Recommended ballad songs for junior high school students. Famous and popular J-Pop songs.

pupilŌhara Sakurako

Sakurako Ohara – Hitomi (Music Video Short ver.)

It’s Sakurako Ohara’s second solo single, released in 2015.

The song was chosen as the support anthem for the 93rd All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, and it was the first track for which Sakurako Ohara wrote the lyrics.

It’s an uplifting ballad that encourages people striving toward their dreams, with Ohara’s clear, pure vocals giving listeners strength.

Can I call it magic?Hirai Ken

Ken Hirai “May I Call It Magic?” MUSIC VIDEO (Short Ver.)

It was released in 2016 as Ken Hirai’s 40th single.

The song was used in a TV commercial for Panasonic’s LUMIX GX7 Mark II digital single-lens reflex camera featuring Haruka Ayase, and it showcases Hirai’s signature falsetto beautifully.

It’s a simple, ballad-style track composed only of Hirai’s vocals and acoustic guitar by Ryosuke Nagaoka.

Voice of the Seaurashima tarō (kiritani kenta)

"The Voice of the Sea" Full ver. / Urashima Taro (Kenta Kiritani) [Official]

It was released in 2015 as a digitally distributed single under the name “Urashima Taro (Kenta Kiritani).” This original song was created as the commercial track for the au Santaro series—specifically for the “au Feature Phone ‘Voice of the Sea’” ad, in which Kenta Kiritani, playing Urashima Taro, sings within the commercial.

After its simultaneous release, it topped the overall charts on 13 distribution platforms including the iTunes Store and RecoChoku, becoming a major hit.

It’s a song that showcased Kenta Kiritani’s impressive vocal ability.

katahira rina

Rina Katahira - This Tear I Don't Know (MV)

It was released in 2016 as Rina Katahira’s sixth single.

It’s her first ultimate heartbreak ballad, with lyrics about a delicate woman who, out of kindness, feels she must not show her tears.

Rina Katahira’s gentle, delicate voice makes it a heartbreak ballad that truly touches the heart.

It might feel a bit mature for junior high school students going through a breakup, but even just listening to the vocals and sound can be soothing.

Dear BrideNishino Kana

Kana Nishino “Dear Bride” MV (Short Ver.)

It was released in 2016 as Kana Nishino’s 29th single.

Written for a friend who was getting married, it was her first wedding song, with lyrics that offer “words to the bride” only a close friend could say.

With this song, she won the top prize for the first time at the 49th Japan Cable Awards.

Its clear, heartwarming lyrics left a strong impression, and many people know it as a song they heard every morning as the theme for Fuji TV’s Mezamashi TV.

The reason I was bornTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi – “The Reason I Was Born” MV short ver.

It was released in 2016 as Yu Takahashi’s 14th major-label single.

The song was written in response to the marriage of a staff member who had worked with Takahashi since before his debut, and its lyrics, told from the groom’s perspective, reflect on meeting someone, getting married, the birth of life, and happiness.

While it’s a popular wedding song, it’s also a piece that even junior high school students can listen to and feel that they were born loved.

Yu Takahashi’s gentle singing voice resonates with the heart.

futureKobukuro

Mirai

Released in 2016 as Kobukuro’s 27th single.

The song was used as the theme for the Toho-distributed film “orange” and as the ending theme for the UHF anime “orange,” and it reached No.

4 on the Oricon Singles Daily Chart.

It’s an uplifting ballad perfect for junior high school students who are about to shine as they head toward the future.