From heartbreak to hope: A stylish collection of Japanese pop ballads
When you want to heal the pain of heartbreak or lean into those aching feelings, many of us have entrusted our hearts to ballads.
These are masterpieces of Japanese music whose lyrics and melodies strike a chord and help transmute sadness.
In this article, we’ll be introducing a variety of works under the theme of “stylish ballad songs.” We’ve picked songs across different eras, so you might even rediscover some nostalgic tunes.
Be sure to read to the end and find the one song that’s just right for you.
From Heartbreak to Hope: A Stylish Collection of Japanese Ballads (1–10)
First Christmas feat. JUNON (BE:FIRST)Reiko
A heartwarming duet that you’ll want to listen to as Christmas draws near.
It’s a collaboration between two powerhouse vocalists: REIKO from BMSG and JUNON from BE:FIRST.
The song was written and composed by singer-songwriter Shota Shimizu, and it’s filled with the giddy happiness of spending your first Christmas with someone you love.
The harmonies the two create sparkle like holiday illuminations.
Play it while spending time with someone special, and it’s sure to captivate anyone who listens.
monologueOmoinotake
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.
Turn off the neon.chilldspot
This track captivates with a groove-laden sound that melts into the quiet of the night.
It’s one of the songs on the EP “the youth night,” released in November 2020 while the band chilldspot were still in high school.
It was also featured as an insert song in the film “Love’s Thorn.” The piece portrays beautiful moments within a deep, intimate relationship along with the accompanying inner conflicts.
Its stylish melodies rooted in soul and R&B gently cradle those aching feelings.
Vocalist Hiyune’s voice—combining clarity and power—lays bare those complex emotions, striking right at the listener’s heart.
Perfect for nights when you want to bask in a mature kind of melancholy.
crepuscular raysChevon
Chevon is a rock band known for their literary lyrics.
This song of theirs is a hopeful ballad that gently brings light to the darkness of the heart.
It voices an earnest wish to notice someone’s pain and reach out a hand to them.
Paired with an emotionally unfolding sound, it’s the kind of piece that brings tears to your eyes.
Released in May 2023, this track became a key song leading into the following year’s album, Chevon.
If you’re suffering under a deep sense of stagnation, it’s sure to warm your heart.
I want to forget.wacci
The harder you try to forget an ex, the more they come to mind… Have you ever had that bittersweet experience? wacci’s “Wasuretai” (“I Want to Forget”) is a ballad that captures that very frustrating inner struggle.
Even when you’re with someone new, you find yourself searching for traces of the one you parted with in their warmth, leaving your heart unfulfilled.
The protagonist’s pain is truly heart-wrenching.
It’s a song you should listen to when you’re suffering and can’t break free from a past love.
future visionMarushii
A song that depicts envisioning a happy future, born from calm, irreplaceable days spent with a loved one.
Crafted by Marcy, a popular rock band known for their down-to-earth lyrics, it was released for digital streaming in April 2022 and later included on the acclaimed album “Memory.” The track shimmers with luminous sound and a comfortable beat, gently intertwined with Yukyo Yoshida’s warm vocals.
Its lyrics, describing two people who have spent time together deepening their understanding of each other and building a happy future, kindle a quiet warmth in the listener’s heart.
It’s a ballad that envelops you in a sense of bliss.
Night journeyYorushika
On quiet nights, memories of days gone by sometimes drift through your mind, don’t they? There’s a song by Yorushika that gently stays by your side in those wistful moments.
Conjuring scenes like swaying on a night train, the track depicts an inner journey of facing forward even while carrying past pain and farewells.
Suis’s clear, translucent voice conveys the stillness and solitude of the night—and the faint hope beyond—seeping deeply into the heart.
Released in March 2020, the song was featured as an insert track in the animated feature film “A Whisker Away.” Why not give it a listen when you want to take your time and sit with the sorrow of heartbreak?