Masterpieces of bittersweet unrequited love songs. Recommended popular tracks.
Until you know how the other person feels, it’s unrequited love—something anyone who’s been in love can relate to.
This time, we’ve gathered classic Japanese songs about unrequited love.
You’re sure to find a song that sings exactly what’s in your heart.
A masterpiece of bittersweet unrequited love songs. Recommended popular tracks (1–10)
Summer SkyNEW!Faulieu.
With a thrilling sense of momentum, the song pours unspoken feelings of love into its performance.
It’s a bittersweet rock number, tinged with the air of late summer, featured on the EP “My name is Faulieu.” set for release in August 2025, and performed by Faulieu.
The bassist and backing vocalist Ayano wrote both the lyrics and the music.
Because they care so deeply, they can’t bring themselves to confess—afraid to break what they have now.
The lyrics capture a page of youth so vividly it tightens your chest.
Why not listen as you overlay your own secret feelings onto the passing scenery of the seasons?
Specter feat. HACHINEW!MIMiNARI
A tender crush that changes the color of your world is wrapped in a voice full of transparency.
Part of MIMiNARI’s “turning memories into music” project, the track features singer HACHI on vocals.
It’s the lead song from their first full-length album, “freq.,” released in March 2025.
With stylish, Chinese-inspired arrangements, the sound stands out.
The lyrics capture the frustrating feelings of a girl who hasn’t quite grown up.
Give it a listen when you’re unsure where your love is headed.
SparkleIkuta Rira
Released digitally in January 2022, it was selected as the theme song for ABEMA’s romance reality show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita.
Mikan Arc.” For this piece, the melody was crafted first, then carefully layered with the tones of an acoustic guitar to complete the track, and it looks back on an unrequited love.
The protagonist’s feelings—overcoming the pain of a love that never came true and trying to move forward into the future—resonate quietly alongside her clear, transparent vocals.
It’s a song that will stay by your side on a night just after heartbreak, when you wish to face forward once again.
codependencyDomura Riu
It’s a song about a relationship that can’t be called healthy—wanting to be needed, being used for convenience, and still being unable to leave.
Created by Riu Domura, a singer from Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, it was included on the 2019 debut EP “Escape.” Even while recognizing the love is false, they hold each other, staying close only to fill their loneliness.
The protagonist realizes they’re just the other person’s toy, yet can’t break free; that anguish unfolds over a chill track.
In the end, all that remains is loneliness—an aching futility that hits home.
It may encourage those struggling in unhealthy relationships or those who want to break away.
I want to forget.wacci
A delicate breakup song by wacci that begins with the scent of cigarettes triggering the way once-happy times dissipate like smoke.
Despite the overwhelming desire to “forget,” the voice of the other person and the memory of their kiss refuse to fade, lingering in the heart—expressed through a heartrending, beautiful melody.
Released in July 2024 as the third installment of wacci’s three-part love song project, the track was distributed digitally and became a smash hit.
It’s a highly relatable work that resonates with those who still have lingering feelings about past relationships or struggle to let go of an ex.
premonitionMy Hair is Bad
This song, which depicts an unbreakable love for a woman who already has a partner, is one of the tracks on the digital single “love,” released in December 2020.
Precisely because it was born during a time when the world was shrouded in anxiety, the personal and intensely written lyrics by Shiiki sink deep into the heart.
Progressing like a story, the piece leaves a profound afterglow, as if you’ve just watched a short film.
The emotionally charged band performance unfolding at a mid-tempo is also superb—the quiet intro building to a chorus where feelings overflow is a must-hear.
It’s perfect not only for those nursing the pain of an impossible love, but also for nights when you want to quietly immerse yourself in a world of storytelling on your own.
NAOHY
It’s a ballad that pierces the chest with the pain of unrequited love.
The song is included on HY’s 2006 album “Confidence,” by the Okinawa-born mix-genre band, and tells a story created by vocalist Izumi Nakasone based on a close friend’s real experience.
The piece vividly portrays the inner conflict of a woman who knows the person she likes has feelings for someone else and won’t return her affection, yet she just can’t give up.
The clear, airy vocals riding over the piano melody further highlight the sorrow of a love that won’t reach its destination.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who finds themselves empathizing with the urge to cling on, even as they sense the person they love slowly changing.