A poignant ballad song. A tear-jerking masterpiece of Japanese pop music.
Let me introduce some heartrending ballads that tighten your chest the moment you listen.
When you part ways with someone important, when a romance fails and leaves you down, or when a sudden memory takes you back to a past you can’t return to…
In the course of life, there are moments when a quiet, melancholy mood washes over you.
In this article, I’ve gathered recommended ballad songs for those very times.
From beloved classics to recent hits, I’ve selected tracks so you can find a song that resonates with your feelings and helps you detox your heart.
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Poignant ballad songs: Tear-jerking masterpieces of Japanese music (61–70)
Night journeyYorushika
On quiet nights, memories of days gone by sometimes drift through your mind, don’t they? There’s a song by Yorushika that gently stays by your side in those wistful moments.
Conjuring scenes like swaying on a night train, the track depicts an inner journey of facing forward even while carrying past pain and farewells.
Suis’s clear, translucent voice conveys the stillness and solitude of the night—and the faint hope beyond—seeping deeply into the heart.
Released in March 2020, the song was featured as an insert track in the animated feature film “A Whisker Away.” Why not give it a listen when you want to take your time and sit with the sorrow of heartbreak?
for a whilerikon densetsu
A ballad that gently nestles up to memories of lost love.
The music unit Divorce Densetsu released it in January 2025.
While lamenting a past that can never return, the song portrays the aching sway of trying to forget someone dear.
Vocalist Matsuda’s sweet, mellow voice rides atop a nostalgic sound reminiscent of ’80s New Music, soaking into the heart.
A healing track that wraps you in sentimental emotion.
Close your eyes and come here.BARBEE BOYS
BARBEE BOYS is a five-member band featuring male and female twin vocals.
Formed in 1982, they have broken up and reunited several times, but they resumed full-scale activities in 2018.
Many younger people may know them through the impressions by Oniko Tsubaki and Razor Ramon RG.
Their song “Me o Tojite Oide yo” (Close Your Eyes and Come Here) is one of their signature tracks, released in 1989.
The lyrics portray adult romance in a sexy yet heartrending way.
Because you are hereUru
Uru, whose voice alone can loosen your tear ducts and shake the heart.
Her song “Anata ga Iru Koto de” was released as a digital-only single in February 2020, written as the theme song for the drama “Theseus no Fune” starring Ryoma Takeuchi.
It’s a number filled with the feeling of thinking about someone precious, and how having that person in your life—thinking of them—can make you stronger and gentler.
For many listeners, this song may bring to mind love for family, and memories of their parents.
Eris with Azure Eyesanzenchitai
Speaking of Anzen Chitai, they were a band that enjoyed immense popularity not only in Japan but across various Asian countries from the 1980s to the 1990s.
They have sung numerous heartrending ballads, and “Eris with the Azure Eyes” is one of them.
Koji Tamaki’s singing voice really resonates with the heart in this ballad, doesn’t it?
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai
A gem of a rock ballad by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai that became a hit after gaining buzz on social media.
Its melody, vocals, and lyrics each carry a sensational power that speaks straight to the heart.
The song was included on the mini-album “An Opinion on Lambda,” released in May 2019.
It expresses an overwhelming longing for someone precious you can never meet again, and many listeners find themselves moved to tears even without having gone through a breakup.
Vocalist and lyricist Shusaku Yanagita reportedly cried many times during production.
Listen to it on a night when you can’t forget someone, and your tear ducts will surely be stirred.
tear(s)Marushii
A heartbreaking breakup ballad by Marcy, beloved for their relatable, down-to-earth music.
The structure tells all the radiant memories of a seaside park in the past tense, conveying the bittersweet ache of heartbreak—the way you can’t help but remember, even knowing you can’t go back.
You might recognize that feeling, as if your body still carries the warmth of the other person.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of anyone who can’t forget a summer romance that has come to an end.