“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
Piercing songs to listen to when you’re feeling blue: Masterpieces of Japanese music (1–10)
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro
It’s an undisputed masterpiece of contemporary Japanese music.
Despite being her debut song, it’s extremely dark.
However, as the title “Moonlight” suggests, it strongly evokes a kind of gentleness that exists only in the night, making it, I think, a healing song.
Title of mineBUMP OF CHICKEN
One song from the popular rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN.
Among their tracks, this one is said to be among the darkest.
Its candid outpouring of inner feelings seems to be very popular with some fans.
flower burialL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
It’s one of L’Arc~en~Ciel’s signature songs, notable for its fantastical atmosphere and heartrending lyrics.
Hyde’s translucent vocals and Ken’s arpeggios resonate beautifully together.
Released as a single in July 1998, it was first performed on a TV Asahi music program that March.
The lyrics, imbued with the sorrow of lost love and longing for the past, evoke deep emotions.
If you’re struggling with relationships or feeling a vague sense of anxiety, listening to this song may soothe your heart.
Try giving it a listen alone on a quiet night.
ARRIVAL TIMEBRAHMAN
This is a song that stays close to the hearts of people carrying sorrow or suffering.
It was included on a single released by BRAHMAN in September 1999 and reached No.
6 on the Oricon weekly chart.
The lyrics, which convey deep emotion, and the distinctive sound rooted in hardcore punk are truly stirring.
TOSHI-LOW’s powerful vocals seem to give courage to those who listen.
It’s recommended for times when you feel lost in life or want to face yourself.
Be sure to listen to it slowly on a quiet night.
I don’t have an umbrella.Inoue Yosui
It’s a fun date with someone you love, but it’s raining outside… That alone can make you feel pretty depressed, right? Inoue Yosui’s 1972 song “Kasa ga Nai” (“I Don’t Have an Umbrella”) sings about that familiar, everyday gloom that anyone can fall into, as well as the melancholy that overflows in the world.
There are all sorts of problems out there, and sometimes they even affect our own lives.
But the lyrics honestly say that the issue pressing down on me right now is, for me, the most important one of all—and that’s the charm of this song.
Perhaps when we feel down is precisely when we should think about what truly matters and what we truly need.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa
These are songs by ReoNa whose lyrics feel like raw emotions poured straight from the heart, piercing you to the core.
They’re included on the single “unknown,” released in May 2021.
Against a backdrop of quiet piano melodies, ReoNa’s delicate yet powerful voice resonates.
The phrase “Just being alive is enough” will surely save many people.
If you’re exhausted by daily life and on the verge of losing sight of your self-worth, this is a song I truly want you to hear.
It will stay close to your heart and give you hope for tomorrow.
Stars on EarthNakajima Miyuki
This is a memorable song with lyrics and a melody that resonate deeply.
It’s a piece by Miyuki Nakajima, released in July 2000.
Created as the theme song for the NHK program “Project X: Challengers,” it received an enormous response.
The warm lyrics, which draw attention to the light and talent everyone possesses, are especially compelling.
At the 2002 Kōhaku Uta Gassen, Nakajima delivered a powerful performance from the frigid underground tunnel of the Kurobe River No.
4 Power Station, which became a hot topic.
In 2008, it was also featured in a Suntory canned coffee commercial.
It’s a song I recommend to anyone feeling worn out by daily life or on the verge of losing sight of their own worth.