[Tear-Jerking] Classic and Recommended Love Ballads
This is a playlist that spotlights ballads among love songs—nothing but love ballads.
These ballads are filled with tender, heartrending emotions unique to romance, from sorrowful love to songs that gently draw you in.
There are nights when you just want to dive into love ballads and have a good cry, right?
We’ve gathered a wide selection, from recent hits to timeless classics.
Even when they describe happiness, they somehow bring tears—so immerse yourself in these exquisite love ballads and let it all out.
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[Tearjerkers] Classic and Recommended Love Ballads (81–90)
Above the setting sunKawasaki Takaya

A poignant love song by Takaya Kawasaki that strikingly portrays a person who appears calm and quiet yet harbors passionate feelings deep inside.
Released in July 2024 as the ending theme for the TV Tokyo drama “Hidamari ga Kikoeru,” the song delicately weaves in imagery of wind, scents, and scenery to express unspoken feelings and the ache of missed connections.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who carries a faint crush yet struggles to put it into words, or for those who wish to look back on the dramatic, bittersweet trajectory of a romance.
for a whilerikon densetsu

A ballad that portrays a bittersweet love, scattered with striking imagery—an hourglass by the window, light reflected in cracked glass.
Released by Rikon Densetsu in January 2025, this work features melodies that evoke a sense of loss and nostalgia, striking straight at the heart.
Crafted over three years since the early days of their career, it conveys a strong resolve to keep moving forward while staying close to memories of someone precious.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to while walking at night, savoring the ache of a broken heart.
Ti AmoEXILE

A story of forbidden love portraying a bittersweet, mature romance.
EXILE’s earnest vocals beautifully capture the feelings of a woman consumed by her relationship with a married man.
The melancholic love depicted alongside the passionate melody is sure to strike a chord with many listeners.
Released in September 2008, the song was also featured in a commercial for Meiji Seika’s Meltykiss chocolate, and went on to win the Grand Prize at both the 50th Japan Record Awards and the 41st Japan Cable Radio Awards that same year.
The music video, set in 1920s Shanghai, superbly brings the work’s world to life.
It’s the perfect track for a late night in a lounge, gazing at the soft glow of candlelight and dreaming of adult romance.
filamentUru

This is a song whose transparent vocals and deep emotion strike straight to the heart.
Released in April 2025, it’s a ballad created as the theme song for the film “When It’s So Delicious You Cry.” Written and composed by Uru herself, it features an evocative, delicate arrangement woven from piano and guitar.
The layered, gentle melody carries a palpable strength—an urge to keep the light of hope burning.
Please listen while thinking of someone precious to you.
single bedSha ran Q

A melodious ballad that poignantly portrays the feelings of a man who, after heartbreak, can’t bring himself to step into a new love.
The single bed etched with memories of his beloved now stands as a symbol of lonely solitude.
The simple, everyday happiness they once shared, and the aching longing for someone who has now become distant, tighten the chest.
Released by Sharam Q in October 1994, this song was used as the ending theme for the anime D·N·A² and is also included on the album “Inferiority Complex.” It’s a song that gently supports those who are trying to move forward while looking back on a past love, and those who have experienced parting with someone dear.
White LoversKuwata Keisuke

A gem-like ballad woven from winter’s chill and gentle warmth.
Rather than viewing past love as a failure, it tenderly celebrates those moments of affection, wrapped in the distinctive warmth of Keisuke Kuwata’s vocals.
With imagery like snow quietly piling up and a calm atmosphere shaped by strings and winds, this single was released in October 2001.
Familiar from Coca-Cola commercials and, more recently, UNIQLO’s HEATTECH ads, the song also won the Gold Prize at that year’s Japan Record Awards.
It’s a heartfelt recommendation for anyone who has gone through a farewell with someone dear and wants to cherish the memories.
[Tearjerkers] Classic and Recommended Love Ballads (91–100)
Let’s become a familyFukuyama Masaharu

A gemlike ballad that gently portrays the beauty of walking through life with the one you love.
The warm poetic world woven by Masaharu Fukuyama offers deep insights into marriage and the bonds of family.
Unchanging love across the years, the quiet happiness of everyday life, and hopes for the future—these elements blend beautifully in this heartwarming song.
Released in August 2011, it was featured as the theme song for the wedding magazine Zexy’s TV commercial and reached No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
A heartwarming track that lets you feel the ties of family.


