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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A poignant ballad song. Tear-jerking J-Pop masterpieces (51–60)
Love is litrokudenashi
A ballad whose delicate piano tones resonate in the heart.
Created by the music project Rokudenashi, it was released as a single in February 2023 and is also included on the album “Ai ni Saku Hana.” The lyrics, which evoke the warmth of someone’s presence lighting a candle amid loneliness and anxiety, gently comfort a weary heart.
It’s a song you’ll want by your side on down days or when you feel like you’re losing yourself.
trace (of someone/something), semblance, vestige; a lingering image or memory of how someone/something used to beNovelbright
When you’re heartbroken and feeling down, I recommend trying to sing “Omokage.” It’s a song released by the rock band Novelbright.
This piano-centered ballad portrays the inability to forget an ex and the longing to see them again.
The high notes are beautifully featured, so if you’re good with higher ranges, you’ll be able to make the most of your voice.
It also seems like a great song to dedicate to a hurt friend—it’s sure to be healing.
Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi
Aoi Teshima, whose gentle, soul-soaking voice can move you to tears—truly one of a kind.
Her song “Letter to Tomorrow” is her fifth single, released in 2016, and it was also the theme song for the drama “Love That Makes You Cry.” As the title includes the word “letter,” the song is sung like a spoken message, as if addressing someone dear.
Listening to it brings back memories of someone you can no longer meet, someone you can’t forget—a heartrending track that stirs bittersweet emotions.
homeKiyama Yusaku
Yusaku Kiyama’s “HOME” is an achingly sad yet heartwarming song.
Any father with a wife and children who listens to it will surely be moved to tears.
That’s how powerfully it conveys the preciousness of family and the longing to be with them.
Poignant ballad songs: Tear-jerking masterpieces of Japanese music (61–70)
dragonflyNagabuchi Tsuyoshi
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi has an image of being masculine, with a passionate fanbase to match.
If there’s such a genre as songs for hot-blooded men, his track “Tonbo” would surely be a representative number.
Released in 1988 as Nagabuchi’s 20th single, it served as the theme song for the drama of the same name, starring Nagabuchi himself.
It became a huge hit, one of his signature songs, and a million-seller.
It’s a track that deeply resonates with anyone worn out by city life and human relationships.
evening primroseNovelbright
This work portrays a poignant state of mind: unable to forget a once‑beloved person, the protagonist can’t help but keep chasing their lingering shadow as memories of days gone by well up.
Vocalist Yudai Takenaka’s delicate high-tone voice gently envelops the pain of a protagonist who cannot accept the breakup.
The grand sound centered on piano and strings is another highlight.
It’s a song to listen to when you want something to stay close to the pain of heartbreak, or when you can’t take a step into a new love.
I miss youRADWIMPS
Released in March 2021, this song expresses the feelings held at the 10-year milestone since the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Placed at the end of the album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs,” it conveys a pure longing to see someone—an emotion only RADWIMPS, who have continued singing for a decade, could capture.
It is a ballad whose quiet, emotive melody seeps into the heart, carrying thoughts for loved ones we can no longer meet.
Beyond being a prayer for those lost in the disaster, it also resonates with the sense of distance and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving voice to the universal ache of “not being able to see someone.” It’s a song that gently stays by your side when you feel the loneliness of being apart from someone dear.