelle Vague)

This song is filled with the sparkling thrills that make your heart flutter at the moment love begins.

Composed by Haruomi Hosono, its boldly shifting key changes are innovative, guiding listeners into a dreamy world.

Takashi Matsumoto’s lyrics depict the genuine feelings of a young woman, her heart racing as she imagines a future with the one she loves.

Released in April 1983, the track was featured as the theme song for the film “Legend of Plumeria,” among others, and became the artist’s 11th consecutive No.

1 hit.

It is also included on the album “Utopia.” It might be the perfect song to accompany that blissful moment when you feel your relationship with someone special is about to take a step forward.