Ranking of Male J-Pop Singers’ Best-Lyric and Most Popular Songs [2026]
The appeal of music may lie in the world of its lyrics.
The lyrics an artist sings create a special world that belongs only to that artist.
That’s why we empathize with those lyrics, feel moved by them, and find encouragement in them.
Here, we introduce a ranking of songs with great lyrics and popular tracks by male Japanese artists.
We hope you’ll discover songs with wonderful lyrics that resonate in your heart!
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- Popular Love Songs & Romance Tracks Ranking [2026]
- [Just the Lyrics Make Me Cry] Tear-Jerking Songs That Touch the Heart
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Best Lyrics & Popular Songs by Japanese Male Artists [2026] (Ranks 21–30)
Joined handsMINAMI21rank/position
This is a slow ballad we hope you’ll listen to when you need the courage to move forward.
It’s the memorable first track marking MINAMI’s major-label debut in July 2023.
The theme—taking a new step while supporting and being supported by someone—delicately conveyed through a gentle voice, resonates deeply.
Interweaving everyday scenes like the after-school chime and a rainbow, its narrative style—believing in the hope beyond tears—leaves a strong impression.
It’s a work that gently stays by your side on days when something painful has happened.
Our TomorrowElefanto Kashimashi22rank/position
It’s a cheer song that instantly fills you with energy.
Released by Elephant Kashimashi in November 2007, the track was written and composed by Hiroji Miyamoto.
With lyrics infused with hope and a forward-looking spirit and a powerful melody, it gently nudges those stepping into a new environment.
Chosen as the commercial song for House Foods’ “Ukon no Chikara,” it has been loved by a wide audience.
It’s a perfect pick not only for those starting a new chapter in spring but for anyone standing at a crossroads in life.
Give it a listen—you’re sure to feel encouraged.
I know, okay.Kyūso Nekokami23rank/position
The down-to-earth words pierce straight into the heart.
It’s a song by Kyuso Nekokami, a rock band active mainly in the Kansai area, released as their third single in 2016.
It’s an energetic rock number, yet it carries a hint of melancholy.
Perhaps that comes from the negative emotions embedded in the lyrics.
Even so, the determination of “I’m going to do it anyway!” comes through at the same time, making it a message song that really hits home.
Why not stand up and join in, too?
Sakura (2019)Moriyama Naotaro24rank/position
This is the 2019 version of Naotaro Moriyama’s signature song “Sakura,” which is also well known as a graduation song.
Parting from the friends you’ve spent so much time with is truly lonely.
Believing you’ll meet again, you tuck the certain memories of your days together tightly into your heart and take your first steps forward.
It’s a masterpiece that portrays the changing of the seasons and the changes in people.
Even if we don’t know how many years it will be, it would be wonderful to laugh together again.
Be sure to listen to it while walking down a road lined with cherry blossoms like the one in the lyrics.
Precious LoveEXILE ATSUSHI25rank/position
A wedding ballad that straightforwardly expresses vows between loved ones, resonating deeply in the heart.
Written and composed by EXILE’s ATSUSHI and released in October 2014, it was featured in a commercial for the wedding magazine Zexy.
With a refined arrangement woven from a gently swaying rhythm, piano, and strings, the song delivers its words of promise with direct clarity.
It’s a perfect choice for those looking for end-roll BGM at wedding ceremonies or receptions.
Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI26rank/position
An inspiring graduation song that accompanies the cherry blossom season.
EXILE ATSUSHI’s warm vocals gently embrace both the sorrow of parting and the hope of a new beginning.
Included on the December 2014 album “Love Ballade,” this piece was also selected as a required song for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.
Carried by a tender melody woven by piano and strings, it reflects on school-day memories, farewells with friends, and expectations for the future.
A heartwarming track that we hope those stepping into new surroundings with the arrival of spring will listen to.
End and Beginningkariyushi 5827rank/position
There’s a song that resonates with the question of how to live each day.
Released by Kariyushi58 in February 2010 as the B-side to the single Ame nochi Hare, the track became widely known after being selected as the theme song for Nippon TV’s The Legal Counseling Show with a Long Queue.
It later drew renewed attention as the theme song for the TV Tokyo drama The Three Old Geezers 3: Allies of Justice, Once Again!!, and it continues to be loved more than a decade after its release.
Set to a warm sound that blends Okinawan scales with rock, its unadorned lyrics sing of the value of everyday life and of living without regrets—an approach that holds listeners firmly.
It’s a song we especially recommend to those stepping forward at graduation or to anyone wanting to express gratitude to cherished friends.
Before the cherry blossoms bloomkinoko teikoku28rank/position
This work, which marked Kinoko Teikoku’s major-label debut, is a song based on vocalist Chiaki Sato’s real experiences when she moved to Tokyo from Iwate in the spring of 2005.
The lyrics, imbued with an earnest longing for the future—like a bud just before it blooms—deeply resonate with listeners.
Released as a single in April 2015, it was later included on the album “Neko to Allergy.” It is also positioned as a story from ten years earlier that connects to their indie-era classic “Tokyo.” The song stands by those striving in a new city or separated from dear friends, offering the courage to move forward with the arrival of spring.
The Regent’s Downfallsadamasashi29rank/position
Masashi Sada’s classic song “Kanpaku Shikkaku” (“The Deposed Regent”) is the exact opposite of “Kanpaku Sengen.” It depicts the sad father who sits at the very bottom of the family caste.
It’s a very comical piece, and when he performs it, the audience is always laughing.
But it’s not just a funny song.
In the latter half, it sings of the father’s convictions as the family’s breadwinner and his love for his family, despite his low standing.
The lyrics are truly moving, so please listen all the way to the end.
Aoba Castle Love Songsatou muneyuki30rank/position
This song, Masayuki Sato’s major-label debut, was released as a single in May 1978 and became a smash hit, selling over one million copies and earning him the New Artist Award at that year’s Japan Record Awards.
It vividly conjures images of Sendai’s beautiful cityscape and the flow of the Hirose River, and can be called a masterpiece that resonates deeply with listeners.
The lyrics portray the aching feelings of someone thinking of a loved one, leaving a poignant afterglow reminiscent of the quiet that follows a lively summer festival.
It was once used as the departure melody at JR Sendai Station, so many people may have heard it before.
If you enjoy lyrical songs that evoke the timeless scenery of Japan, or if you want to bask in gently nostalgic summer memories, this is a piece you should definitely listen to.