Classic emo masterpieces in Japanese music. Recommended popular songs.
These days, people often play on the word “emotional” and say “emo-i” to describe when feelings are running high.
Listening to songs that put you in that emo mood can clear your mind, pump you up, and bring lots of other positive effects.
In this article, we’re shining a spotlight on that sense of “emo-ness” and have picked out some recommended tracks.
From hard-hitting tunes to mellow vibes and breezy numbers, we’ve selected songs from a variety of genres.
We hope you’ll find some “emo” songs that truly move your heart.
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Emo masterpieces of Japanese music. Recommended popular songs (71–80)
C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.ONE OK ROCK
An emotionally moving work that portrays the bonds with friends from our youth and the passion to keep pursuing our dreams, it’s included on the album “Zankyō Reference.” With lyrics interwoven in Japanese and English, the song celebrates the strength to push forward through a chaotic world and the comfort of having an unchanging, precious place to return to.
This classic by ONE OK ROCK, recorded in October 2011, was also used as the ending theme for the TV program “To the Top of the Earth: Fumita Kuriki’s New Challenge.” Its appeal lies in a sound that skillfully fuses post-hardcore and emo elements, and in the powerful message embedded within its melodious arrangement.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when standing at a crossroads in life or when you want to look back on your cherished memories.
ObsessedAyumu Imazu
This song captures the sweet-and-sour feeling of first love with a pop sound.
The protagonist, who easily falls at first sight, expresses delicate emotions carried by a pleasant groove and a catchy chorus melody.
A chill, casual track and bilingual lyrics perfectly portray Gen Z’s down-to-earth approach to romance.
Released in January 2024, it sparked a wave of dance challenges on social media and topped the Billboard JAPAN chart in Korea, resonating across Asia.
It’s the kind of track you’ll want to listen to while strolling through the city under a fresh spring sky—perfect for anyone who wants to be honest about how it feels to be in love.
Mr.Good MorningLAID BACK OCEAN
I’ve been listening to his memorable singing voice for over 15 years, ever since the JELLY era.
The band has changed, and so have the musical style and concept, but this song makes me feel that their fundamental passion for music hasn’t changed at all.
Emo masterpieces in Japanese music. Recommended popular songs (81–90)
Sayonara ColorSUPER BUTTER DOG
This is a song released before the funk band SUPER BUTTER DOG, which disbanded in 2008, went on hiatus.
It was the song they performed when they made their first and only live appearance on a terrestrial music program before the hiatus.
I remember watching that performance on TV at the time and feeling incredibly moved, as if my chest were tightening.
quiet10-FEET
This is the song that was chosen for Toyota’s “Ractis” commercial and became the catalyst for many people to discover the band.
The track captures the restless urgency of youth and an inescapable sense of longing, carried by TAKUMA’s emotional vocals.
The sound that erupts from a gentle intro feels like it blows away all the pent-up haze in your heart.
Released in February 2006, it’s also included on the album “TWISTER.” The music video is a must-see too: it flips from serious expressions to the members gleefully playing Twister covered in lotion, brimming with their signature playful spirit.
When you’re stuck, lost in worry, this song just might give you the strong push you need.
Common murres and seals10-FEET
It’s a track that majestically paints an inner landscape, impressing fans as if it were a grand documentary film.
Created to mark 10-FEET’s 20th anniversary and released in November 2017, it’s included on the album Fin.
The song seems to sing about the importance of the small happiness hidden in everyday life—something you can find precisely because you’ve known sorrow.
Fin, a masterpiece into which vocalist TAKUMA poured so much passion that he called it “like a last will and testament,” peaked at No.
2 on the Oricon charts.
When things aren’t going well and you’re feeling down, listening to it might give you a hint to shift your perspective.
It will likely leave you with a warm feeling, as if embraced by vast nature.
Japanese beetle (flower chafer)LOWNAME
This is a song released before the rock band currently active as Kafka changed its name.
Both the song and the performance are simple.
It’s built from straightforwardly cool sounds and cool phrases.
I think its simplicity is exactly what lets it resonate so directly.