Tear-jerking love songs: classic and popular hits from Japanese music

meeting upHanbaato Hanbaato

"Appointment" Humbert Humbert / Fiddler's Bid

The charm of male-female duos lies in the beauty of their harmonies, and Humbert Humbert’s songs are undeniably beautiful.

They’re a couple I admire.

When it comes to Humbert Humbert, “Onaji Hanashi” is often cited as their signature song, but “Machiawase,” which was used in an Odakyu Electric Railway commercial, is also a wonderful track.

end rollAndrop

androp「End roll」(from 2nd full album “one and zero” )

Among androp’s songs, this is a very beautiful ballad where vocalist Takahito Uchisawa’s voice is pure and divine.

The end roll lyrics, which powerfully think of “you,” make it a song that anyone with a cherished “you” can project themselves onto, empathize with, and be moved to tears.

The Habit SongHoshino Gen

Gen Hoshino – Kuse no Uta (Official Video)

I want to convey that Gen Hoshino’s love songs are not just “Koi.” I’d like people who came to like him through “Koi” to listen to “Kuse no Uta.” While many of his recent songs are stylish and pop, his first album, “Baka no Uta,” starting with “Kuse no Uta,” is full of masterpieces with simple, down-to-earth arrangements.

monologueOmoinotake

Omoinotake | Soliloquy [Official Music Video]

Haven’t many of us experienced drifting apart because we couldn’t share our true feelings with someone important? Released in April 2025, this work by Omoinotake—whose roots lie in Black music—is an emotional ballad that sings of that very frustration and sense of loss.

It captures a heart-wrenching realization: words only gain meaning when there’s someone to receive them.

You may find yourself overlaying your own experiences onto the protagonist’s regret—if only I had noticed the hidden truth back then.

This song served as the ending theme for the second cour of season 2 of the TV anime The Apothecary Diaries.

While it gently accompanies the pain of heartbreak, it also leaves a faint glimmer of hope at the end.

maybeYOASOBI

YOASOBI “Tabun” Official Music Video

Released in 2020, this song portrays the raw emotions of a couple facing a breakup.

It captures the cool composure of saying goodbye without tears, alongside the lingering attachment buried deep inside.

The protagonist’s attempt to tell themselves “it can’t be helped” without finding anyone to blame resonates with aching poignancy.

Set to a mid-tempo melody, the lyrics trace the complex feelings of trying to accept the separation while still wishing they could go back to the past.

Included on the album THE BOOK, it reached No.

15 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

It’s a song that gently accompanies those struggling in a relationship or those who have experienced parting with someone dear.

We’re evenHanaregumi

Hanaregumi – “Oaiko” Music Video

Written and composed by Yojiro Noda of RADWIMPS, this is a tear-jerking ballad with lyrics that are quintessentially Noda from start to finish.

There are countless breakup songs out there, but I think Oaiko, told from the perspective of a rather pathetic man, has the potential to become a new classic of the genre.

Song of PointillismMrs. GREEN APPLE · Inoue Sonoko

Tenbyouno Uta

A beloved ballad featuring the overwhelmingly popular band Mrs.

GREEN APPLE and vocalist Sonoko Inoue, who is also active as an actress.

It portrays a bittersweet yet beautiful story of two people who fall in love within a limited time.

The rich expressiveness of Motoki Omori’s voice and the crystalline clarity of Sonoko Inoue’s vocals weave a harmony that conveys feelings beyond words.

Included on the single “Ao to Natsu” released in August 2018, the song colored the story as an insert track in the film “Aonatsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi.” Knowing that the intention was to express dialog-free scenes through singing makes the lyrics resonate even more deeply.

It’s a song that gently accompanies that slightly lonely feeling, like the end of summer.