A hidden gem among tearjerker songs. Recommended popular tracks.
From classic tearjerker love songs to songs for young people, songs about family, and songs about war—we’ve gathered hidden J-pop gems guaranteed to make you sob.
Every track is impossible to listen to without tears, so if you just want to cry your heart out, put on this list and let it all out.
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Hidden gems of tear-jerker songs. Recommended popular tracks (21–30)
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.
Maplesupittsu

A gem of a ballad that weaves a fleeting yet beautiful farewell scene with a clear, transparent melody.
Released by Spitz in July 1998 from the album “Fake Fur,” this song tenderly sings of longing for what has been lost.
It portrays the heartache that gradually softens over time and the strength to keep looking forward, carried by a warm, gentle performance.
Beginning with its use in the 1999 Fuji TV drama “Over Time” and continuing through to the network’s 2022 series “silent,” it has colored many stories.
It’s a song to listen to when your heart is deeply wounded or when you’ve said goodbye to someone dear.
Masamune Kusano’s tender, comforting vocals are sure to become a source of support for your heart.
Hidden gems of tear-jerker songs. Recommended popular tracks (31–40)
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.
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.
Why did I end up falling in love with you?Tōhōshinki

A gem of a ballad that captures the aching heartbreak and pure love for another, pressing on the listener’s heart.
It delicately portrays the feelings of a protagonist watching a bride and groom at their wedding, touching on the subtle emotions woven from a wish for a loved one’s happiness and lingering regret.
Released by Tohoshinki in July 2008, the song’s elegant piano-and-strings arrangement blends beautifully with the five-member harmony, earning it the No.
1 spot on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It also won an Excellent Work Award at the 50th Japan Record Awards, paving the way for the group’s first appearance on the Kohaku Uta Gassen.
A track that seeps into your heart on night drives, rainy days, or when love is weighing on your mind.
Blah blah yadda yadda!Urufuruzu

It’s a song included on the album ONE MIND, packed with everything that makes Ulfuls who they are.
The music video consists solely of recording scenes.
Listening to it when you’re worried or going through a hard time gives you strength.
Singing it at karaoke can bring you to tears.
In that casemakaroni enpitsu

A narrative masterpiece by Macaroni Enpitsu that wraps a bittersweet longing for love in the refreshing tones of guitar and synthesizer.
While gently embracing the pain of heartbreak, the unshaken desire to believe in the other person’s dreams stirs the heart.
The melodic lines and Hattori’s emotionally rich vocals beautifully capture the warmth and ache of youth.
Released in January 2025 as the opening theme for the second cour of the TV anime Blue Box, it weaves unattainable love and a growing inner world together with the anime’s atmosphere.
A gem of a song that stands with everyone who knows the joy of love and the pain of heartbreak, soothing the soul.


