Recommended love songs for women in their 20s. Classic and popular Japanese love songs.

Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

Love that passes each other by — you can’t help but empathize with the bittersweet feelings sung in “Koion to Amazora.” It’s a song by the hugely popular performance group AAA, and since its 2013 release, its popularity hasn’t faded.

Included on the album Eighth Wonder, it also won an Excellence Award at the Japan Record Awards that same year.

You’ve probably heard it in commercials, too.

The song portrays a love pained by “drifting apart over trivial things and being unable to be honest.” No matter what the relationship between the two may be, you can’t help but relate to the protagonist, who doesn’t understand the other’s feelings and agonizes over what to do with their overflowing emotions.

bouquetback number

back number – Bouquet (full)

A love song that portrays a man trying to convey his many feelings for her, like a “bouquet” where various flowers come together.

Although the protagonist doesn’t give a clear answer to the girl who voices her anxieties, he actually cares for her more deeply than anyone else.

The lyrics capture the heart of a man who can’t bring himself to express those feelings honestly.

The structure interweaves parts that feel like a conversation between the protagonist and his girlfriend with parts that sing of the protagonist’s inner thoughts, making his emotions come through more vividly and realistically.

The Story You Don't Knowsupercell

The Story You Don’t Know – supercell

Have you ever thought, “I wish I had told the person I liked how I felt back then”? This song sings of the bittersweet feelings of a romance that ended without being able to confess those feelings.

It portrays a sweet yet painful, complex love triangle—reflecting the youthful struggle to value both love and friendship—using the Summer Triangle as its motif.

Set to an up-tempo beat, it captures both the joys and pains of young love in down-to-earth, relatable words.

First LoveHikaru Utada

Hikaru Utada – First Love

When it comes to classic heartbreak songs, Hikaru Utada’s “First Love” is the go-to.

Its realistic lyrics and a voice tinged with tears have resonated with those nursing a broken heart.

Since its 1999 release, it’s been covered by many artists and remains a karaoke staple.

Right after a breakup, even happy memories can suddenly weigh down on you as sad and painful ones.

If it was your first love, the sorrow of your first heartbreak is immeasurable.

That’s probably why it lingers as an unforgettable first love.

It’s the perfect song for when you want to sink into those bittersweet feelings or have a good cry to help heal your heart.

Song for…HY

HY – Song for… (Official Live Video）

“Song for…” is a heartbreaking ballad about a “forbidden love,” the kind where you fall for someone you shouldn’t.

It’s a track released in 2004 by HY, a band from Okinawa.

The song portrays the anguish and turmoil of longing for a love that can never be fulfilled.

Because we can’t choose whom we fall for, that helpless sorrow tightens around the heart.

It’s said that the song is based on vocalist Ms.

Nakasone’s real-life experience.

The story is dramatically fairy tale-like, so if you’re curious, definitely look it up!

the best in the worldSonoko Inoue

Sonoko Inoue – The Most in the World

A song written specifically for the Netflix show “Ainori: Asian Journey.” The show features a group of men and women traveling together in a single van, falling in love along the way.

Because it portrays real-life romantic relationships, this song also expresses pure feelings toward someone important.

The lyrics are packed with the excitement of falling in love and the thoughts that naturally come to mind, so many listeners will likely relate.

It’s a track that will make you want to fall in love!

Love, Lala ~Where Love Is Headed~eill

eill | Love, lala ~Where Love Is Headed~ (Official Music Video)

A track by eill that evokes the glittering, slightly nostalgic sound of ’80s–’90s city pop.

As its moniker “summer love driving song” suggests, it portrays a romance where sweetness and heartache coexist.

You can feel the protagonist’s wavering emotions: anxiety about a relationship with no clear future, mixed with the resolve to move forward even if it means letting something go.

Having launched her full-fledged solo career in 2018, she released this song in July 2025, captivating listeners with its dramatic world-building.

It’s perfect for summer nights when you’re driving while thinking of someone special, or for a solo café moment when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood.

Its sophisticated melody will surely make your time feel special.