Beautiful tear-jerking songs / songs that make you cry your eyes out

Tear-jerking songs I want to sing at karaoke

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
Composition nerdmutō
Started performing in bands in junior high school. Influenced by Japanese rock and UK rock, spent over 10 years continuing band activities while creating original songs. Later began producing Vocaloid tracks using Hatsune Miku, with total plays of released songs surpassing 10,000. Has five years of experience writing for music magazines. Currently works as a music writer, director, and composer, keeping a ground-level perspective on the scene by attending live shows across Japan. Now performs at live houses in Tokyo, showcasing guitar playing centered on acoustic guitar and informed by knowledge of chord analysis and guitar scales. Also writes leveraging a broad knowledge of music genres.

Do you go to karaoke to refresh yourself or relieve stress?

I think many people want to belt out songs at the top of their lungs to blow off steam, but if you want to feel even more refreshed, I recommend singing songs that make you cry!

Whether you cry while singing yourself or shed tears listening to the person you’re with sing, letting your emotions flow through a heartfelt song is a wonderful thing—and it will leave your heart feeling clear.

In this article, we’ll focus on tear-jerking songs to help you choose your setlist and introduce some recommended tracks!

Tear-Jerking Songs I Want to Sing at Karaoke (101–110)

Sorrow Rides the Busmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “Sadness Rides the Bus” MV

Sorrow Rides the Busmakaroni enpitsu

Set to melodies that gently stay close to the heart, this moving story by Macaroni Empitsu captures the shifting patterns of human emotion.

The lead track from their August 2023 album, “Otona no Namida” (“Tears of Adults”), delicately depicts the fleeting feelings found in farewells with family and in everyday life.

Hattori’s clear, transparent vocals and the softly unfolding melody resonate deep within the listener.

The song also drew attention for its music video directed by Yoshihito Mori, known for the Netflix film “We Couldn’t Become Adults.” Through the perspective of a protagonist played by Shota Sometani, it asks profound questions about the meaning of life and the preciousness of existence.

It’s a recommended track for those who want to empathize with feelings for loved ones or soothe the quiet emotions they carry inside.

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Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi

Aoi Teshima “Letter to Tomorrow (Drama Version)”

Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi

A heartwarming ballad gently portraying people looking ahead in life with both hope and unease, framed by the motif of a letter from the future.

Aoi Teshima’s translucent voice resonates deeply alongside the beautiful arrangement of piano and strings.

First released in July 2014 on the album “Ren’dez-vous,” the song drew renewed attention in February 2016 as the theme for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama “Someday I’ll Remember This Love, and Surely I’ll Cry.” The piece won the Best Theme Song Award at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2016.

When you find yourself pausing on the path toward your dreams, or when you want to be close to your feelings for someone important, why not listen quietly? It will surely become a tear-jerker of a song for you.

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Family SongHoshino Gen

Gen Hoshino – Family Song (Official Video)

Family SongHoshino Gen

Set to a heartwarming melody, this masterpiece gently sings about the small joys of everyday life and the connections between people.

Gen Hoshino delicately depicts scenes like morning light and windowsills, as if capturing familiar moments within a family.

Its message—embracing bonds that go beyond blood ties and accepting the diversifying forms of family with warmth—resonates deep within.

Released in August 2017, the song was used as the theme for the Nippon TV drama “Overprotected Kahoko” and reached No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

Its distinctive sound, which skillfully incorporates elements of late-1960s to early-1970s soul music, is another draw.

It’s a gem that stays close to the feeling of wishing happiness for someone important to you, so why not listen to it in a quiet moment alone? Its gentle sound may even move you to tears.

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Don’t go.Tamaki Kōji

Ikanaide

Don't go.Tamaki Kōji

This song straightforwardly expresses the regret and pain of having to part.

It was also used as the theme song for the drama “Sayonara Li Xianglan.” The piano- and strings-centered sound is striking, and you can feel the growing intensity of the suffering as the arrangement gradually builds.

The details of what happened between the two aren’t described, focusing solely on the feeling of not wanting to be separated.

The tense soundscape, the raw, unfiltered anguish conveyed directly, and the slightly raspy vocals that accentuate the sorrow make this a track that truly moves the heart.

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Honest DiaryMinami

Minami – Minami – Minami “Honest Diary” Japanese/Chinese Lyrics

Honest DiaryMinami

How about trying to sing Minami’s “Shoujiki Nikki” (Honest Diary)? This song, included on the 2017 mini-album “Emotional Water,” is known for its strikingly emotional melody.

Its transparent vocals and powerful, message-driven lyrics have resonated with many young listeners.

If you’re feeling a haze in your heart, singing it might hit especially hard.

Why not belt it out at karaoke?

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Tear-jerking songs I want to sing at karaoke (111–120)

gardenFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Garden (Not a MV)

gardenFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze’s song gently embraces the impermanence of life and the bonds between people through the changing seasons.

His soft, gospel-tinged vocals and piano tones sink deeply into the heart.

The track is included on the album “LOVE ALL SERVE ALL,” released in March 2022, and was also featured in NatureLab’s “Laundrin” TV commercial.

Its beautiful music video, filmed at ACAO FOREST in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, also drew attention.

This gem of a song offers solace to those who, even while carrying sadness and loneliness, wish to keep looking forward.

Take some time alone to really listen—you may find yourself moved to tears.

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To be happyFLYING KIDS

FLYING KIDS – To Be Happy (Music Video)

To be happyFLYING KIDS

This is FLYING KIDS’ debut single, released in 1990.

If you haven’t heard this song yet, please give it a listen.

It really hits home.

It may seem calm and restrained, but it reaches deep into your heart.

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