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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Ranking of Tear-Jerking J-Pop Songs [2026] (81–90)
as long as (I/you/they) live; if only (one) livesKasamura Tōta81rank/position
This is a Vocaloid ballad whose gentle piano tones and heartrending vocals pierce the heart—sure to bring you to tears.
Composed by Tota Kasamura, it was released in April 2023.
Also included on the album “How to Become a Wonderful Adult 2,” the song centers on the courage to overcome setbacks and hardships.
Its message that “there is value in being alive” warmly embraces every listener.
Give it a listen after a painful experience or when you feel like you’re losing yourself.
If you laugh at the skywacci82rank/position
A heartwarming anthem that tenderly portrays the bonds formed with friends in youth, it resonates deeply and offers courage to overcome hardship while standing beside young people who can’t always face straight ahead.
Released by wacci in July 2018, the song drew attention as the support anthem for the “Japan Tsunagaru Project” segment on Fuji TV’s “Mezamashi TV.” Included on the album Kanjo Hyakkei (“A Hundred Views of Emotion”), its driving melody gently pushes forward those standing at life’s crossroads.
It’s a song we especially recommend to anyone striving to move ahead—despite doubts and anxieties—while supporting one another with their friends.
OrangeTōma83rank/position
It’s a ballad that sings of days spent with a loved one, with a heartache that makes your chest tighten.
It’s a song by Towa, also known as the creator of “Envy Cat Walk” and “Kowloon Retro,” released in 2012.
The sorrowful tone of the guitar alone can make you go “ugh.” It’s a classic Vocaloid track that makes your imagination run wild about how the two people in the lyrics first met, how they spent their time together, and what sort of end they ultimately faced.
365 daysMr.Children84rank/position
This is a deeply moving Mr.
Children song that left a strong impression through NTT’s gentle commercial.
It’s included on the album “SENSE.” It’s also highly popular among fans, with very high view counts on their YouTube channel.
You are the light for me—just by being there, you light up my heart.
The song sings of a warm, heartfelt feeling toward that precious “you.”
Yoshiwara Lamentasa85rank/position
This is a Japanese-style Vocaloid song whose lyrics trace the sorrowful feelings of a woman.
It’s a signature track by Asa, a Vocaloid producer also known as the bassist of the rock group Wagakki Band, released in 2012.
The rock sound incorporates tones that evoke a traditional Japanese atmosphere in places—absolutely irresistible.
Another appeal is the highly narrative lyrics centered on the theme of an oiran.
The more you think about the protagonist, who couldn’t live freely, the tighter your chest feels.
Heart rate #0822Chōchō P86rank/position
When I’m with you, my heart rate goes up.
This song expresses that straightforward feeling.
The lyrics about wanting to be grateful for being alive and for your presence are also moving.
You could call it a quintessential pure love song in the Vocaloid genre.
Why not listen to it while recalling the flutter in your chest when you fell in love?
beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko87rank/position
It’s a song by aiko that portrays a delicate heart: identifying with an insect that protects itself with a hard shell yet is fragile inside, and acting tough precisely because it’s in love.
Like that insect that cannot survive the winter, the song foresees the end of love, yet its deep affection moves you as it tries to accept even the sadness as a cherished memory.
Released in November 1999, it was also used as the ending theme for TBS’s CDTV.
If you’ve ever found yourself putting on a brave front in front of someone you like, you’ll understand this all too well! As you listen, may you embrace that awkwardness as a part of yourself and find the courage to step forward into tomorrow.
Cherry Blossom Rainhalyosy88rank/position
It’s an emotional message song themed around graduation.
Released in 2008 by halyosy, it features a memorable, poetic expression that likens cherry blossom petals to rain.
Its gentle melody, filled with nostalgia and bittersweetness, and the warm tones of piano and strings resonate deeply.
In November 2008, it became the major debut single of absorb, the unit halyosy belongs to, and in 2016 it even inspired a live-action film, showcasing its broad reach.
Because it deals with universal themes like parting with loved ones and graduation, anyone can listen and overlay it with their own memories.
GarnetOku Hanako89rank/position
A signature song by Hanako Oku, chosen as the theme for the smash-hit animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Its poignant lyrics and piano tones are captivating, evoking memories of days gone by as if they were right before your eyes.
Oku’s clear, transparent vocals gently permeate the heart.
Though we can no longer meet, the song expresses gratitude for a encounter that made the self stronger, offering not only solace from heartbreak but also the strength to move forward.
Released in July 2006, the song won the Best Theme Song (Film) at the Heisei Anime Song Awards.
For those who want to overcome a painful farewell and step into the future with beautiful memories, this song will gently nudge you forward.
Dried flowersYuuri90rank/position
Yuri’s hit song “Dry Flower” likens a finished romance to dried flowers.
Sparked by buzz on social media and his appearance on THE FIRST TAKE, the track was released in 2020 and brought many to tears who were carrying the pain of heartbreak.
It seems calm and composed—thinking, “We’ve already broken up, there were plenty of things I didn’t like, so time will take care of the rest”—yet it reveals that a lot of love still lingers in the heart.
While putting on a brave face, the song can’t fully deny the cherished moments and the things once adored, and those raw feelings bring the tears flowing.
If there’s someone you can’t forget and you want to cry alone thinking of them, please give it a listen.