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

I like you.Shimizu Shota

Shota Shimizu I love you

Shota Shimizu has many songs you want to listen to when you’re in love, but among them, this one is my top recommendation.

The straightforward feeling of “I love you” makes your heart flutter as you listen.

It’s a song that conveys eternal love—saying you’re the one I love most in the world, and that even if I set off on a journey, I will keep loving you forever.

AitaiKato Miria

Miliyah Kato - “Aitai”

It’s a heartrending love song about longing for someone who’s looking at somebody else.

Included on the acclaimed 2009 album “Ring,” this fan favorite became a hit with over 700,000 downloads despite not being released as a single.

It also adds deep resonance to the film “Villain” as an in-film track.

Even if I’m not your number one, even if I know I’ll get hurt, it has to be you… That desperate cry from the heart tightens the listener’s chest.

When you fall for someone, reason can’t do a thing about it.

If you’re suffering from an unrequited love, this is a song that will surely stay close to your heart.

Love ForeverKatō Miriya × Shimizu Shōta

Miliyah Kato × Shota Shimizu “Love Forever”

The golden duo representing the J-POP scene, Miliyah Kato and Shota Shimizu, have an unmissable duet song.

While celebrating the joy of meeting, its lyrics occasionally hint at an inevitable end, making it achingly bittersweet and tightening your chest.

Told from both of their perspectives, it’s a track that powerfully conveys gratitude toward the person who saved them from lonely days.

Released in May 2009 as a single by Miliyah Kato and included on the classic album “Ring,” the song became hugely popular, with its music video winning an award at MTV VMAJ 2010.

The section in the latter half where their harmonies intertwine is a must-hear.

It’s a masterpiece perfect for nights when you want to bask in the beautiful memories and bittersweetness of love.

Love SongGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Love Song

When you think of GReeeeN, it has to be this song.

The lyrics overflow with the love of someone who feels that being by your side through days of tears and laughter is the very meaning of life.

It’s a song that makes you reflect on your feelings for the one you love and just how wonderful it is to meet you under the wide sky and fall in love.

SquallFukuyama Masaharu

Squall (Sukōru) – Masaharu Fukuyama [with lyrics]

It’s a song in which Masaharu Fukuyama, though a man, sings of love from a woman’s perspective.

His low, sexy voice makes me feel calm as I listen.

It conveys the ache of a love so deep it hurts—the longing to spend more time together, and the bittersweet feeling of not being able to express it.

crescent moonayaka

Ayaka – Crescent Moon

When you think of Ayaka’s songs, it has to be this one.

It’s a love song that almost everyone knows.

Even if you’re apart, you’re surely looking at the same sky and the same crescent moon—no matter what, we’re connected under this sky, so don’t worry.

It’s a song I’d recommend to anyone working hard in a long-distance relationship.

Be sure to listen to it while looking up at the night sky.

Joined handsFunatsu Mahiro

Joined hands

This is a ballad by Masato Funatsu that gently weaves the warm happiness found in everyday life with an acoustic touch.

The song was written as a CM theme for the Shimane Denkō Group, centered on the theme of human connection.

Unchanging feelings that endure for decades and bonds that deepen when we join hands are expressed through vocals that slowly seep into the heart.

It’s a heartwarming love song that makes the ordinary days spent with someone special feel even more precious.