![[Emotional BGM] Carefully selected masterpieces and popular tracks recommended for work and study!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/E-PRnme5R-A/maxresdefault.webp)
[Emotional BGM] Carefully selected masterpieces and popular tracks recommended for work and study!
Whether you’re at your desk at home or working in a café, music can sometimes boost your focus and at other times calm a racing mind.
Some people may prefer complete silence while working, but you might be surprised how much more productive work or study can be with a soft layer of background music.
With that in mind, we’ve picked out some moving, emotionally resonant tracks that are perfect as background music while you work.
If you’re looking for work BGM, be sure to use this as a reference.
[Emotional BGM] Carefully Selected Masterpieces & Popular Tracks Recommended for Work and Study (1–10)
God’s Medical RecordsTsujii Nobuyuki
The gently embracing piano melody really resonates in the heart.
It’s an original piece composed and performed by one of Japan’s leading pianists, Nobuyuki Tsujii.
It’s included on the album “Kamisama no Karute ~ Nobuyuki Tsujii Jisakusshu,” released in July 2011.
The piece was written as the theme for the film “A Heartful Doctor (Kamisama no Karute),” starring Sho Sakurai.
Tsujii visited the filming location in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, and is said to have crafted the melody while sensing the local air and wind.
Why not listen to it during quiet, focused study time or when you want to pause your work and relax? Its crystal-clear tones will gently soothe feelings of haste and restlessness.
Tufted puffinHakasé Tarō
This is a signature instrumental piece by Taro Hakase, one of Japan’s leading violinists.
Its title comes from an Ainu word meaning “a bird with a beautiful beak,” and its expansive, soaring melody evokes the feeling of freely gliding across the sky, gently setting listeners’ hearts at ease.
Long beloved as the ending theme of the documentary program Jonetsu Tairiku, the piece is also known for the anecdote that it was adopted after staff noticed a track Hakase was composing during the show’s coverage.
With no lyrics to distract, it’s perfect as background music for work.
Taiga Drama “Gō: Hime-tachi no Sengoku” Main ThemeYoshimata Ryō
A majestic orchestral masterpiece that resonates in the heart, coloring the stories of women who lived through the tumultuous Sengoku era.
Composed by Ryo Yoshimata, a composer known for numerous soundtracks, it served as the opening theme for the 2011 NHK Taiga drama “Go: Hime-tachi no Sengoku” (Gō: Princesses of the Warring States) and is included on the album NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack: “Go: Hime-tachi no Sengoku,” released in February 2011.
For Yoshimata, this was his second time scoring a Taiga drama in a short span, and it is said the work was created under considerable pressure.
When you hit a wall at work or in your studies, I recommend playing this piece softly—it resets anxious feelings and boosts concentration.
Coin of HappinessFukuyama Masaharu
This is a classical guitar solo performed by Masaharu Fukuyama, who commands an overwhelming presence not only as a singer-songwriter but also as an actor.
Created as the main theme for the film The End of the Matinee, released in November 2019, the piece was newly composed by Yugo Kanno and supervised by world-renowned guitarist Shin-ichi Fukuda.
Unlike his usual singing voice, it conveys the story’s emotion and the passage of time solely through the guitar’s timbre, whose delicate resonance quietly stirs the listener’s heart.
It’s also surprising that this marked Fukuyama’s first attempt at classical guitar.
Precisely because it’s an instrumental without lyrics, it’s perfect as background music to enhance concentration while working or studying.
Cello Suite “Festival”Tsuneta Daiki
A composition by Daiki Tsuneta, who leads King Gnu and millennium parade and is active across a wide range of projects.
Written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Trinity, Cartier’s emblematic jewelry, the piece is also known for closing the event held at the National Stadium in October 2024.
This suite, which fuses the profound timbre of the cello with contemporary sonic architecture, brings a majestic yet comfortable tension to your workspace.
Its dramatic, immersive development makes it an ideal BGM to enhance focus for work or study.
A number imbued with a finely honed aesthetic down to the smallest details, it’s sure to stimulate the senses.
Hymn to LifeMuramatsu Takatsugu
The original piece—whose majestic orchestral sonorities and crystal-clear boy-choir harmonies stir the soul—has been self-covered on piano by the composer himself.
Created by Takatsugu Muramatsu, a composer renowned for numerous film scores, it’s a truly grand number worthy of being called a “hymn to life.” Produced as the main theme for Mitsubishi Mirai-kan’s “JOURNEY TO LIFE” at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, it reportedly brought together over 100 performers.
The beautiful melodies born from the collaboration with the UK boy-soprano unit LIBERA are so captivating that even rendered on solo piano, they’ll make you pause your work to listen.
Why not give it a try when you’re a little tired from studying or working, and want to quietly restore vitality to your heart?
A Fateful EncounterAndré Gagnon
The piece is marked by a clear, transparent piano melody that feels as if it carries the crisp air of Canada.
This beautiful tune, performed by André Gagnon, was featured in the Fuji TV drama “Age, 35: Koishikute,” which began airing in April 1996, and it captured the hearts of many across Japan.
Originally included on albums such as “Impressions,” the work has transcended the realm of instrumental music—later even covered with lyrics by Hideki Saijo.
Its sound never overwhelms, yet gently fills the space, making it perfect as background music for tasks or study that require concentration.
When you need a quiet moment to breathe amid busy days, it softly calms a restless mind.