Tear-jerking J-pop from the ’90s. Hit songs and real tearjerkers.
The 1990s were the era in J-pop history when CDs sold the most, and countless timeless classics were born that are still loved in the 2020s.
It was truly J-pop’s golden age, with artists and bands from a wide range of genres scoring hit after hit—an important period that greatly expanded the possibilities of Japanese music.
From among the dazzling array of brilliant 90s songs, this time we’re highlighting “tear-jerkers”: masterpieces that remain etched in both the record books and our memories.
Whether you lived through that time or you’re a younger music fan who’s recently gotten into 90s Japanese music, be sure to check them out.
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks
- A roundup of hit love songs from the ’90s
- Tear-jerking songs I want to sing at karaoke
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 90s. Classic and popular tracks in Japanese music.
- A hidden gem among tearjerker songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- A coming-of-age song that was a hit in the ’90s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- Classic and hit songs by nostalgic Japanese bands from the 1990s
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- The nostalgic atmosphere tugs at your heartstrings. Tear-jerker songs from the Showa era.
- Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s
Tear-Jerking J-Pop from the ’90s: Hit Songs and Cry-Inducing Tracks (31–40)
It always begins with rain.ASKA
ASAKA’s “The Beginning Is Always Rain” is a ballad that, even now, I can’t help but want to listen to whenever the rainy season arrives.
The melody, the lyrics, and ASKA’s vocal delivery—every aspect is perfect.
I recommend listening to it alone on a rainy night.
GoodbyeGAO
A heartbreak song that passionately sings about a lost woman in a husky high tone.
Just like the title, it repeats “Goodbye…” while also conveying a message that looks back on the past, wishing to go back once more.
Men who’ve had similar experiences might find themselves unexpectedly moved.
I’m glad I met you.Koizumi Kyoko
Kyoko Koizumi’s 32nd single, released in May 1991, was used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Papa to Nacchan” and became a million seller, topping the Oricon charts for five consecutive weeks.
Koizumi herself wrote the lyrics, with composition and arrangement by Takeshi Kobayashi.
While the lyrics—expressing gratitude and regret toward someone after a breakup and a wish to meet again—sound like a love song at first, they were actually written with her father in mind.
Because she wrote them by imagining Masakazu Tamura, who played her father in the drama, as a lover, the song took on this form.
It won the Lyricist Award at the 33rd Japan Record Awards and has been covered by many artists, including Akina Nakamori and Masayoshi Yamazaki.
Its melody, which carries warmth within its poignancy, will gently comfort anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear.
TRUE LOVEFujii Fumiya
This is the first song released by Fumiya Fujii as a solo artist after he had built an era as the frontman of The Checkers.
The drama Asunaro Hakusho, which used this song as its theme, was also a massive hit, and the track ultimately sold over two million copies, making it one of the defining hits of the 1990s.
Interestingly, at the time Fujii had no experience composing, and there’s an anecdote that he wrote the song using only the chords he knew.
While that was merely a coincidence, it resulted in an inherently simple structure—so simple it became a staple in guitar instruction books—and it’s fascinating to think that such simplicity gave rise to a timeless classic.
Personally, I love how in the first chorus he uses falsetto, and in the second chorus he sings the same melody in his chest voice all the way through.
BELOVEDGLAY
Even after entering the 2020s, GLAY continues to thrive as a top-tier, hugely popular band.
Their rise in the 1990s was remarkable: despite their origins in what’s commonly called the visual kei scene, they produced a string of universally known hits and grew into a truly national band—something that hardly needs restating.
The classic ballad “BELOVED,” released in 1996 and a song that cemented GLAY’s popularity, clearly shows how their music possesses a timeless quality, untouched by passing trends.
As GLAY’s principal songwriter, TAKURO is known for lyrics and melodies that cherish the Japanese language and favor traditional turns of phrase; his work reaches the tender places in listeners’ hearts across generations.
When you meet someone truly special, be sure to lend an ear to this song.