Hidden gem tearjerker songs. Recommended popular tracks
There are times when you just can’t shake off a gloomy mood—even when you know the cause, it still feels hazy and unsettled.
If you’re a music lover, you might choose songs that make you cry and let yourself sink deep into them.
Here, we introduce plenty of “tear-jerking hidden gems”—tracks you’ll want to listen to when you feel that way.
They’re not singles, and they tend to be overshadowed by so-called masterpieces or signature songs.
Is your worry about love? Relationships? Or is it something more vague?
Find the one song that fits your mood.
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Hidden gems of tear-jerking songs. Recommended popular tracks (21–30)
Family LandscapeHanaregumi
Takashi Nagazumi, who once made his mark as the vocalist of the Japanese funk band SUPER BUTTER DOG.
His solo moniker is Hanaregumi.
I think he’s truly someone with the finest, most beautiful voice and an exceptional sense for songwriting.
And his “Kazoku no Fūkei” (“Family Scenery”) is a masterpiece—acoustic guitar tone, vocals, lyrics, melody—every element is simply outstanding.
This song about family evokes nostalgic images: the scent and colors of dusk, the sky, and a mother’s back.
It feels like gentle tears might naturally well up in a weary heart.
Motherkariyushi 58
Released in 2006 as Kariyushi58’s debut single.
It’s a song of gratitude to a mother, filled with the feelings, reflections, respect, and thanks of one’s younger days.
It received the Newcomer Award at the Japan Cable Radio Awards—an unusual achievement for an indie artist.
Just You and IAmuro Namie
Namie Amuro, who sadly retired in 2018, remains immensely popular even today—you still hear many of her songs on the streets and on TV.
While she’s often associated with dance tracks and love songs, “Just You and I” is a song that expresses a much greater, all-encompassing love.
Its lyrics make you feel that this was her final single—a last song given in return to her fans.
For many fans, it’s likely a particularly special number.
HOMEAnjura Aki
It was released in 2005 as Angela Aki’s major-label debut single.
Despite having no tie-in, it gradually became a hit, and with this song she made her first appearance at the 57th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
It’s a gentle song that brings your hometown to mind and makes you feel like going back there.
planetariumOtsuka Ai
It was released in 2005 as Ai Otsuka’s 10th single.
The song was used as an image song for the drama Boys Over Flowers, which became a big hit starring Mao Inoue, and it incorporates many traditional Japanese elements.
It’s a song that reflects on a beloved person far away on a summer night.
A Bouquet for YouUtada Hikaru
Hikaru Utada’s song Hanataba wo Kimi ni was released in 2016 as a digital-only single.
It was also the theme song for the NHK morning drama Toto Nee-chan, and is loved by a wide range of generations.
Gentle and heartwarming, the song is said to be dedicated to Utada’s late mother.
Listening with that in mind, the lyrics make sense as a kind of funeral tribute—words sung to someone who is no longer here.
Rather than being simply sad, it’s a deeply moving song that conveys a strong desire to express gratitude to a loved one.
The Beginningayaka
It’s a song included on Ayaka’s third original album, “The beginning,” released in 2012.
It’s a piece that powerfully captures her feelings from the two years she was on hiatus, expressing the importance of living together and the emotions she felt toward her partner.
The song was also performed at the 63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.