In this article, we introduce unrequited love songs from the Showa era.
If you spent your youth around the time these were released, you’ll likely find many nostalgic tracks.
You might even rediscover a song you listened to when you were in love and feel those forgotten emotions return.
Some are love songs that portray impossible romances and heartbreak, but if you’re looking for Showa-era unrequited love songs, be sure to give these a listen.
No matter your generation, if you’ve experienced love, you’re sure to find at least one song you can relate to.
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Unrequited Love Songs from the Showa Era: Those Beloved Classics (1–10)
Silhouette RomanceOhashi Junko
A classic ballad that portrays a mature romance with a hint of jazz.
Its standout feature is, above all, the sigh-like vocal delivery.
The way you ease off the voice and blend in breath defines the song’s atmosphere.
The overall range is F3 to C#5; while the chorus reaches some higher notes, you can generally sing it at a relaxed tempo in a composed manner.
If you sing too strongly from the start, you’ll lose contrast with the chorus, so keep the volume around 60% for the first verse.
In the chorus, you might feel tense, but prepare your voice and project it forward with clarity.
When hitting the high notes, think of climbing stairs step by step—this mindful approach helps you build momentum and reach them more easily!
I like you.Shimizu Shota
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.
Ballad of the RainYubara Masayuki
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
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.
Love without meetingUchiyamada Hiroshi to Cool Five
A song by Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five that portrays the love of two people who cannot meet.
Precisely because there is a distance keeping them apart, their love burns even stronger.
That aching yet passionate feeling is sung through Kiyoshi Maekawa’s deep, resonant low voice.
Tears, dreams, and flowers alike sway violently like a life burning crimson, even though they can never meet.
The contradictory emotion of continuing to love without seeing each other presses on the heart alongside the sound 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 give it a listen when you’re caught in the frustration of wanting to see someone but being unable to?