Songs that hit home when you're feeling blue: masterpieces of Japanese music
“I feel a vague sense of anxiety and can’t find any energy.” “I’m struggling with my relationships.” Don’t you have times when you feel so down that you don’t know what to do?
All you want is to live immersed in simple happiness… but it’s so hard.
At times like that, rather than forcing yourself to grit your teeth and endure, it might actually be easier to stop pushing and let yourself cry it all out.
Here, I’ve put together a selection of classic Japanese songs that will stay close to your heart when you’re feeling unbearably blue.
I hope this article can be of help to you.
- [Melancholy] For when you want to sink all the way. Masterpieces that depict various kinds of gloom.
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- [Yami Song] A mental breakdown track that sings the true feelings of a melancholic heart
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [For High School Students] Melancholy Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough Times]
- Masterpieces that sing of despair. Recommended popular songs.
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
- [When You're Lonely] A Collection of Songs That Resonate With Those All Alone
- [Songs of Worries] Listening will gently lighten your heart. Masterpieces that speak for your feelings
- A masterpiece that sings of loneliness. Recommended popular songs.
- Masterpieces that sing about loneliness: J-pop to listen to when you're alone
- [Cheering Songs] Japanese tracks to listen to when you’re troubled, lost, or feeling anxious
Songs that hit hard when you're feeling blue: Classic J‑Pop gems (41–50)
to clear up (weather)Yorushika
A refreshing song that evokes the arrival of spring, it impresses with n-buna’s masterful word choice and suis’s transparent vocals weaving a richly emotional world.
By depicting the shift in the sky from rain to clear weather, it symbolically expresses the joys and pains of life, as well as hope and despair, making it a track you’ll want to listen to at the change of seasons.
This work was used as the opening theme for the second cour of the TV anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which began airing in January 2024, and it was also featured in a collaborative web commercial with Suntory’s gin SUI.
Released as a digital single, this song will be a reliable companion when you need a mindset reset or are about to take a new step forward.
Piercing songs to listen to when you’re feeling blue: Masterpieces of Japanese music (51–60)
Sorrowful EkayanaYorushika
It is a moving story that portrays a world with a floating, underwater-like sensation and a sense of transparency.
The protagonist, burdened by deep loss, is memorable as they free themselves from the past and try to take a new step forward.
Yorushika’s gentle vocals, along with piano and strings, weave a delicate sound that further elevates the narrative.
This ambitious work was included on the album Elma, released in August 2019.
It forms a pair with the previous album, That’s Why I Gave Up on Music, and is positioned as part of a grand story depicting art and life from the perspectives of two protagonists.
It is a song that will resonate deeply with those who wish to face the past and find a new self.
You’ll surely be drawn into its unique world where music and literature intertwine.
Crescent Moon MelancholyBābī Bōizu
Barbee Boys, a rock band that gained popularity for their distinctive sound featuring intertwined male–female twin vocals and saxophone.
This 1989 November release deftly portrays the unfulfilled complexities of adult love.
Over a floating guitar riff, KONTA and Kyoko’s vocals capture the emotional disconnect between a man and a woman, their bittersweet harmonies resonating deeply.
Released as the band’s 13th single, the song is also known for being featured in a commercial for Meiji’s chocolate bar “body.” It’s a perfect listen when you want to spend a quiet night alone gazing at the city lights or sink into a sentimental mood.
Alkalemiamol-74
It’s a song by mol-74 that portrays a powerful sense of regret—by the time you realize it, it’s already too late.
The layering of the piano’s timbre with the mechanically repeated guitar phrases evokes a sadness that settles deeply in the heart.
The vocal melody, which includes high notes, intertwines with the quiet rhythm to clearly convey instability and pain.
Throughout, it expresses the feeling of “if only I could do it over,” and the song’s atmosphere—like a cry from a wounded heart—stirs up a sense of unease.
abnormalizeRin to shite Shigure
You know that feeling like there’s a gaping hole in your heart…
we all get it sometimes.
This song speaks for those emotions.
Created by Ling tosite sigure, it was released in November 2012 and drew attention as the opening theme for the anime PSYCHO-PASS.
TK’s sharp guitar riffs and 345’s clear, transparent vocals are a perfect match.
The lyric “something no one can fill” really pierces the heart.
When you’re feeling blue, listening to it will surely stay close to your heart.
Nothing I do goes well.meiyo
It’s an addictive song that lays bare the muddled thoughts and days when nothing goes right.
Released by meiyo in January 2022, it unfolds a distinctive sound that deftly weaves together humor and relatability.
Packed with contemporary themes—self-loathing, comparing oneself to others, and the struggle with social media validation—it’s sung in a self-addressing tone that leaves a strong impression.
The music video also portrays everyday “not going well” moments—like failing to split disposable chopsticks cleanly, or finding chopsticks included with a pudding—creating a unique, offbeat world.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you can’t sort out your feelings or when you feel unable to move forward.
Our FailureMorita Doji
It’s become an old song now, but here’s one from Doji Morita’s signature works.
Her style—delivering those delicate lyrics as if singing them straight over a guitar—surely won her many fans.
Even today, it seems to remain popular as an acoustic guitar solo-vocal piece.