J-POP to Play on Piano | A Curated Selection of Beautiful, Soul-Cleansing Ballads
Ballad-style songs often weave warm messages and heartrending stories, and there are so many that really pierce the heart! Such bittersweet yet beautiful ballad songs pair perfectly with the delicate tones of the piano.
Performing them as piano solos without vocals brings out subtle changes in melody and harmony, letting you feel a different kind of beauty from the original.
In this article, we’ll introduce Japanese ballads that are perfect for piano performance.
We’ve picked a variety of songs—from tear-jerkingly poignant to beautifully cleansing—so please take your time and savor them.
- A masterpiece piano ballad
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- [J-POP] I want to listen to songs with impressive, beautiful piano tones! Recommended piano cover tracks
- [Piano × J-POP] Tearjerker! A Selection of Moving/Touching Songs
- Poignant and beautiful! A collection of recommended piano pieces
- A poignant ballad song. A tear-jerking masterpiece of Japanese pop music.
- [Songs I'd love women to sing!] Popular ballads performed by female artists
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- Beautiful Melodies: A Collection of Masterpieces and Moving Piano Songs
- A heartbreaking, tear-jerking ballad that gained popularity on TikTok
- [2026] Latest Masterful Ballads | A Curated Selection of Heartfelt Love Songs and Uplifting Anthems
- [Ballads] Hidden gems of Japanese music. Songs that really hit you.
- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
J-POP You’ll Want to Play on Piano: A Curated Selection of Beautiful, Soul-Cleansing Ballads (21–30)
dizzinessOnitsuka Chihiro
Singer-songwriter Chihiro Onitsuka made her name in the pop scene with the powerful impact of her second single, “Gekkou.” One of her signature songs, the fourth single “Dizziness,” released as a double A-side with “edge,” is also known for being featured in commercials for the aesthetic salon La Parler.
Woven by her emotional vocals, the lyrics tell a story of great love that draws listeners in.
It’s a delicate number whose striking piano intro and swelling emotion make your heart burn.
MiracleGReeeeN
When it comes to GReeeeN’s iconic songs that brightly celebrate the importance of friendship and camaraderie, “Kiseki” immediately comes to mind.
It’s also popular as the theme song for the TV drama “ROOKIES,” which centers on high school baseball.
Their high-tone vocals are especially moving in the soaring chorus, and the piano that plays a beautiful melody from the intro instantly captivates the ear.
With a slightly bittersweet melody that evokes graduation and farewells—perhaps influenced by the TV drama—it brings back nostalgic memories of our school days.
White LoversKuwata Keisuke
It’s a love song, but it’s a classic winter track, so I think a lot of people mainly start listening to it when the season turns cold.
In the music video, Keisuke Kuwata himself sings while playing the piano in a decayed, ruined city—it looks freezing and heartbreaking, yet somehow it perfectly suits the holy night.
Kuwata is great at grabbing listeners right from the intro in Southern All Stars songs, too.
This one is also a wonderful piano ballad—the introductory piano phrase sounds almost like a harpsichord in a church.
broad daylightKing Gnu
Here’s the King Gnu song that was released in 2019 as the theme song for the TV drama “Innocence: False Accusation Lawyer.” What’s especially lovely is that, unlike the typical eight-beat backing often heard in ballads that begin with piano, the accompaniment moves and pauses in step with the melody.
Daiki Tsuneta, who writes and composes for King Gnu, is a multi-instrumentalist who began his musical career in classical music, and that background may be influencing his songwriting.
Aino Katachi feat. HIDE (GReeeeN)MISIA
“Ai no Katachi feat.
HIDE (GReeeeN)” is a song released by MISIA in 2018.
Singing alongside MISIA is HIDE from the popular high-tone vocal group GReeeeN.
Since it was used as the theme song for the TV drama ‘Gibo to Musume no Blues’ (Stepmother and Daughter’s Blues), many people likely discovered it through the show.
MISIA’s voice, blending warmth and tenderness, pairs perfectly with HIDE’s beautiful high notes in the chorus.
The piano is clearly audible throughout, and the steady rhythm makes it a great recommendation for piano practice.
NAOHY
A highly popular piano ballad by HY.
It’s a song that expresses the feelings of a woman after a breakup, and many women probably love these lyrics.
HY creates an intensely heartrending mood in their ballads, capturing the pain of loving someone.
The vocalist’s singing ability is also outstanding.
ENDLESS RAINX JAPAN
This is one of X’s signature songs, included on their major-label debut album BLUE BLOOD released in 1989 and later issued as a single.
YOSHIKI, who has played classical piano since childhood, performs the piano on this track, and it’s truly moving to see fans join together to sing it at live shows.
The song sings of the unceasing rain within one’s heart, and the solo section was composed by the late HIDE.