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 (41–50)
Sorrow Rides the Busmakaroni enpitsu

Set to melodies that gently stay close to the heart, this moving story by Macaroni Empitsu captures the shifting patterns of human emotion.
The lead track from their August 2023 album, “Otona no Namida” (“Tears of Adults”), delicately depicts the fleeting feelings found in farewells with family and in everyday life.
Hattori’s clear, transparent vocals and the softly unfolding melody resonate deep within the listener.
The song also drew attention for its music video directed by Yoshihito Mori, known for the Netflix film “We Couldn’t Become Adults.” Through the perspective of a protagonist played by Shota Sometani, it asks profound questions about the meaning of life and the preciousness of existence.
It’s a recommended track for those who want to empathize with feelings for loved ones or soothe the quiet emotions they carry inside.
Rainy Amusement ParkSasuke

This is a ballad that poignantly depicts memories of a couple’s date at an amusement park and their bittersweet parting.
It weaves together contrasting scenes: a past moment of riding a carousel in the rain, and the present, where the narrator catches sight of a former lover with shorter hair, looking happy.
The lingering attachment the protagonist still feels, along with a quiet resolve to face forward and live on, gently presses on the heart.
A warm sound centered on acoustic guitar and piano highlights the story-rich lyrics.
Included on Sasuke’s album “Smile,” the piece was released in October 2004, reached No.
3 on the Oricon charts, sold over 450,000 copies, and was certified Platinum.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to on a rainy day, especially when you’re trying to heal the pain of a broken heart.
The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi

A gem of a ballad that gracefully portrays rainy scenery and the ache of parting.
Yasushi Nakanishi’s transparent vocals exquisitely capture lingering feelings for a lover and a passion verging on madness.
The dramatic piano melody and strings weave an achingly poignant world.
Released in August 1992, the song peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon chart.
It drew attention as the theme song for Nippon TV’s “Hitachi Ashita P-KAN Kibun!” and had sold a cumulative total of about 900,000 copies by 1998.
Featured on the album “Yasushi Nakanishi,” among many other releases, it has inspired numerous covers by prominent artists, including Kumi Koda.
A sophisticated track best enjoyed while quietly sipping a drink in a lounge.
On nights when you want to soothe the pain of a broken heart, its soulful voice will gently stay by your side.
Hide-and-seekYuuri

Yuri’s debut work, which likens a heartrending unrequited love to a game of hide-and-seek, is a soul-stirring ballad that delicately portrays loneliness and the pain of parting.
In a room left behind after his live-in girlfriend has gone, the man’s feelings—surrounded by objects that still evoke her presence—are woven together by a gentle, translucent voice.
Released in December 2019, the piece is a labor of love born from street performances following the breakup of the rock band THE BUGZY.
The warm timbre of the acoustic guitar closely follows the man’s earnest emotions.
It’s a song recommended for those who wish to soothe the pain of heartbreak—perfect for a nighttime drive or for quietly sipping a drink alone at home.
Close your eyesHirai Ken

A gem of a ballad suffused with the lingering ache of deep, bittersweet love.
Ken Hirai’s delicate, soul-stirring vocals beautifully convey the profound longing and sense of loss for a departed lover.
Sung with the purest feeling of closing one’s eyes and picturing the one you love, this work was released as a single in April 2004.
Chosen as the theme song for the film “Crying Out Love in the Center of the World,” it topped the Oricon year-end chart.
Its heart-piercing vocals and beautiful melody line make it a refined track for adults—perfect for a night drive or a quiet moment alone.
dearestFukuyama Masaharu

Produced in October 2008 as the theme song for the film “The Devotion of Suspect X,” this gem of a ballad portrays deep affection and the ache of parting.
While anticipating farewell to a dreamlike presence, it sings of the fragility and beauty of continuing to love.
The pure love that Tetsuya Ishigami, a character in the story, holds for Yasuko Hanaoka is expressed through the delicate words crafted by Masaharu Fukuyama, and the song was also used in Toshiba’s LCD TV “REGZA” commercial.
As the unit KOH+ with Kou Shibasaki, it reached No.
5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
Fukuyama later included his own version on the album “Zankyo.” It is a supreme masterpiece that accompanies adult romance—perfect for quietly savoring a drink in a night lounge.
Until the day I can no longer rememberback number

This is a poignant song about parting with someone dear.
Iyori Shimizu’s delicate vocals gently enfold the feelings for the one who was lost.
It carefully depicts the depth of their bond and the emptiness that follows their absence, making it a piece that resonates deeply with listeners.
The song was also selected as the ending theme for a TV Tokyo music program, winning widespread empathy.
It’s the perfect track for when you want to remember someone important, or reaffirm your feelings for them.
Why not close your eyes and listen slowly?


