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

Maplesupittsu

Spitz / Kaede

A ballad that sings of the resolve to live on with the pain of parting.

Those warm days when even casual exchanges with a loved one—and the ache in your heart—were all wrapped in their smile.

Yet even as the protagonist accepts a daily life that will never return, the way they move forward as if embracing a voice is deeply moving.

After being included on the album “Fake Fur,” it was released in July 1998 as a double A-side single with “Spica.” It has been used in numerous dramas, including as an insert song for Fuji TV’s “Over Time” and in NTV’s “Zambi.” It’s a song that gently stays by the side of anyone who can’t stop dwelling on a lost love or who can’t forget someone dear.

Masamune Kusano’s clear, translucent vocals deliver a ray of hope within the sorrow.

Romance and LoveSandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu

Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe / Koi to Ai

A gem of a ballad by Sandaime J SOUL Brothers from EXILE TRIBE, told from a male perspective about the resolve to part ways.

Included on the album “FUTURE,” released in June 2018, the song was also used as the theme for Nippon TV’s “Sukkiri” and in commercials for the job site Baitoru NEXT.

It portrays the adult, heartrending choice of parting ways because of the difficulty in moving from infatuation to true love, and the feeling that one cannot make the other person happy.

Even though his feelings haven’t faded—in fact, precisely because he cares—he chooses to leave, and his emotions resonate deeply.

A beautiful piano- and strings-driven melody is layered with the heartfelt vocals of Ryuji Imaichi and Hiroomi Tosaka, moving listeners to tears.

It’s a piece that offers comfort to anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear.

366 daysHY

HY – 366 Days (Official Music Video)

This is a ballad that delicately portrays the bittersweet feeling of a love once deeply cherished that never fades from the heart, even as time passes.

The protagonist, unable to stop thinking about the person they parted with all day long, is gently and vividly depicted through Izumi Nakasone’s powerful yet tender vocals.

Included on the 2008 album “HeartY,” it was also used as the theme song for the film “Thread of Red (Akai Ito).” There’s also a well-known anecdote that the songwriter temporarily broke up with their partner at the time in order to write the lyrics.

It’s a song that quietly sits beside those whose heartbreak hasn’t healed, or on nights when you find yourself reminiscing about a past love.

Stop this nightJUJU

JUJU “Stop This Night for Me”

This work delicately depicts that bittersweet moment when, on a night heavy with the sense of an impending breakup, the other person’s words of love only deepen the sorrow.

JUJU’s translucent vocals and the piano-centered arrangement gently draw out the unspoken tremors of the heart.

Released in November 2010, it gained attention as the theme song for the TV drama “Guilty: The Woman Who Made a Pact with the Devil.” It peaked at No.

10 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and was selected for the Excellence Award at the 53rd Japan Record Awards.

Many listeners will relate to the heart that can’t accept the end and the wish for time to stop.

It’s a song that quietly stays by your side when you’re carrying the pain of heartbreak.

I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci

wacci “I Became Someone Else’s Girlfriend” Music Video

A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.

Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.

Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.

Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.

Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.

I can’t bring myself to hate (you/it).ren

Ren – Can't Bring Myself to Hate You (Music Video)

Ren, a singer-songwriter who gained attention after his singing-and-playing videos on TikTok, delivers songs that resonate with young listeners.

His 2021 release “I Can’t Bring Myself to Hate You” portrays the restless emotions of discovering that the person you love has someone else.

Many will relate to lyrics that depict a love that keeps longing for the other person even when you know you’ll have to part.

Set to a beautiful yet fragile, piano-centered band arrangement, the song features his heartfelt vocals conveying the sorrow of the one who’s been cheated on.

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Close your eyesHirai Ken

Ken Hirai 'Close Your Eyes' MUSIC VIDEO

This is a song that resonates with the aching feeling of holding on forever to the memory of a beloved person you’ve lost.

It’s the 20th single by singer-songwriter Ken Hirai, known for his unique musical world, released in 2004 and written as the theme song for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World.” It topped the year-end Oricon singles chart and became a massive hit, with total shipments exceeding one million copies.

It’s a ballad overflowing with the sorrow of only being able to meet that person in memories—when closing your eyes brings their smile to mind.

If you’ve experienced parting from someone dear, or if you want to quietly reflect on the past, please give it a listen.