[2026] Japanese songs to listen to when you're in love: A collection of J-pop classics

Wherever you areONE OK ROCK

Wherever You Are – ONE OK ROCK Full

Since this song was also used in a commercial, I think it’s one you’ve probably heard somewhere.

The lyrics I especially want you to focus on are the English parts: “No matter where you are, I’ll make you smile,” and “No matter what you say, I’ll love you forever.” Understanding those English lines clearly makes the song resonate even more.

Is that okay?RADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – Is It Okay? [Official Music Video]

“Is it okay for me to love you this much?” RADWIMPS’s distinctive voice and lyrics include parts that are a bit amusing, but there are also deep lines like “When I searched for the meaning of living tomorrow, the answer was being with you.” When you fully grasp the lyrics, it becomes a song overflowing with the feeling of being in love.

to fall in loveNakajima Mika

Mika Nakashima 'Falling in Love' MUSIC VIDEO Shorts ver.

Among Mika Nakashima’s songs, this is truly “the” love song.

It overflows with the feelings of being in love—joyful emotions of a girl in love, the wish for someone to notice her feelings, and that heart-fluttering spark of first love that lasts forever—all expressed in a straightforward way.

1/6000000000Kyūshūdan

Kyushu Man PV 1/6000000000

It’s a classic love song.

Among the six billion people in the world, I want to cherish the miracle of meeting you—told from a male perspective, where you’re the heroine of my story.

It makes me think how wonderful it would be to be loved this way.

It’s a song that lets you once again feel the joy of meeting and the happiness of falling in love.

Pure Love SongShonan no Kaze

Shonan no Kaze “Junrenka” MUSIC VIDEO (Original ver.)

This song is from a male perspective.

It makes you think how happy you’d be to be loved like this.

The vocals—wild, bittersweet, and tender like Shonan no Kaze—make you feel truly happy when you listen.

I’d love to be loved by a man this way at least once.

SimpleMr.Children

Mr.Children Simple

Mr.Children has many famous songs, but this one could be called a hidden gem of a love song.

It’s a track that makes you reflect on what truly matters and what you really need.

Even after going through so much sadness and hardship and taking so many detours to get here, it makes you realize that what you were searching for was actually something so simple.

beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko

Beetle – aiko (Full)

This song, which can be counted among Aiko’s signature tracks, uniquely expresses love by likening the singer—drawn in by a tall, sweet-smelling you—to a beetle, thinking, “I must be a rhinoceros beetle.” Despite being “about a beetle,” it’s a mysterious song that somehow makes you empathize deeply when you listen to it, unlike any other.