A tear-jerking love song. A love song that stays close to a hurting heart.

codependencyDomura Riu

Codependence / Riu Domura (Lyric Video)

A poignant love song by Riu Domura that delicately portrays a heart unable to escape loneliness and anxiety.

It’s striking for its depiction of a woman’s inner conflict as she realizes that, even while drowning in a codependent relationship, she’s nothing more than a convenient presence.

Released in May 2019, the song is included on the album “Escape,” with a remixed version later featured on the album “Night View.” It’s a track that offers comfort to those told their love is “too heavy” because they feel too strongly, or to anyone still carrying the pain of a difficult heartbreak.

AloneMayo Okamoto

Mayo Okamoto — alone

A gently woven ballad that carries hidden feelings along with a piano melody.

Released by Mayo Okamoto in November 1996, this song portrays the heartrending emotions of a woman whose boyfriend is taken by her close friend.

Though she puts on a brave face and smiles for those around her, she continues to carry loneliness in her heart.

The pain she feels upon glimpsing the couple by chance on a station platform, and her yearning not for sympathy but for true love, are expressed with delicate nuance.

This piece is a long-cherished ballad she had nurtured since before her debut.

It’s a song that quietly stays by the side of anyone trying to look forward while bearing the pain of heartbreak.

Above the setting sunKawasaki Takaya

Takaya Kawasaki - Above the Sunset [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A poignant love song by Takaya Kawasaki that strikingly portrays a person who appears calm and quiet yet harbors passionate feelings deep inside.

Released in July 2024 as the ending theme for the TV Tokyo drama “Hidamari ga Kikoeru,” the song delicately weaves in imagery of wind, scents, and scenery to express unspoken feelings and the ache of missed connections.

It’s a recommended track for anyone who carries a faint crush yet struggles to put it into words, or for those who wish to look back on the dramatic, bittersweet trajectory of a romance.

Ambiguous BlueKawasaki Takaya

Takaya Kawasaki - Ambiguous Blue [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A delicate medium-tempo ballad that resonates with the aching fragility of love.

Born from the album “Aimai Blue,” this track was also chosen as the theme song for the MBS drama “Revenge Boyfriend: The Devoted CEO Has a Dark Side.” Takaya Kawasaki’s characteristically gentle vocals amplify the depth of emotion, making the growing infatuation, jealousy, and precarious relationship feel almost tangible as one learns more about their partner.

The simple, acoustic guitar–driven arrangement blends beautifully with it all.

It’s a must-listen for anyone who wants to connect with the subtleties of romance.

ElegyHirai Ken

Ken Hirai “Elegy” MUSIC VIDEO

This is a masterpiece whose poignant love story, told from a woman’s perspective, resonates in the rich vocals of Ken Hirai.

It delicately portrays the feelings of a woman consumed by love, expressing the intense emotions of fixation on her partner and a fierce willingness to embrace even the pain of love.

Released in January 2007 as the theme song for Toho’s film Love’s Crucible, it was also included on the album FAKIN’ POP and performed at the 58th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.

In 2021, it was covered by Fuyumi Sakamoto on her album Love Emotion, continuing to influence many artists.

It’s a song to listen to on nights after heartbreak or when you’re suffering from thoughts of someone you love.

Bad personsenritsu kannano

Kano Kanaru “Bad Person” M/V

A gem of a love song that beautifully captures the complex emotions of a woman torn by a forbidden love, with a heartrending vocal and delicate lyrics.

Kayayu from Young Skinny—a favorite among Gen Z—wrote the song, and Kanano Senritsu delivers a fragile, poignant performance.

Since its release in September 2024, it has resonated on social media, delicately depicting the turmoil of a woman who forgives even as she recognizes her partner’s lies, and the ache of memories that resurface with the changing seasons.

Its universal lyrics invite anyone struggling in love to see themselves in the story.

It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those overwhelmed by complicated feelings for someone who can’t exactly be called a good person.

White LoversKuwata Keisuke

Keisuke Kuwata – Shiroi Koibitotachi (Full ver.)

A gem-like ballad woven from winter’s chill and gentle warmth.

Rather than viewing past love as a failure, it tenderly celebrates those moments of affection, wrapped in the distinctive warmth of Keisuke Kuwata’s vocals.

With imagery like snow quietly piling up and a calm atmosphere shaped by strings and winds, this single was released in October 2001.

Familiar from Coca-Cola commercials and, more recently, UNIQLO’s HEATTECH ads, the song also won the Gold Prize at that year’s Japan Record Awards.

It’s a heartfelt recommendation for anyone who has gone through a farewell with someone dear and wants to cherish the memories.