[Setsuna-kei] Incredibly tear-jerking! Classic heartbreaking J-pop songs

I miss youRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – Aitai

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.

crepuscular raysChevon

Crepuscular Rays / Chevon [Lyric Video]

Chevon is a rock band known for their literary lyrics.

This song of theirs is a hopeful ballad that gently brings light to the darkness of the heart.

It voices an earnest wish to notice someone’s pain and reach out a hand to them.

Paired with an emotionally unfolding sound, it’s the kind of piece that brings tears to your eyes.

Released in May 2023, this track became a key song leading into the following year’s album, Chevon.

If you’re suffering under a deep sense of stagnation, it’s sure to warm your heart.

Happy Endingback number

back number – Happy End (full)

This song was chosen as the theme for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.” It’s a work by back number, a three-piece rock band from Gunma, released in November 2016 as their 16th single.

The band sound, adorned with sweeping strings, is so beautiful it could move you to tears on its own.

The song portrays the painful bravado and lingering attachment of a woman who chooses to part ways even though she’s still in love.

She pretends to be fine while harboring feelings that wither without ever ripening—a portrayal that’s sure to tighten your chest.

If you have someone you can’t forget, this song may just sit with that helpless feeling and keep you company.

All of the Youthsuis from Yorushika

suis from Yorushika “All the Young People” Music Video

The melancholic air at summer’s end and the memories that resurface in a quiet moment—no one captures such aching scenes more beautifully than Yorushika’s vocalist, suis.

Her cover of a classic Fujifabric song has been used alongside moving videos on YouTube Shorts, touching many hearts.

The nostalgia for seasons gone by and time that won’t return, carried by suis’s translucent voice, seems to awaken memories tucked away deep inside.

This track is a reinterpretation of Fujifabric’s 2007 release, produced by music producer Seiji Kameda, and it also serves as the theme song for the Netflix film ‘My Last Year of Life, and the Story of Meeting You with Six Months Left.’ When you want to reminisce at summer’s end or after parting with someone dear, listening to it may gently comfort your heart.

Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi

Aoi Teshima “Letter to Tomorrow (Drama Version)”

It was chosen as the theme song for the drama “Love That Makes You Cry,” moving the hearts of many.

It is sung by Aoi Teshima, also known for “Teru’s Song.” Originally included on her 2014 album “Ren’dez-vous,” it was rearranged for the drama and released as a single in February 2016.

The song is structured like a letter addressed to one’s future self, depicting the resolve to keep moving forward amid anxiety and inner conflict.

Listening to this piece may gently encourage those who have left their hometowns to pursue their goals, or those who feel like stopping partway through their dreams.

Aoi Teshima’s tender, penetrating voice seems to warmly embrace even feelings of loneliness.

Pointillism Song (feat. Sonoko Inoue)Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Tenbyouno Uta

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE captivates listeners with their overwhelming expressive power.

This song, included on their single “Ao to Natsu” released in August 2018, was produced with singer-songwriter Sonoko Inoue.

As an insert track for the film “Aonatsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi,” it depicts the story of a man and a woman sensing an impending farewell at summer’s end.

The swelling emotions despite knowing time is limited, and the frustration of being unable to hold hands, are conveyed achingly through their two voices.

You can almost see memories piling up like scattered points before your eyes.

When you’re troubled by a love that can’t be, or on a sentimental night, listening to it will gently stay close to that helpless feeling.

Maplesupittsu

Spitz / Kaede

It’s one of Spitz’s signature ballads and an absolutely indispensable song when introducing bittersweet tracks.

The song was originally included on the March 1998 album “Fake Fur,” and was later released as a single.

It has been used as an insert song across eras, in dramas like “Over Time” and “silent,” so I think many people have heard it.

The lyrics convey a heartfelt resolve to keep moving forward while holding tight to memories of a beloved person one can no longer meet, and it really squeezes your heart.

Masamune Kusano’s soft, clear vocals and the band’s warm performance seem to gently permeate a sorrowful heart, while at the same time accentuating the loneliness embedded in the lyrics.