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

Dead Or AliveGLAY

GLAY / Dead Or Alive

A powerful rock number that propels GLAY, who sprinted through their 30th anniversary, into their next stage.

Released in December 2025, this track was written as the opening theme for the popular battle-fantasy anime Record of Ragnarok III.

In step with the grand tale of gods and humanity wagering their lives in combat, it depicts those who continue to fight against inescapable fate.

TAKURO’s dramatic melody meshes perfectly with HISASHI’s weighty arrangement grounded in Rotterdam techno, delivering both tension and exhilaration.

It’s a fiery rock tune you’ll want to play when you need to steel yourself.

SanitizerOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Sanitizer [Official Video]

A medium-tempo rock number by Official HIGE DANDism, released in December 2025 as their first non-tie-in work in about seven years.

As a song that signals the phase after their major third album, “Rejoice,” it purely shapes the music the band wants to deliver.

The lyrics depict the relationship between “I” and “you,” conveying the message that rather than unilaterally seeking salvation from the other person, it’s only by facing and overcoming one’s own weaknesses that one can truly stand beside someone important.

This aligns with the “purification” imagery suggested by the title.

It’s a song I especially want people struggling with relationships or looking to reexamine themselves to hear.

Fireworks in Augustmurasaki ima

Murasaki Ima – August Fireworks / Mulasaki Ima – unfading summer (MUSIC VIDEO)

A ballad that softly paints the flutter in the heart.

Released in August 2025, this song delicately weaves feelings of farewell to passing seasons and affection for the loved ones who shared those moments, resulting in a piece that gently nestles into the listener’s memories.

Her signature husky, expressive vocals further heighten the song’s sense of longing.

It’s perfect for those moments when the changing seasons stir up a touch of nostalgia.

MAKE IT, BREAK ITFLOW GLOW

MAKE IT, BREAK IT

Break the status quo—or break yourself.

This is a fierce dance track that surges forward with a razor’s-edge intensity.

It’s a song by the five-member unit FLOW GLOW, released in November 2025.

The ambition to escape a dull everyday life and seize the center of the stage with friends is vividly conveyed through the five members’ distinctive raps and vocals.

The heartbeat-raising beat makes it perfect for moments when you need to fire yourself up.

Give it a listen when everything’s on the line.

loveUru

[Official] Uru “Ai”

Included on the 16th single “Platform,” released in November 2025, this song was written and composed by Uru herself, with arrangement by guitarist Shingo Sekiguchi.

It is a work that weaves the pain and tenderness of continuing to think of someone dear, expressed in straightforward words.

It carries a message that gently touches each listener’s own memories.

A moving love song best savored at night, alone with your thoughts.