[2026] Must-listen! This Year's Best Japanese Hit Songs

This is just fine!WEST.

WEST. – This Is How It Should Be! [Official Music Video]

This track is included as the lead number on their 12th full-length album, “Yuiitsu Muni,” released in March 2026.

Member Daiki Shigeoka not only wrote and composed the song but also handled the choreography, resulting in a performance where band sounds and dance are brilliantly fused.

It delivers a powerful message that blows away hesitation and gives you the courage to move forward—one that really resonates in your heart.

It’s an energetic up-tempo tune packed with the group’s evolution and creativity.

By the side on a moonlit nightUru

[Official] Uru “By Your Side on a Moonlit Night” — Theme song for the film “The Guardian of the Camphor Tree”

Singer-songwriter Uru, whose mysterious vocals envelop listeners.

Produced by back number, this work was written as the theme song for the film “The Guardian of the Camphor Tree,” slated for release in January 2026.

Its sound feels like being illuminated by moonlight in the quiet, and the vocals, which gently scoop up feelings that defy words, resonate deeply in the heart.

It makes you empathize with that earnest longing to simply be by someone important.

If you listen at night when you want to spend time alone in silence, I think a gentle warmth will fill you to the depths of your heart.

AIZOKing Gnu

AIZO

A rock tune that overwhelms with its thrilling twists and a lyrical worldview where love and hate intertwine.

Created by King Gnu, the band that commands the music scene with a commanding presence, this track was written as the opening theme for the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Shibuya Incident Part 1.

Released for streaming in January 2026, it debuted at No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Digital Singles chart.

Its sound, in perfect sync with the work’s palpable tension, is guaranteed to get your heart racing just by listening.

It’s the perfect song to flip your motivation switch or blow away a brooding mood.

PuzzleIkuta Rira

Rira Ikuta “Puzzle” Official Music Video

Rira Ikuta’s “Puzzle,” released digitally in January 2026, is a newly written track serving as the theme song for ABEMA’s popular dating show Today, I Fell in Love.

Following Romance no Yakusoku and Sparkle, this marks the fourth time she has provided a theme for the series.

With lyrics that liken the gradual formation of budding feelings to assembling a puzzle, it’s a song that will awaken anyone’s bittersweet memories of youth.

A perfect pop tune for those who want to feel a little spark in everyday life.

PROVANTSawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Jean-Ken Johnny & TAKUMA

SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Jean-Ken Johnny & TAKUMA『PROVANT』 Music Video

This is a powerful track from Hiroyuki Sawano’s vocal project featuring Jean-Ken Johnny of MAN WITH A MISSION and TAKUMA of 10-FEET.

It was chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime Fate/strange Fake, which began airing in January 2026.

The sound blends momentum and tension, perfectly fitting for the start of the story.

The chemistry created by the interplay of their contrasting vocal tones is also stunning.

Highly recommended for pivotal moments or to fire yourself up in the morning!