[2026] Tear-jerking songs trending on YouTube Shorts. Recommended J-pop

Spring ThiefYorushika

Yorushika – Spring Thief (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

When you’re scrolling through YouTube Shorts, there are moments when a suddenly surfacing, heartrending voice captivates your heart.

This piece by Yorushika—a band composed of composer n-buna and vocalist suis—is exactly the kind of song that brings tears in such moments.

Comparing the wind that scatters cherry blossoms to a thief, the story overlays the transience of life and the passage of time onto a beautiful scene, piercing deeply into the listener’s heart.

It’s included on the EP “Sousaku,” released in January 2021, and is also well known as the theme song for a Taisei Corporation commercial.

In the spring season of partings and encounters, when you want to quietly sink into your emotions alone, this song will gently stay by your side.

Listen to it as if you were reading a story.

If you call it loveUru

If you call it love

A moving ballad that portrays a love that is restored and reborn after a bond once on the verge of being lost.

Released by Uru in June 2022, her mystical vocals captivate listeners.

Some may know it as the theme song for the drama “My Family,” starring Kazunari Ninomiya.

The song expresses the essence of love realized after overcoming regret and failure, and its grand sound woven by piano and strings is sure to bring tears.

Her clear, enveloping vocals, which wrap around the narrative lyrics, allow listeners to draw out many emotions.

It is a work that stays close to your heart when you want to reevaluate your relationship with someone precious with whom you share your life and look ahead.

CorrectRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Music Video]

A gem-like ballad by RADWIMPS that stands beside everyone at a crossroads in life.

There are no ready-made answers like on a school test; the path you choose for yourself is what’s truly precious—a warm yet powerful message that strikes straight to the heart.

Its moving arrangement, layered with a student chorus, is guaranteed to bring listeners to tears.

Originally performed with 1,000 young people at NHK’s “RADWIMPS 18 Festival” in 2018, it garnered a huge response.

The long-awaited studio recording was released in January 2024.

Perfect for graduation and seasons of departure, this work also resonates deeply with adults who carry doubts.

May it give you the courage to find the answer that belongs only to you.

Cinderella BoySaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Cinderella Boy” Music Video <5th Mini Album “Lazy Sunday” Released on 2021.8.25>

Even if your head understands it’s just a convenient relationship, you just can’t cut off your feelings… This song portrays that painfully intense love.

It’s by Saucy Dog, a three-piece band hugely popular with young people, and it’s included on their mini-album “Lazy Sunday,” released in August 2021.

The lyrics, written for the first time from a female perspective by vocalist Shinya Ishihara, felt so real that they resonated with many listeners, amassing hundreds of millions of streams.

Despite its catchy, easy-to-listen-to pop melody, it’s a rock number that presses on the chest with its sorrow and frustration of not being loved.

On nights when you’re torn between lingering attachment and letting go, why not listen to it quietly on your own?

LeoYuuri

Yuuri 'Leo' Official Music Video

It’s a tear-jerking song told from a dog’s perspective, portraying its bond with its owner and the course of its life.

The track is by singer-songwriter Yuuri, known for the smash hit “Dry Flower,” and is included on the acclaimed album “Ichi,” released in January 2022.

This song tells a bittersweet yet heartwarming story that makes you realize how the ordinary days with an owner were irreplaceable treasures.

The regret and gratitude one feels when the “ordinary” is no longer ordinary seep deeply into listeners’ hearts through Yuuri’s emotionally rich vocals.

The music video, directed by Mai Sakai, also drew attention, with its moving story resonating with many.

It’s a piece not only for pet owners but for anyone who wants to reaffirm the value of someone precious.

About meMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – About Me

It’s a sweeping rock ballad that sends cheers to those who keep pushing forward, even as they sometimes struggle and pause.

Released by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE in January 2019, the song touched many hearts as the support song for the 97th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.

It carries a warm message that affirms life as a whole: that both good days and bad become nourishment for who you are.

On nights when you feel down from comparing yourself to others or when loneliness creeps in, its gentle vocals will sit close to your heart.

The piece was later used again as a commercial song in an orchestral arrangement, drawing renewed attention.

Along with its grand sound, it’s sure to give you the courage to face tomorrow.

Love is litNEW!rokudenashi

Rokudenashi “The Flame of Love” / Rokudenashi – The Flame of Love [Official Music Video]

This work by the music project Rokudenashi is a single released digitally in February 2023.

It’s a ballad born from a collaboration between vocalist Ninjin and Vocaloid producer MIMI, characterized by a simple, piano-centered arrangement.

The song portrays a world in which the presence of someone brings warmth to a heart burdened by loneliness and anxiety, and Ninjin’s delicate vocals resonate deeply with listeners.

It became a major topic on social media platforms like TikTok and was performed at a special live show in December.

It’s a gentle track that quietly stays by your side when you feel tired or find life difficult in your day-to-day.