[So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
A feeling like your chest is being tightly squeezed…
Heartbreak, parting from someone precious, the daily pains…
Here are some heartbreaking songs that will bring tears to your eyes when you listen.
We’ve gathered tracks for those who want to have a good cry or be comforted by songs that share the same feelings.
From timeless classics to the latest releases, we’re covering a wide range—so be sure to read to the end.
Even with sad songs, finding ones you can relate to helps you realize you’re not alone.
By the time you finish listening, your sadness and heartache might just turn a little more positive.
Let these wistful songs guide you, and allow yourself to honestly let out your weakness and pain as your emotions lead you.
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[Tear-Jerking] Heart-wrenchingly poignant and sad songs (91–100)
usmilet
It sings about love that feels frustrating—wanting to express your feelings but being unable to.
The song is by milet, a singer known for hits like “Wonderland,” and it was released in 2019.
It was used as the theme song for the drama “Gisō Furin” (Deception/False Affair), so many of you may have heard it.
milet’s clear, soaring vocals shine over a grand sound infused with EDM elements.
It’s a poignant, heart-piercing track—one to savor slowly for its lyrical world and the meanings of its words.
Cats and Allergieskinoko teikoku
This song is recommended for those who want to sing as if speaking softly.
Its theme is the regret of “If only I’d had a little more courage….” Not everyone can navigate life skillfully, right? This song feels like it would sit beside you forever, listening to whatever you have to say.
[Tearjerker] Heart-wrenchingly bittersweet and sad songs (101–110)
If I were to die tomorrowKitanitatsuya
This is a moving song that weaves together wistfulness and hope around the theme of one’s final day in life.
Tatsuya Kitani’s delicate vocals ask what and who you would think of if tomorrow were your last.
Included on the album “roundabout,” released in January 2024, it carries a message that resonates deeply with listeners.
For those of us who get caught up in daily life and tend to lose sight of what truly matters, it teaches the importance of cherishing the present moment.
It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone who has experienced heartbreak or parting and feels lost in life.
Through this work, you’ll be prompted to reflect anew on the meaning of living and on the values we should hold dear as human beings.
Goodbye-byeTomioka Ai
Ai Tomioka’s “Goodbye-bye” is a song that really touches the heart.
Released in September 2023, it features her smoky voice and edgy vocals, heightening the sense of wistfulness.
The lyrics, which depict emotions amid heartbreak and sorrow, evoke a sense of empathy and firmly grip the listener’s heart.
This lyrical pop tune is unhurried yet somehow warm, and you may feel a little more positive after listening.
It’s a song I highly recommend when you want to lean into your bittersweet feelings or soothe your heart.
A Bouquet for YouUtada Hikaru
For those who have lost someone dear, I recommend listening to Hikaru Utada’s “Hanataba o Kimi ni.” It’s her fifth digital single, released in 2016.
The song was used as the theme for the NHK morning drama Toto Nee-chan and reached No.
1 on Billboard’s download chart.
It’s a song she dedicated to her mother, Keiko Fuji, who passed away suddenly in 2013.
The lyrics—offering a bouquet in place of the feelings you can’t fully express to someone precious—are heartwarming, yet the backstory makes it profoundly bittersweet.
Ti AmoEXILE
It was released in 2008 as EXILE’s 28th single.
The song was featured in a commercial for Meiji Meltykiss, and it won the group their first Grand Prize at both the 50th Japan Record Awards and the 41st Japan Cable Awards.
The lyrics, which depict a woman who falls in love with a married man and the sorrow of their affair, are truly heartbreaking.
I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu
A gemlike ballad that gives voice to the ineffable emotions faced at love’s end.
Included on Off Course’s album “over,” released in December 1981, and later issued as their 23rd single in February 1982, this song gently portrays the subtle shifts of feeling that emerge through parting from someone dear.
The “la la la” that threads through the chorus is a striking phrase that reminds us how, at times, it can express the heart more eloquently than words.
Used in a Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance commercial, it has surely lingered in many listeners’ memories.
It’s a song that stands beside you through life’s many moments, embracing the complex emotions we feel—cherishing someone important, tenderness, and a sense of loss.