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.
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Tearjerker J-Pop hits from the 2000s: Songs that make you cry (21–30)
wedgeOku Hanako
This song spread through word of mouth as one that’s so heartrending it brings listeners to tears.
Released in 2015, it’s said to be a track the artist has cherished since their indie days.
Despite having no tie-in promotions, it became a classic, garnering over 15 million video views as an achingly bittersweet love song.
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.
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.
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.
STARSNakajima Mika
With her one-of-a-kind presence and expressive power, singer Mika Nakashima made a striking debut both as an actress and a vocalist.
Released in November 2001, this debut single was used as the theme song for the TV drama “A Love Song Scarred with Wounds.” Nakashima herself appeared in the show as the heroine, and her performances in the drama left a powerful impression on viewers at the time.
With lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto, the song’s world—blending a strong will to seize one’s dreams with a bittersweet poignancy—combined with her deep, husky voice to stir listeners’ hearts.
Selling over 460,000 copies in total and winning the Best New Artist Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards, it is a gem of a ballad that can be called the very origin of her career.