Recommended ballad songs for junior high school students. Famous and popular J-Pop songs.
I’ve put together a collection of ballad-style songs I’d recommend to junior high school students!
Every one of them is epic and gives you goosebumps!
They carry various messages, but listening to grand ballads really fires you up, doesn’t it?
Personally, I often listened to them when I couldn’t get motivated.
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Recommended ballad songs for junior high school students: Classic and popular J-pop hits (21–30)
Unrequited loveSUPER BEAVER
SUPER BEAVER’s in-show song for NHK’s late-night drama “Vanilla na Mainichi” delivers a powerful rendition of aching, unrequited love that truly stirs the heart.
It’s a gem of a ballad where a melody that gently cradles a faint yearning blends beautifully with subtly warm lyrics.
First released digitally on March 7, 2025, and included on the single “Kataomoi / Namida no Shoutai,” out March 12, the track enriches the drama’s world alongside its main theme, “Namida no Shoutai.” With tender, emotional soundscapes and the band’s signature straightforward message, this heartwarming song keeps you company in those quiet moments when you secretly think of someone you love.
Hide-and-seekYuuri
A poignant ballad that likens a breakup with a live-in lover to the children’s game of hide-and-seek.
Through images of a tumbler left behind and a messy room, it vividly portrays a man’s heart steeped in emptiness and loneliness.
Yuuri’s delicate vocals, paired with a simple, guitar-centered arrangement, superbly convey the pain of heartbreak.
Released in December 2019, the recording was supervised by Hiro of MY FIRST STORY.
The music video, directed by Elizabeth Miyaji and featuring actress Yuu Kinoyama, further deepens the work’s world.
It is a gem of a love song that closely resonates with those who have just experienced a breakup or who still harbor longing for someone dear.
MetronomeYonezu Kenshi
A gemlike ballad that gently captures the subtleties of meetings and partings.
It likens the relationship of two lovers to a metronome, meticulously portraying how hearts that once beat in unison gradually fall out of sync.
Kenshi Yonezu’s delicate vocals and memorable melodic lines convey the ache of love with nothing left unsaid.
Included on the album Bremen, released in October 2015, the song also garnered attention for its distinctive music video composed of hand-drawn illustrations.
It is a track that will surely resonate deeply with anyone suffering the pain of heartbreak or struggling with growing distance from someone dear.
Dinner Songtuki.
Woven into song with the ache of bittersweet love, tuki.’s music resonates across genders and generations.
This work carefully portrays the inner conflicts born from repeated partings and renewals with a loved one, gently expressing affection and gratitude toward the other person.
Released in September 2023, it also drew attention with an acoustic version featuring Yuuri in December of the same year.
The stirring vocals and melody are perfect for karaoke; performing it at school festivals or gatherings with friends—any moment when you want to share feelings—will surely strike a deep chord with listeners.
Its warm atmosphere and clear, transparent vocal quality will gently envelop the room.
ContrastTOMOO
Woven together with a simple piano tone, this moving song showcases TOMOO’s delicate emotional expression.
It carefully depicts the uniquely adolescent swings of feeling, vividly portraying the interplay of conflicting emotions.
With an intimacy akin to reading a diary, it gently traces the subtleties of a heart in love.
Released in January 2024 and chosen as the ending theme for cour 2 of the TV anime Ao no Hako, the track aligns beautifully with the anime’s world, adding depth to the story.
It’s a recommended listen for those who want to empathize with the feeling of being in love or sink into memories of their youth.
Sakura RabbitKawasaki Takaya
A poignant ballad by Takaya Kawasaki that tenderly portrays the feelings of someone unable to confess their love.
The timid protagonist is likened to a rabbit, and the story is warmly expressed alongside the springtime atmosphere of graduation.
With its beautiful melody and distinctive husky vocals, the song delicately weaves in pure emotions for the person they care about.
Released as a digital single in January 2021, it is also included on the album “Nukumori.” It drew attention with the simultaneous release of its music video and an acoustic live performance.
Recommended as a youthful spring song for those harboring feelings for someone dear.
DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE
A coming-of-age song that delivers the importance of embracing your true self on a refreshing melody.
The protagonist portrayed by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE carries a earnest resolve to keep looking forward while battling self-denial.
Gratitude and hope toward someone who accepts their true self gently envelop the listener, together with a melody that resonates in the heart.
Released in January 2025 as the theme song for NHK General’s special program “Mrs.
GREEN APPLE 18-sai-sai,” it was performed together with 1,000 members of the 18-year-old generation.
It’s a track recommended for moments when you want to face yourself with a gentle gaze, or when you want to share your feelings with someone important.