Popular and recommended poignant Japanese songs on YouTube Shorts: a collection of timeless tracks that touch the heart

lulu.NEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE「lulu.」Official Music Video

Released in January 2026 as if heralding the dawn of Phase 3, this work was chosen as the opening theme for Season 2 of the TV anime “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.” Its grand sound, which conveys the sense of loss felt along the journey and the relentless flow of time that continues nonetheless, gently stands by the listener’s heart.

It blends Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s signature catchiness with a heart-wrenching poignancy, the kind that loosens your tear ducts even when you just catch a snippet in a short video.

The rollout—linking a live broadcast right before release to the MV premiere—also became a hot topic, leaving a strong impression of a new step for the band.

It’s a song that softly nudges you forward on lonely nights when sadness wells up out of nowhere, or when you need the courage to face ahead.

Cinderella BoyNEW!Saucy 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?

Shadows of SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Summer Shadow” Official Music Video

This work feels like it bottles up that indescribable loneliness carried in by the end of summer.

In scenes where a gentle breeze and lengthening shadows signal the changing season, it portrays a pale first love hidden behind the excuse of blaming a racing heartbeat on “summer.” It carries a message that seems to scoop up the bittersweet feelings that accompany the irreversible passage of time as we slowly grow up.

The song was released by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE in August 2025, marking their first summer anthem in about seven years since “Ao to Natsu.” It also served as the theme for Kirin’s Gogo no Kocha commercial featuring Ren Meguro of Snow Man, whose nostalgic worldview moved listeners.

It’s the perfect track for recalling a past romance on a summer evening.

tear(s)Marushii

Marcy – Tears (Official Music Video)

A love ballad that portrays the ache of heartbreak in stark contrast to the dazzling summer sun.

It’s a work released in August 2025 by the rock band Marcy, known for down-to-earth lyrics that resonate.

Memories of love told in the past tense and words detailing feelings that will never reach their destination shake the listener’s heart.

Skillful metaphors—like the pain of memories lingering as sensations in the body and a future that was never opened—reflect the protagonist’s earnest emotions and are sure to bring tears.

The song is slated to be included on their third original album, set for release in November 2025, which will also feature Aozora, the theme song for the film “Youth Gestalt Collapse.” It’s a track you’ll want to listen to quietly on nights when you want to immerse yourself in unforgettable memories of love.

catNEW!DISH//

DISH// (Takumi Kitamura) – Neko / THE FIRST TAKE

This is a signature ballad by DISH//, also known for having lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Aimyon.

It portrays the lingering feelings for a free-spirited ex, like a cat, and the poignant desire to reunite despite a sense of loss.

The unique perspective of “what if ‘you’ appeared as a cat…” really tightens listeners’ chests.

Originally released in 2017 as the B-side to the single “Bokutachi ga Yarimashita,” it drew major attention in 2020 after a performance on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE and was also featured as an insert song in a drama of the same name.

Kitamura Takumi’s expressively rich vocals are sure to bring tears, so give it a careful listen on nights when you’re nursing the pain of heartbreak.

waxing; filling up; becoming full; growing (e.g., the moon growing fuller)Fuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Michi Teyu Ku (Overflowing) / Official Video

This is a number by Fujii Kaze that was chosen as the theme song for the film “My Girlfriend Is an April” starring Takeru Satoh and Masami Nagasawa.

Released in March 2024, it’s his first love song.

The gentle piano melody and tender vocals delicately portray the helpless ache of love and parting.

The profound message—that by letting something go, your heart becomes lighter and eventually fulfilled—takes you by surprise.

If you listen to it when you’re reeling from a breakup with someone dear, it may quietly stay by your side in your pain.

It’s a moving song that lets you feel the warmth that lies beneath the sadness.

SubtitleOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Subtitle [Official Video]

It’s a classic written as the theme song for the drama “silent,” starring Haruna Kawaguchi and Ren Meguro.

The nationally beloved piano pop band Official HIGE DANDism released it in October 2022.

The song expresses the fragility and frustration of words that, like snowflakes, can’t hold their shape and melt away.

The protagonist’s desperate cry—feelings that can’t be conveyed by words alone—rises on a dramatic melody and really hits home.

Alongside the drama’s huge success, it went viral on social media and reached No.

1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

It’s a beautiful ballad that gently stays by your side when you can’t tell the person you love how you feel.

Happy Endingback number

back number – Happy End (full)

This song was chosen as the theme for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.” It’s a work by back number, a three-piece rock band from Gunma, released in November 2016 as their 16th single.

The band sound, adorned with sweeping strings, is so beautiful it could move you to tears on its own.

The song portrays the painful bravado and lingering attachment of a woman who chooses to part ways even though she’s still in love.

She pretends to be fine while harboring feelings that wither without ever ripening—a portrayal that’s sure to tighten your chest.

If you have someone you can’t forget, this song may just sit with that helpless feeling and keep you company.

Snow BlossomNakajima Mika

Mika Nakashima 'Yuki no Hana' Music Video

One winter classic that must not be forgotten is Mika Nakashima’s renowned ballad.

It also drew attention as the theme song for Meiji Seika’s “boda” and “galbo” commercials.

Released as a single in October 2003, the song is marked by a poignant, beautiful piano-centered melody.

Carried by her gentle vocals, it expresses a pure wish for the happiness of moments spent with a loved one—huddling together in the winter cold as love and bonds deepen—to continue into the future.

In 2019, a film inspired by this song was also released.

Listening to it with your partner might help you both rediscover how important you are to each other.