A tear-jerking love song that gently stays by your heart

AiHata Motohiro

Motohiro Hata / Ai from 'A Night With Strings'

A heartfelt ballad by Motohiro Hata that might make you shed a tear if you listen without thinking.

With this song, Hata debuted at No.

5 on the Oricon charts, marking his second Top 5 entry.

I’ve heard it’s also used as the ending theme for a news program in Miyazaki, making it the perfect song to gently close out your day.

The lyric “I couldn’t believe in love, but after meeting you I came to know love” feels like a long story, and it suits Hata’s vocal tone perfectly.

The words of kindness in the lyrics never lose their sense of reality, which is why it really makes you cry.

On days when things haven’t gone your way, give it a listen before you go to sleep.

rendezvousshaitoopu

rendezvous

The rock band Shytone, which rose to prominence after a viral hit on social media, released a signature track in April 2023 that sings of a man’s searing emotions after a breakup.

Unable to accept parting from someone he loved deeply, he longs for an impossible reunion; the loneliness of his lover’s traces fading from everyday life is expressed through vocalist So Sasaki’s superb word choices—so moving you might be brought to tears.

The song is also known for surpassing 100 million total streams in November 2023 and is included on the album “Hors d’œuvre.” Why not entrust your heart to its somehow comforting melody that stirs up those bittersweet feelings?

GoodbyeNishino Kana

Goodbye

Even though they didn’t grow to hate each other, they end up choosing to part ways due to drifting apart.

This is a poignant medium-tempo ballad by Kana Nishino that tightens the heart with the complexity of such an ending to love.

The way the protagonist tries to seal away the memories without truly accepting what happened feels strikingly real, likely because of the lyrics’ masterful grasp of the subtleties of romance.

Released in October 2013, the song is also known as the theme for the NHK serial drama “Glass no Ie” and is included on the album “with LOVE.” For those who have lost a love that couldn’t be saved by feelings alone and can’t yet move on, this song will gently whisper, “It’s okay—you don’t have to force yourself to forget.”

The scent of first loveFujihara Sakura

Sakura Fujiwara – The Scent of First Love

A song in which Sakura Fujiwara’s gentle, soft voice paints unerasable photos and unspoken feelings, awakening precious memories that lie deep within our hearts.

Released in May 2024, this work is a collaboration with a short animated film directed by animator Maho Takagi.

Its musical and visual world, which evokes quiet nights and moments spent in the glow of snow, is perfect for those turning points in life when we pause and look back with nostalgia.

Please savor this gem filled with the full charm of Sakura Fujiwara.

Only a single voicerokudenashi

Rokudenashi “Just One Voice” / Rokudenashi – One Voice [Official Music Video]

It’s a poignant song that empathizes with people carrying the pain of heartbreak and the struggle of living.

Released in December 2021, it delicately portrays the loneliness and inner conflict of young people today, accompanied by the gentle tones of the piano.

The emotions expressed by Rokudenashi reflect the image of people who, though hurt by everyday words, still try their best to smile.

The song resonated across borders, reaching No.

1 on Hong Kong’s Spotify Viral Chart and moving many hearts.

It’s a track I wholeheartedly recommend to those who can’t quite put their feelings into words or who are wrestling with worries alone.

Its tender melodies and vocals will surely stay close to your heart.

I want to be loved.Oku Hanako

I want to be loved.

A song that tenderly embraces the earnest wish to be loved.

Created by singer-songwriter Okuhanako, it appears on the album “vol.best,” released in April 2005 during her indie days.

The piece gives voice, over a quiet piano melody, to a piercing question: can we keep living by clinging to the memories of being loved, even when we feel hollowed out by loneliness? Her voice—praised as one that can move you to tears on sound alone—seems to gently scoop up feelings that words can’t express.

The song distills the power of her music, which speaks straight to the heart—this is the artist who once sold 488 CDs in a single day at a street performance.

On nights when you long to be loved deeply by someone, listening alone in silence may kindle a warm light in your heart.

In that casemakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Empitsu "Saraba" Music Video

Macaroni Enpitsu’s gem of a love song, which sings of the bittersweet ache and gentle warmth of an unattainable love, stands by those troubled by romance and quietly cheers them on.

It delicately portrays the flutter of a faint crush and the wavering heart caught between ideals and reality, dramatically expressing pure love for another and the beauty of self-sacrifice.

Released in January 2025, the track was chosen as the opening theme for the second cour of the TV anime “Blue Box,” beautifully coloring the show’s world of youth and romance.

Its lyrics, where the pain of not being able to let go coexists with the kindness of wishing happiness for someone precious, will resonate deeply with those nursing heartbreak or harboring a secret, growing affection.