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.
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
- [Tear-Jerking] Classic and Recommended Love Ballads
- A ballad that will definitely make you cry at karaoke
- [Resonates with the Heart] Masterpiece Ballads with Beautiful, Poignant Lyrics
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
- Recommended ballads for men: classic songs about love, encouragement, and youth.
- [Ballads] Hidden gems of Japanese music. Songs that really hit you.
- [Touching the Heart] A Collection of Recommended Ballads for Men
- Today's recommended ballads: A carefully curated selection of heartwarming, gem-like masterpieces!
- [Tear-Jerking Breakup Songs] A curated selection of love songs that gently comfort a wounded heart!
- Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- [Deeply Moving] A Compilation of Recommended Rock Ballads That Move the Heart
A poignant ballad song. Tear-jerking masterpieces of Japanese music (21–30)
attachmentMy Hair is Bad
It’s a signature My Hair is Bad ballad that layers memories of past love over the love of the present.
It was first sold as a venue-limited edition at their Saitama Super Arena show in January 2025, then released digitally in April as the single “Aichaku” (Attachment).
The song portrays someone choosing not to erase the habits and memories formed with a former lover, instead trying to build new time with their current partner.
With Seiji Kameda as producer, the sound is gentle yet carefully conveys emotional fluctuations, making it deeply moving.
When you find yourself blaming yourself for clinging to the past, this track will be there to comfort you.
It’s perfect for a night when you want to immerse yourself in the lyrics’ world.
PrologueUru
My heart trembles at its ephemeral worldview.
The song is by singer-songwriter Uru, also known for hits like “Anata ga Iru Koto de,” and it was released as a single in 2018.
It was chosen as the theme song for the drama “Chuugaku Sei Nikki,” which portrays a forbidden love.
That clear, translucent voice—truly quintessential Uru.
It feels as if it permeates to the very depths of the heart.
The lyrics, which faithfully reflect the drama’s story, are also deeply moving.
me me sheRADWIMPS
It’s a ballad that gently stays by your side in that hollowed-out feeling of loss, as if there’s a hole in your heart.
The song is included on RADWIMPS’ album “RADWIMPS 4: Okazu no Gohan,” released in December 2006.
Although it wasn’t released as a single, it can be called a hidden masterpiece that has been loved by many listeners for years.
In a way that overlaps with how the title “Memeshii” is read, it portrays with raw honesty the lingering feelings for a former lover mingled with one’s own ego.
The warm tone of the guitar and the conversational vocals really hit home, and each listen may bring a tightening ache to your chest.
On nights when there’s someone you simply can’t forget, or when you want to cry your heart out and look forward, why not give it a listen?
Happy Endingback number
A poignant ballad that makes you reflect on what exactly the “happy ending” in the title really means.
This song is back number’s 16th single, released in 2016.
It portrays the wavering of the heart that makes you think how much easier it would be if you could cleanly, decisively come to dislike someone or part ways.
It conveys, almost painfully, how what you think in your head and what you feel are entirely different things.
The slightly negative emotions are neatly wrapped up as if to hide them, and that’s where the deepest sense of poignancy comes through.
HeavenMrs. GREEN APPLE
A soul-stirring song performed by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE.
Released in May 2025 as their 17th single, it also serves as the theme song for the film “I Will Tell You the Truth,” starring Motoki Omori.
This piece lays bare both the purity inherent in humanity and the shadows that lie behind it, posing profound questions to the listener’s heart.
It begins with a hush reminiscent of a cathedral, unfolds dramatically like a story, and fades away as if vanishing into thin air—an arc that seems to mirror our very lives.
Its unpredictable turns are sure to capture anyone’s heart and move them to tears.
It’s a song that gently gives you a push when you want to face your own emotions.
Another SaturdayHamada Shogo
Speaking of Shogo Hamada, especially for men, hasn’t everyone been obsessed with him at least once? For men, it’s almost like a rite of passage—you inevitably fall under the spell of this charismatic singer.
“Another Saturday” is his quintessential, universally acclaimed masterpiece.
Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA
AAA is a dance and vocal group that enjoys strong popularity, especially among young people.
Among their songs, ‘Koion to Amazora’ is probably familiar even to older listeners, as it has been used in Ito-Yokado commercials and on NHK’s Red and White Song Contest.
It’s a poignant ballad I’d recommend to people of all ages.