Ranking of Moving/Japanese Pop Songs [2026]

If you laugh at the skywacci81rank/position

wacci “If You Laugh at the Sky” Music Video

Let me introduce a motivational song packed with a powerful message: when you feel like crying, look up at the sky and smile.

This track by the five-member band wacci was released digitally in July 2018 and was later included on their album “Gunjo Refrain,” released in November of the same year.

While hard work doesn’t always lead directly to results, the warm perspective that the days you’ve built up are never wasted gently encourages listeners.

Starting in August 2019, it was also selected as the support song for the “Japan Tsunagaru Project” segment on the TV program Mezamashi TV, moving many people alongside the images of those doing their best.

It’s a perfect recommendation for graduation season—an uplifting song that stands by students retiring from club activities and anyone setting out on a new path.

Close your eyesHirai Ken82rank/position

Hitomi wo Tojite – Ken Hirai (Full)

A gem of a ballad suffused with the lingering ache of deep, bittersweet love.

Ken Hirai’s delicate, soul-stirring vocals beautifully convey the profound longing and sense of loss for a departed lover.

Sung with the purest feeling of closing one’s eyes and picturing the one you love, this work was released as a single in April 2004.

Chosen as the theme song for the film “Crying Out Love in the Center of the World,” it topped the Oricon year-end chart.

Its heart-piercing vocals and beautiful melody line make it a refined track for adults—perfect for a night drive or a quiet moment alone.

Motherkariyushi 5883rank/position

Kariyushi58 “Anma”

A heartwarming song whose title means “mother” in the Okinawan dialect.

Released in July 2006 as Kariyushi 58’s debut single, it was initially available only in Okinawa and later issued nationwide.

At the time of their debut, the band was facing the possibility of being dropped by their label after not achieving the results they’d hoped for, but this work straightforwardly sings of gratitude and regret toward one’s mother.

In December 2006, it won the Newcomer Award at the 39th Japan Cable Music Awards—an exceptional feat for an indie artist.

Set to a comfortable melody that blends warm Okinawan music with reggae and rock, it poignantly portrays the parent–child relationship from childhood to adulthood.

It may well make you think of your mother back home and fill you with nostalgia.

About meMrs. GREEN APPLE84rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – About Me

This grand rock ballad by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE is an ode to life that, set to a marching rhythm, portrays both its beauty and its cruelty.

Even as it confronts the reality that hard work doesn’t always pay off, its powerful message grips the heart, as if affirming every step you’ve taken so far.

Released as a single in January 2019, it was written as the support song for the 97th All Japan High School Soccer Championship and also drew attention as a Calorie Mate commercial track.

With lyrics that gently encourage not only the winners but also those who fell short, it’s a warmhearted song that graduating students who’ve felt the sting of club activities or entrance exams won’t be able to listen to without tears.

Highly recommended as a masterpiece that helps you recognize yourself and gives you the courage to hold your head high and take a new step forward!

Midnight ExpresswayFurawā Kanpanīzu85rank/position

Shin'ya Kōsoku / Flower Companyz

When you find yourself thinking, “I have no idea what to do with my life from here…,” this song might hit home.

It’s a track by Flower Companyz, a rock band from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, released in 2004 as their 16th single.

With its high-energy sound, lyrics that capture a sense of aimless frustration, and a soul-stirring vocal performance, every element feels intensely emotional.

Ineffable feelings well up from deep within your chest.

For loneliness, a song like this—tinged with a certain shadow—just fits.

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