Tear-jerking songs recommended for high school students: classic and popular Japanese hits
I think there are many kinds of tear-jerking songs—love songs, songs about dreams, songs about friends and family, and more.
I’ve gathered songs you’ve probably heard at least once, so if you listen while taking a close look at the lyrics, some of them might even make you cry!
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Tearjerker songs recommended for high school students: Japanese classics and popular tracks (1–10)
YC&K
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.
DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE
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
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.
Tear-jerking songs recommended for high school students: Japanese classics and popular tracks (11–20)
Blue in the classroomHoshimachi Suisei
It’s a refreshing song that conjures up a page from youth right before your eyes.
Suisei Hoshimachi’s clear, transparent vocals gently embrace memories of school days and the bonds with friends.
As graduation—a parting by another name—approaches, it portrays the delicate hearts of young people swaying between sadness and hope.
Included on the album “Horohani-gaoka High School,” released in February 2024, this track was created as part of a collaboration project between hololive and HoneyWorks.
Saying goodbye to friends with whom you could share anything without hiding is a profound sorrow, but beyond the pain of parting, there are surely wonderful encounters that will color your life.
Why not etch the best memories with your best friends deep in your heart as you listen to this song, and take a step toward the next stage?
The kid who always gets comparedTsuyu
A song by Tsuyu that empathizes with the pain of being compared to others.
Many of us have been hurt by being measured against someone else.
This work portrays, head-on, the feelings of inferiority and inner conflict from the perspective of the one being compared.
Rei’s clear, translucent vocals and Pusu’s band sound—blending rock and pop—resonate deeply.
The lyrics lay bare the protagonist’s earnest emotions as they are continually compared by those around them, and their determination to keep going even while blaming themselves is truly moving.
The track was included on the February 2020 album “Yappari Ame wa Furun da ne,” and a remixed version was later released.
It was also featured in Konami’s music game SOUND VOLTEX, earning love from a wide audience.
Give it a listen when you’re feeling unsure of yourself or hurt by comparisons.
It will surely whisper, “I understand,” and stay by your side.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa
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.
Bye-bye.yamazaru
It’s a sad love song about the regret of not noticing a loved one’s sorrow and the longing to see them again.
It’s a track by Yamazaru, a singer-songwriter from Fukushima Prefecture.
It was released in 2017 as his ninth single.
Listening to it while watching the music video will truly make you cry.