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 heartrending ballad song. Timeless tear-jerking Japanese classics (41–50)
Stop this nightJUJU
This work delicately depicts that bittersweet moment when, on a night heavy with the sense of an impending breakup, the other person’s words of love only deepen the sorrow.
JUJU’s translucent vocals and the piano-centered arrangement gently draw out the unspoken tremors of the heart.
Released in November 2010, it gained attention as the theme song for the TV drama “Guilty: The Woman Who Made a Pact with the Devil.” It peaked at No.
10 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and was selected for the Excellence Award at the 53rd Japan Record Awards.
Many listeners will relate to the heart that can’t accept the end and the wish for time to stop.
It’s a song that quietly stays by your side when you’re carrying the pain of heartbreak.
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.
kissORIGINAL LOVE
Speaking of ORIGINAL LOVE’s “Kiss,” it’s a ballad that was a massive hit when it was released and astonished us with its stylish sound.
Even now, years after its release, it remains a timeless classic that hasn’t faded at all.
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?
My beloved, good night…B’z
This is the seventh single by B’z, a two-member rock unit known for a wide range of hits from hard rock tracks to lyrical ballads.
Used as the ending theme for the TV drama “Daihyou Torishimariyaku Keiji,” the song is a classic ballad whose gentle piano tones and tear-jerking guitar phrases stir the heart.
Despite being B’z’s first ballad released as a single, it remains highly popular among fans today.
With straightforward lyrics and a melody that feels like being enveloped in a great love, it’s a heartrending ballad that tightens the chest.
rainbowSuda Masaki
This song that brings you to tears right from the opening lyrics is Masaki Suda’s “Niji.” Released in 2020, it’s Suda’s fifth single and served as the theme song for the film “STAND BY ME Doraemon 2.” The lyrics and music were written by singer-songwriter Huwie Ishizaki.
It’s a gentle ballad that wraps you in dazzling happiness and warmth.
It will surely continue to be listened to for years to come and become a timeless staple among ballad numbers.