Heart-wrenching Japanese hit songs from the 2000s. Songs that make you cry.
In this article, we’ll introduce tear-jerking Japanese songs that were hits in the 2000s.
The Y2K culture, referring to the era around the year 2000, has been getting renewed attention in the Reiwa period and is creating a buzz.
The J-POP scene of the 2000s featured many classic ballads and emotionally powerful tracks that tug at the heartstrings.
We’ve picked a diverse lineup—from long-running hits and popular songs still sung today to hidden gems.
If you’re from that generation, we recommend reminiscing about those days as you take your time reading through the lyrics.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Breakup songs that were hits in the 2000s
- Ballad songs that were hits in the 2000s
- Tear-jerking J-pop from the ’90s. Hit songs and real tearjerkers.
- 2000s: A Collection of Hit Karaoke Classics
- Tears won’t stop with these sentimental lyrics! Heisei-era tearjerker songs
- Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- The nostalgic atmosphere tugs at your heartstrings. Tear-jerker songs from the Showa era.
- A melancholic “yami” song that was a hit in the 2000s. A bittersweet track.
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- [Heisei Love Songs] A carefully selected collection of gem-like love songs that continue to be cherished even in the Reiwa era!
- All big hits! A roundup of classic J‑Pop songs that were popular in 2000
Tearjerker J-Pop hits from the 2000s: Songs that make you cry (21–30)
sympathetic tearsHitoto Yo
The debut single by singer-songwriter Yo Hitoto, who has a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother and continued making music in an a cappella club while attending Keio University.
Released in October 2002, the song reached No.
4 on the Oricon charts without a major tie-in and became a long-running hit, staying on the chart for 70 weeks.
The lyrics, which depict how a friend’s tears set off a chain reaction of emotions, are said to have been inspired by a heartbreak she experienced during her university years.
The striking chorus was crafted so that it can be sung universally using only vowels, creating a unique world where an Oriental, R&B-tinged arrangement and her resilient, powerful vocals blend exquisitely.
In 2003, the song earned her the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist and her first appearance on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, making it the track that defined her career as an artist.
I WILLazu
This song is a poignant ballad for women who can’t forget someone or who have just had their hearts broken.
I think the lyrics are highly relatable and moving.
It’s a track I especially want women who have experienced heartbreak to listen to.
SauterjiPorno Graffitti
A heartbreak song that pierces the chest.
Released in September 2000 as the theme song for a Pocari Sweat commercial, this track captivates with a unique world infused with Latin tones.
Its title—evoking “nostalgia” and “melancholy memories”—holds the feelings of a wistful man, expressed from a woman’s perspective.
The delicate portrayal of fading love likened to a sunset and the difficulty of mutual understanding is striking.
It’s a song that showcases PornoGraffitti’s musical range and their gift for putting emotion into words.
In the music video, special makeup transforms the members into elderly figures, underscoring the theme of time’s cruelty.
It’s also known as their first song performed on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
For those who want to face forward while carrying the pain of heartbreak, this song offers comfort.
I long to see you now.MISIA
It’s the theme song of the 2009 drama “JIN.” Even though there are so many things I want to tell you in person, I can’t, and that heartbreaking feeling, carried by MISIA’s overwhelming vocals and the orchestral backing, reaches straight to my heart and brings me to tears all by itself.
Tears Flowing EndlesslyNatsukawa Rimi
A gemlike ballad that weaves feelings for the departed with deep gratitude, carrying the breeze of Okinawa.
Covered by Rimi Natsukawa in 2001, this song is originally a masterpiece that fuses lyrics Ryoko Moriyama wrote for her older brother who passed away at a young age with a moving melody composed by BEGIN.
Carried by the sound of the sanshin, it holds a prayer for a beloved presence that lives on in memories.
It won the Gold Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards in 2002 and achieved an astonishing long-running hit, staying on the Oricon charts for 116 consecutive weeks.
It was also used as the theme song for the 2006 film “Nada Sou Sou,” and continues to bring comfort to many hearts.
When you think of someone dear, when you want to let quiet tears fall, the song’s clear, pure vocals will gently enfold you.
I love you. ~100 Regrets~Sonar Pocket
This song is included on the 2011 album “Pokeism 2: Anata no Uta” (“Your Song”).
The lyrics tell a breakup story from a male perspective, making it a go-to track to listen to after a heartbreak—widely loved not only by men but also by many female fans.
A Bouquet for YouUtada Hikaru
Many of you have probably heard it as the theme song of the NHK morning drama series TOTO Nee-chan.
This song, “A Bouquet for You,” is about the sorrow and parting that come with losing someone dear.
Without using words that directly evoke death, it conveys farewell and heartfelt emotions through beautiful language and expressions.