Ranking of Heart-Wrenching Songs by Male J-Pop Singers [2026]

MissingKubota Toshinobu21rank/position

Toshinobu Kubota – Missing [Official Video]

This is a gem of a ballad by Toshinobu Kubota, known for his uniquely groovy style, perfect for an autumn night.

It poignantly conveys, with a soulful voice, the helpless love between a man and a woman who care deeply for each other yet can never be together.

The struggle of wanting to forget but being unable to, and the regret of wishing they had met earlier, really hits home.

The song was included on his debut album, “SHAKE IT PARADISE,” released in September 1986, and was used as an ending theme for shows like World Pro Wrestling.

Though it wasn’t released as a single, it remains one of his most beloved signature songs.

It feels like a gentle companion to the quiet loneliness that follows the bustle of summer.

Night of Osmanthuskinoko teikoku22rank/position

Kinoko Teikoku — Night of the Osmanthus

On an autumn night when the season’s presence deepens, have you ever found yourself stirred by a faint sweet scent that awakens old memories? Many people may have experienced a gentle recollection surfacing when they catch the fragrance of fragrant olive on a street corner.

This song by Kinoko Teikoku is a track from their album “Time Lapse,” released in September 2018.

The transparent vocals woven by Chiaki Sato and the nostalgic, emotional melody sink deeply into the heart.

On a quiet night spent alone, why not immerse yourself completely as you reminisce about a past love?

You have no idea how much I like you.Gō Hiromi23rank/position

[Official] Hiromi Go “You Don’t Know How Much I Love You” LIVE -In Celebration of Streaming Release-

This work is a single released in 1993.

Sung by Hiromi Go, who never seems to lose his youthful charm with his sweet looks and voice, it’s a grand, mature ballad.

The song has an AOR flavor, and the arrangement gives it a Western pop feel.

The lyrics, which deeply move the listener, are also captivating.

cherrysupittsu24rank/position

Spitz / Cherry

When it comes to Spitz’s signature songs about parting and setting out on a new journey, this classic surely comes to mind.

Released in April 1996, it became a massive hit single, selling over 1.613 million copies.

With memories of a loved one held close, it portrays the moment of taking a step toward a hope-filled future, and its fresh yet slightly bittersweet melody feels like a pleasant spring breeze.

Many listeners were likely moved by the straightforward lyric about feeling stronger just from the sound of words of love.

The song is also included on the acclaimed album Indigo Chiheisen, and in recent years it was featured in an NTT East commercial.

It’s a popular pick for picnics and is sure to make the start of a new season all the more wonderful.

TRUE LOVEFujii Fumiya25rank/position

TRUE LOVE / Fumiya Fujii

These days there are young people who don’t know the former Checkers, but TRUE LOVE is sung at karaoke and is a song everyone knows, and it was also the single released after their breakup.

I used to think this was a heartbreak song, so it feels strange that it’s somehow played at weddings.

Shadows of Youthchūrippu26rank/position

Shadows of Youth

A song included on Tulip’s 1974 album TAKE OFF (Ririku, “Takeoff”).

It sings about a relationship between a man and a woman shifting from romance to love.

It may not depict the so-called typical “youth” of one’s junior and senior high school days.

However, this song teaches us that the very days spent protecting someone important to you are what truly constitute ‘youth.’

I loved you.Naoto Intiraymi27rank/position

Naoto Inti Raymi “Aishiteta” Music Video

A single marked by a wistful melody that lingers in the heart and a voice full of tenderness.

Though they love each other, the two are forced to part, and their questioning of fate leaves a deep afterglow.

Each word Naoto Inti Raymi weaves carries profound love and the sorrow of farewell.

Released in March 2012 and used as the ending theme for TV Asahi’s “Onegai! Ranking,” the song reached No.

8 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and was also included on the album “Fūka Caravan.” It’s a track that resonates with those who relate to a bittersweet love story where, despite pledging eternal love, parting becomes the only choice.

Only goodbyes make up life.Ito Kashitaro28rank/position

[Hatsune Miku] Only Goodbyes Are What Life Is [Ito Kashitaro]

This song with a sorrowful title sings of a truth of the world: “Life is nothing but farewells.” Even if the title is taken at face value, there are countless stories leading up to goodbye.

How do we face loneliness, a human weakness? It’s a song that makes us contemplate this timeless theme of life.

Goodbye once moreOzaki Kiyohiko29rank/position

Sayonarawo Mouichido

A gem of a medium-tempo ballad that portrays parting lovers from a forward-looking perspective.

It’s a masterpiece that resonates with the bittersweet sorrow and resolve of two people who must choose separation in order to walk their own important paths.

Kiyohiko Ozaki’s emotionally rich vocals beautifully express both the loneliness of farewell and the hope of meeting again.

Released in July 1971, the song reached No.

2 on the Oricon Singles Chart and was also included on the album “Kiyohiko Ozaki Second Album.” In the 1999 film “Nodojiman,” Naoto Takenaka performs the song on screen, revealing a new facet of its appeal.

This is a track we highly recommend to anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear and wants to keep those memories as nourishment while moving forward.

I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu30rank/position

Kotoba Ni Dekinai

A gemlike ballad that gives voice to the ineffable emotions faced at love’s end.

Included on Off Course’s album “over,” released in December 1981, and later issued as their 23rd single in February 1982, this song gently portrays the subtle shifts of feeling that emerge through parting from someone dear.

The “la la la” that threads through the chorus is a striking phrase that reminds us how, at times, it can express the heart more eloquently than words.

Used in a Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance commercial, it has surely lingered in many listeners’ memories.

It’s a song that stands beside you through life’s many moments, embracing the complex emotions we feel—cherishing someone important, tenderness, and a sense of loss.