Tear-jerking songs recommended for high school students: classic and popular Japanese hits

YC&K

C&K – Y

It’s a truly heartbreaking ballad about losing someone you love.

It’s a song by the male duo C&K, released in 2017 as their 15th single.

Just reading the cinematic lyrics is enough to make you cry.

If you’re a high school student, I hope you experience a wonderful love with no regrets.

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Bedroom TalkOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Bedroom Talk [Official Lyric Video]

This track, co-arranged with mabanua, is perfect for late-night vibes.

It’s included on the album “Editorial,” released in August 2021, and was written and composed by guitarist Daisuke Ozasa.

For Official HIGE DANDism, it’s a slightly unusual but pleasantly neo-soul-tinged number.

Its laid-back beat and mellow melody feel like they gently wrap away the fatigue of the day.

The song depicts the importance of stepping away from social media and outside voices to face your own heart on a quiet night, or to have an honest conversation with someone you care about.

It’s recommended for when you want to relax in your room after studying, or spend a peaceful moment in a café.

A stylish, warm song that softly stays by your side.

I love youback number

back number – I Love You

Back number is a three-piece rock band that enjoys overwhelming support for their vividly descriptive lyrics.

This song is a warm number that reminds us that the most precious treasures are found in ordinary, everyday scenes.

From simple images like fallen leaves in a park or a bakery by the station, the lyrics convey a clumsy yet earnest desire to make a loved one happy—something that truly hits home.

Many listeners will likely be moved by its gentle worldview.

Released in October 2022, the song is also included on the album “Humor” and was selected as the theme song for the NHK morning drama “Maiagare!” Why not listen to it during a quiet moment—like on your way to school—while thinking of someone special?

Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa

ReoNa “Just Being Alive Is Wonderful” - Lyric Video -

When your heart feels heavy and you can’t move, there’s a song that gently stays by your side.

Included on ReoNa’s fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in May 2021, this piece—written and composed by Toa Kasamura—is a track that resonates deeply.

Carried by the sound of the piano, ReoNa’s whispery vocals speak as if softly reading a diary aloud, giving voice to your innermost thoughts.

Rather than forcing encouragement, the lyrics simply offer the warmth of being there, making it a song you’ll want to hear when you’re worn out from trying too hard.

The choral parts, inspired by hymns, envelop you and quietly convey a blessing for living through today.

It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone getting by while holding on to painful feelings.

spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Spring Melancholy

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE delivers a deeply personal song written the day after a graduation ceremony.

It’s a heartwarming track that carefully weaves together the transience of youth and the preciousness of everyday life.

Set to a subtly wistful melody, it portrays time spent with friends in high school, the sadness of parting, and the difficulty of being honest with one’s feelings—beautifully capturing the complex emotions of adolescence that everyone experiences.

Released to the world in February 2018 as the B-side to the single “Love me, Love you,” it was also featured in a commercial for Suntory’s Craft Boss.

Embracing all who cherish everyday life, this work gently rekindles memories you want to keep tucked away in your heart.

It’s sure to resonate not only with high school students in the midst of their youth, but also with anyone who nostalgically looks back on their school days.

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

A warm, heartfelt ballad that resonates when you feel like you’re losing yourself.

This is Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s digital single from January 2025, a song that voices the anxiety of remaining true to oneself, created as the theme for NHK General’s “18 Festival.” Performed together with a thousand young people, it delivers courage and hope for reexamining your own identity, wrapped in a gentle, embracing sound.

When you’re unsure how to live, this work gives you a reassuring push to accept yourself just as you are.

About meMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – About Me

A single wrapped in kindness and encouragement that gently stays close to the listener’s heart.

Released by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE in January 2019, this song has become an oasis for many fans.

It softly envelops the small worries and anxieties that lurk in everyday life with a fabric of empathy.

The pure energy flowing from Motoki Omori’s straightforward vocals will make you want to close your eyes and surrender yourself.

Starting in November 2022, an orchestral arrangement was featured in Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Calorie Mate exam-support commercial, resonating with even more people.

It’s a heartwarming track that everyone standing at a crossroads in life should hear.