[Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul

pupilaiko

aiko - “Hitomi” (from Live Blu-ray/DVD ‘My 2 Decades 2’)

“Hitomi,” released in 2006 by singer-songwriter aiko, is a song that expresses a parent’s love for their child in aiko’s own words.

True to her style, it’s brimming with affection.

Listening from a parent’s perspective will surely evoke empathy and bring back memories of when your child was born.

And if you listen from a child’s perspective, you’ll deeply feel—and be moved by—the emotions your parents had when they brought you into the world and raised you.

It’s a classic that’s also perfect for a loved one’s birthday.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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Flower of loveaimyon

Aimyon – Flower of Love [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A gentle song by Aimyon, chosen as the theme for NHK’s morning drama Ranman, starring Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe, among others.

Aimyon shows a different side with each track, so it feels like each song has its own devoted fans.

The lyrics are exquisite, entrusting emotions to flowers and seeds, the blue sky and nature: “Both the feelings that reach someone and the ones that don’t—all feelings make a flower bloom.” Put into words, it may seem simple, but it makes you realize that people live “for the surely arriving brighter tomorrow.” The unadorned guitar sound is tender too, as if gently supporting the song.

heavy smokenishina

Nishina – Heavy Smoke [Official Video]

Nishina, a next-generation singer-songwriter who has received high praise from Enon Kawatani.

Released in 2021 as her seventh single, Heavy Smoke is a ballad that was selected for FM802’s heavy rotation, a key catalyst for her big breakthrough.

Layering the idea of highly addictive things with the desire to become that kind of presence for you, the love-struck lyrics strike a chord and are impossible not to relate to.

The word “heavy” perfectly matches the song’s world, expressing the intensity and weight of her feelings—deeply emotional.

It’s a love song that leaves you with the sensation of your heart being powerfully shaken.

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KEI

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Letter ~Dear You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki

Angela Aki “Letter: To You, Fifteen” Music Video (HD)

Born in Tokushima Prefecture to a Japanese mother and an Italian-American father, singer-songwriter Angela Aki—who is also active as a jazz pianist—released this as her eighth single.

The song is an arrangement of “Tegami,” which she originally wrote as a set piece for the Junior High School division of the NHK All-Japan School Choir Contest, adapted here for her own vocals.

It has become one of Angela Aki’s signature numbers.

The candid struggles and anxieties about the future that come with a sensitive age, paired with a strong, confident message that only one’s true self can express, are both deeply relatable.

It’s a masterpiece guaranteed to move you to tears with its message that no matter what happens, you should keep walking the path you’ve chosen.

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Hoshino Takashi

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red-yellow fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans)Fujifaburikku

Fujifabric – Red-Yellow Osmanthus

This is the third single in a series themed around the four seasons.

“Akakiiro no Kinmokusei” was created with autumn as its theme.

Not only the title’s sweet osmanthus and the lyrics, but the sound itself strongly evokes autumn scenery.

The song powerfully conveys a restless state where various emotions mix—anxiety over realizing summer ended before we noticed, and the loneliness that comes as temperatures drop in autumn.

With a tone that holds both stillness and motion, evoking the season between summer and winter, it stirs the heart.

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kappamaki

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It’s nothing.makaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Empitsu “It’s Nothing,” MV

Feelings that just can’t be put into words… I’m sure many of you have experienced holding them in your heart.

This is a moving love song that expresses those feelings straightforwardly.

It’s a work by the Kanagawa-born pop band Macaroni Empitsu, released in 2021.

Starting quietly and gradually adding more layers of sound, it has a charm that makes you want to sway your shoulders as you listen.

If you want to be wrapped in a sense of bliss while thinking about someone you love, give it a try! It’s sure to put you in a romantic mood!

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Araki Jakkan

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pedestrian overpassNogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 “Footbridge”

This song opens with a scene that evokes the chill of autumn.

The protagonist’s doubts and inner conflict at a crossroads in life are mirrored in an everyday moment—whether to cross a pedestrian bridge.

With Nogizaka46’s characteristically delicate vocals and a melody that is both heartrending and powerful, it truly resonates.

Released as the title track of a single in December 2024, it also features Sakura Endo in the center, whose clear, transparent voice leaves a strong impression.

It’s a song that gently supports those hesitating over life’s choices or preparing to take a new step forward.