[Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
Ballads that are always close to our hearts and soothe our souls.
I’m sure you have a favorite song of your own.
But there are times when you think, “I want to discover ballads I’ve never heard before!”
In this article, we’ll introduce a wealth of moving, must-hear ballad classics just for you.
We’ve picked not only timeless masterpieces that have been sung for years, but also the latest tracks from today’s popular artists, so be sure to find a new favorite.
Listen to lots of beautiful ballads and let your heart be healed.
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[Heart-Touching] Masterpieces of Ballads: Timeless Classics and the Latest Hits [2026] (291–300)
waltzieiri reo
It’s a ballad marked by Leo Ieiri’s powerful yet heartrending vocals.
Released digitally on April 24, 2024, it was later issued as a single.
The song also drew attention as the theme for the drama “Miss Target.” Its lyrics delicately portray feelings toward a love that has ended, expressing complex emotions such as the regret of having hurt the other person and the affection that lingers even after the relationship is over.
It’s a track likely to resonate with many listeners, offering solace to those who have experienced heartbreak or are struggling with love.
The summer you gave meieiri reo
Debuting in 2012 with “Sabrina,” Leo Ieiri quickly became a much-talked-about singer-songwriter, and this is one of her signature songs.
Released in 2015, it served as the theme song for the drama “Koinaka,” so many people likely first heard it through the show.
It’s a classic mid-tempo ballad with poignant, heartrending lyrics that leave a strong impression.
While the lyrics are written to link with the drama, there are plenty of lines you can relate to even without knowing the story.
I encourage you to read the lyrics and listen while reflecting on your own experiences.
Something CertainOda Kazumasa
Kazumasa Oda, who has sung many timeless songs that resonate with listeners’ hearts, released the ballad “Tashikana Koto” in 2005.
In addition to being featured in a Meiji Yasuda Life corporate commercial, it has been used in various dramas and TV programs.
It reached No.
8 on the Oricon singles chart and sold 620,000 copies.
With lyrics that urge you to cherish yourself and Oda’s heartrending vocals, it’s a masterpiece that speaks to the heart—one you’ll want to listen to when times are tough.
I LOVE YOUOzaki Yutaka
This is the last song legendary singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki wrote to include on his 1983 debut album, Seventeen’s Map.
Having been covered by many artists, it’s a song known across generations.
Ozaki himself seemed to have a special attachment to it, and he almost always performed it live.
It’s an indispensable classic when discussing Japanese love songs.
OH MY LITTLE GIRLOzaki Yutaka
The song was originally included on an album released in 1983, and about ten years later it was selected to be released as a single as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Kono Yo no Hate.” Yutaka Ozaki’s uniquely tender vocals resonated with the drama and it became a major hit, and it was once again used as the theme song for the 2014 film “Hot Road.” It remains a classic that is still covered by many artists today.
One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi
This is a song that became a long-running hit as the theme for the film “Tsuki to Kyabetsu,” starring Mr.
Yamazaki.
It conveys lingering feelings and an unfading love for an ex-girlfriend.
As he basks in their sparkling memories, the moments when he instinctively finds himself looking for her are especially heartrending.
What’s more, the fact that it’s performed as a guitar-and-vocal solo makes the melancholy stand out even more.
“As long as you’re here, that’s enough,” “I want to see you”—it’s a tear-jerking breakup ballad filled with a man’s unfulfilled longing.
[Heart-Touching] Classic Ballad Masterpieces: Timeless Hits and the Latest Tracks [2026] (301–310)
#302Hirai Ken
It’s a song about an unrequited love where the person you like has someone they like.
Doesn’t the world of this song shake your heart from the very start? It sings, “Even if our feelings don’t align, I want to be with you,” and “It’s okay if you don’t love me,” and that determination to support them already brings me to tears.
And because it’s Ken Hirai who sings it, the song stands out even more.
Ken Hirai masterfully handles everything from pop songs to ballads, but this time, let yourself be drawn into the guileless, gentle world of this track.
