Ranking of Tear-Jerking Japanese Songs [2026]
We’re introducing the latest top 100 ranking of tear-jerking Japanese songs, all at once, ordered by most views!
When you feel like crying, it’s okay to cry.
It helps you relieve stress and switch gears.
This collection is meant to let you release those pent-up feelings.
The playlist is updated weekly.
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Top 10 Tearjerker J-Pop Songs [2026] (21–30)
LemonYonezu Kenshi21rank/position
This song portrays feelings for a loved one who has been lost, likening them to the bitterness of a lemon.
Its lyrics, where the pain of never meeting again intersects with the warm memories that still remain in the heart, strike listeners deeply.
Kenshi Yonezu created it based on his own experience of losing his grandfather, and that earnest emotion permeates the entire piece.
Released in March 2018 as the theme song for the drama “Unnatural,” it spent a total of seven weeks at No.
1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
At the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, he performed it via live broadcast from his hometown in Tokushima Prefecture, moving many viewers to tears.
It is a quiet companion for those who have lost someone precious or who wish to face the farewells that inevitably come someday.
Colorless Self-Harmnekobōro22rank/position
Nekobolo is a Vocaloid producer who has been active on Niconico since 2009.
He released this song, Self-Harm Colorless, sung by Hatsune Miku, in 2013, and it reached one million views in 2017! Its quiet, melancholic melody and lyrics pierce the listener’s heart.
It’s a ballad that gently stays by your side in times when you’re overwhelmed and want to cry, or when you’re so down you can’t bounce back.
horizonback number23rank/position
This piece, released in August 2020 by a three-piece band from Gunma Prefecture, is well known for the story behind its creation: it was made for high school students who lost their stage when the 2020 Inter-High was canceled.
It gently stays close to the frustration of efforts that don’t pay off and the unreasonable sorrow that follows, delivering a message that knowing pain makes us kinder to others—one that deeply moves listeners.
While holding the sense of loss from shattered dreams and goals, it carries a warmth that suggests those very experiences will become the nourishment that shapes your future self.
Even as graduates face a reality that doesn’t go as planned, this song will softly support them as they take their first steps down a new path.
For a cherished new beginning, why not offer the deep love woven by back number?
One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi24rank/position
If you’re feeling the loneliness of a broken heart, you should definitely give this song a listen.
It’s one of singer-songwriter Masayoshi Yamazaki’s signature tracks, released as a single in 1997.
It became a hit after being chosen as the theme song for the film “The Moon and the Cabbage,” and years later it was also used as the theme for the animated film “5 Centimeters per Second.” The sound of the acoustic guitar and Yamazaki’s vocals gently sink in.
And that feeling of searching for someone dear to you, even while knowing they’re not there… the poignant imagery really pierces the heart.
YELLikimonogakari25rank/position
An emotionally moving number by Ikimono-gakari, cherished as a staple graduation song.
Its lyrics don’t treat parting as something merely sad, but as a new beginning toward each person’s dreams—words that are sure to bring tears to your eyes.
Even while burdened by anxiety and inner conflict about the future—like having wings but being unable to fly—the image of confronting one’s own weakness and moving forward into tomorrow stirs everyone’s heart.
Released in September 2009 as a double A-side single alongside the bright, poppy “Joyful,” the song was also selected as a required piece for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.
Though gentle in tone, this powerful track resonates deeply, encouraging those taking a new step forward with the bonds of their friends in their hearts.
Dawn and Firefliesn-buna26rank/position
“Yoake to Hotaru” is a song by the Vocaloid producer n-buna, released in 2014.
It was included on the 2015 album “Hana to Mizuame, Saishuu Densha” (Flowers and Sugar Water, Last Train).
It’s a deeply nostalgic number that makes effective use of rests and muted guitar techniques.
In the song’s climax, the sound surges like a wave.
It’s a piece that offers comfort to those who have experienced heartbreak or parting.
from Y to YJimii Samu P27rank/position
It’s a medium-tempo ballad that gently wraps a heartrending farewell.
Composed by JimmySamP, who also created “Calc.” and “No Logic,” it was released in 2009.
Featured in the rhythm games “Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd” and “Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage! feat.
Hatsune Miku,” it’s a classic that has captivated Vocaloid fans for many years.
The delicate piano-centered arrangement paired with a sentimental melody is truly wonderful.
This song stays close to the hearts of those burdened by the pain of heartbreak and loneliness, giving them the courage to look forward.
Give it a listen when you feel like having a good cry.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism28rank/position
An unbridgeable distance and the reality that you can’t make the other person happy yourself.
This song, a signature track by Official HIGE DANDism, vividly portrays that heartrending struggle.
Written as the theme song for the 2019 film “The Confidence Man JP,” it pairs a pop melody with lyrics that cut deep into the heart.
Satoshi Fujwara’s emotional vocals painfully convey a sense of powerlessness against fate, along with a pure love that persists nonetheless.
Swallowing the words “I love you,” he simply engraves the other’s beauty in his heart and walks away…
That mature exit brings tears to your eyes.
If your chest aches from an unrequited love, immerse yourself in this world.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number29rank/position
Back number is a rock band that has released many classic songs about bittersweet love.
Their song “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” tells the story of a man with unrequited feelings who spends his birthday alone.
Rather than a song to give to someone, it’s a birthday song you want to listen to quietly by yourself.
Like in this song, there are probably many men with unrequited love who think, “If only she were right beside me…” as their birthday approaches.
It’s a bittersweet song, but listening to it might just give you the push to confess on your birthday… and that could be a good idea!
March 9Remioromen30rank/position
This renowned ballad is filled with the joy of envisioning the future with a loved one amid the changing seasons and a warm wish to be each other’s emotional support.
Released by Remioromen in March 2004, the song remains enduringly popular, including at karaoke.
It has a lovely backstory: it was originally created for a friend of the band members who was getting married in March 2002.
Included on the album “ether,” it was later re-released and featured as an insert song in TV dramas and in commercials, leading it to be cherished by many.
It’s a moving song that we especially recommend for moments when you want to feel the small realizations of everyday life and the bonds between people, or when you want to reaffirm your gratitude to someone important.