Tear-jerking motivational songs by Japanese bands: recommended classics and popular tracks
I imagine many of you are giving your all every day—studying, working, doing housework, managing relationships—and along with that, the worries never seem to end.
For those people, I’d love for you to listen to these “tear-jerking, cheering songs—band edition” even if it’s just in little pockets of free time.
Rather than pumping you up, these songs stay close to your heart, move you to tears, and quietly fill you with personal strength.
Give them a listen when it really counts.
Let’s overcome the pain and sadness with songs that feel like someone who truly understands you.
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Tear-jerking motivational songs by Japanese bands: Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (21–30)
As long as I keep walkingdohatsuten
The 15th single by Dohatsuten, a rock band from Hokkaido who dub their style “Japanese R&E” (Rhythm & Enka) and are known for a sound strongly influenced by kayōkyoku and enka.
It’s a breezy, up-tempo rock number with a refreshing intro and a melody tinged with nostalgia that lingers in your ears.
The lyrics tell the story of struggling toward a dream you can’t give up no matter how hard it gets, offering courage and resonance to those who keep walking the path they believe in.
With a powerful message that nothing ends unless you end it yourself, this exhilarating, fast-driving rock tune gives you a push forward.
C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.ONE OK ROCK
This is a stirring rock number by ONE OK ROCK that portrays the fiery bonds between friends charging toward their dreams.
While looking back on the youthful days they spent together, it vows that each will shine on the path they’ve chosen, powerfully pushing listeners forward.
Even if they grow apart, the memories in their hearts remain unfading treasures—an encouraging message that gives courage.
Included on the October 2011 album “Zankyo Reference,” this song is perfect to listen to while cheering on friends as they leap into a new world and salute each other’s efforts.
As an anthem that blows away anxiety and loneliness and helps you face forward, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Flash GirlToukyou Jihen
It’s one of Tokyo Jihen’s signature songs, released in 2007.
Crafted as an up-tempo, quintessential J-pop rock tune, it’s refreshingly catchy—you’ll find yourself humming along before you know it.
The lyrics emphasize one thing: “Just sprint through the present with everything you’ve got.” Listening to the lines that say it doesn’t matter what comes after, you’ll feel encouraged to tackle the problem right in front of you with full force.
It’s the perfect song when you need that final push.
textbookZa Masumisairu
If you’re looking for a song that hits hard and lifts you up from the bottom of your heart, how about this one? The song “Kyokasho” (“Textbook”) is The Mass Missile’s third single, released in 2005.
You often hear people say, “What’s in the textbook isn’t everything,” but this track goes even further—it feels like raw, unfiltered truth laid bare.
Rather than smoothing out emotions with pretty words, it’s a deeply human number that seems to embrace every feeling, even the ugly and painful ones.
More lightBLUE ENCOUNT
BLUE ENCOUNT, a four-piece rock band affectionately known as “Buru-en.” Their song “Motto Hikari wo” (More Light) was released in 2015 as their first single.
It also served as the theme song for Yoru Sumino’s novel “Aokute Itakute Moroi” (Blue, Painful, and Brittle).
If being down is “darkness,” then you need “light” to get out of it, right? This is a message song wishing to deliver light to those sinking in the dark, and encouraging them to look straight ahead and follow the path they believe in.
It’s a perfect song to give to a friend who’s feeling down.
I’m a BelieverSPYAIR
This is the 17th single by SPYAIR, a four-piece rock band from Aichi Prefecture who initially had a metal-like sound but evolved into a catchy, free-spirited style blending hard rock and pop.
Chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime Haikyu!! Second Season, the track features a guitar-driven, fast-paced arrangement that really gets your adrenaline pumping.
Its message—never yielding your path no matter what anyone says—will surely give a powerful push to those who lack confidence in their choices.
It’s a refreshing rock tune that gives you the courage to charge straight down the road you’ve chosen without hesitation.
horizonback number
A three-piece rock band, back number, beloved by younger generations for their poignant vocals and melodies, releases their fourth digital single.
Written for high school students who had aimed for the 2020 Inter-High School Championships that were canceled due to the pandemic, the song is packed with everything that makes back number so compelling—from its dramatic intro to its catchy chorus.
Its message reminds us of the things that are hard to notice when we’re giving something our all, and of how small efforts accumulate and create change.
It just might clear the haze lingering in hearts that have come to a standstill.
This is a tear-jerking fight song you’ll want to hear when you’re unsure of which direction to take.