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.
- Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]
- Crying-Your-Eyes-Out Song Rankings [2026]
- Popular Moving Songs Ranking [2026]
- [Just the Lyrics Make Me Cry] Tear-Jerking Songs That Touch the Heart
- Ranking of Heart-Wrenching Songs by Male J-Pop Singers [2026]
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Ranking of Moving/Japanese Pop Songs [2026]
- Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
- Sad Song Rankings [2026]
- Recommended tear-jerking songs for women: classic and popular J‑pop tracks
- Ranking of Sad Songs by Japanese Pop Artists: Popular Tracks [2026]
- Heart-wrenching Japanese hit songs from the 2000s. Songs that make you cry.
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
Top 10 Tearjerker J-Pop Songs [2026] (21–30)
March 9Remioromen29rank/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.
sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua)SEKAI NO OWARI30rank/position
This is a song by SEKAI NO OWARI whose lyrics, written from the perspective of someone watching over a dream-chaser up close, pierce straight to the heart.
It’s not just a cheer song; it portrays a deep love that sheds tears of joy precisely because it understands the pain and loneliness that accompany the process of taking on a challenge.
Released in February 2018, it was also chosen as NHK’s broadcast theme for the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics.
It’s included on the album Lip as well.
Bearing the name of a flower that blooms powerfully despite the cold, this piece is sure to stand with everyone facing adversity.
It’s a moving song that gently warms the heart—one to hear when you’re striving desperately toward a goal, or when you’re quietly supporting someone else.
Ranking of Tearjerker Japanese Songs [2026] (31–40)
HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number31rank/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!
The happiest way to die in the worldkoka32rank/position
Even with its striking title, “The Happiest Way to Die in the World” is drawing attention.
It’s a ballad that sings about the idea that “if everyone hates you, perhaps it wouldn’t be sad even if you were to die.” Take a moment to reflect on that perspective yourself.
Another appeal is how the simple piano tone accentuates IA’s vocals.
With its very quiet melody, it’s also perfect as a companion for relaxation time.
I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci33rank/position
A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.
Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.
Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.
Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.
Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.
wrinklebuzzG34rank/position
It’s a pure love song that looks back on a life walked together with someone precious.
It’s a track by buzzG, released in 2012.
The original version is included on the album “AMPLOID,” and a rearranged version appears on “THE WALL.” The emotional guitar sound blends beautifully with GUMI’s clear vocals.
And the lyric world—“wrinkles as proof of happiness that increase precisely because you spend so long with the one you love”—is enough to bring tears to your eyes.
It’s a song that will resonate deeply when you’re facing a turning point in life.
HeavenMrs. GREEN APPLE35rank/position
Released in May 2025 as the theme song for the film “I Will Tell You the Truth,” this track makes a striking impression with its structure: it shifts from a quietly sacred opening to an unpredictable development.
The lyrics gaze equally at the light and shadow, the beauty and ugliness inherent in humanity, hinting at a new depth in Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s expression.
The unusual promotion—available only within the film—also became a major topic on social media.
Different from their usual brightness, the layered, heart-wrenching melody is sure to resonate deeply with you.