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

spin; weave; compose (e.g., a story)tota

Tsumugu / Tota

Singer-songwriter Tota, known for a sound that incorporates indie rock and synth-pop, has been drawing attention.

Released in February 2023 and included on the debut album “oidaki,” this digital single features a voice that leaves a deep impression as it speaks to the heart.

When a short version was posted on social media in June 2021, it spread rapidly, and the performance on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE also became a major topic.

This work is a love song that depicts parting with someone dear, and a prayer for the future that continues despite it.

The lyrics, which evoke scenes of sending one’s feelings on the sky’s tears and the wind’s song, may leave you with a bittersweet ache just by listening.

It’s sure to gently stay by the side of a heart sunk in the sorrow of farewell.

rendezvousshaitoopu

rendezvous

The rock band Shytone, which rose to prominence after a viral hit on social media, released a signature track in April 2023 that sings of a man’s searing emotions after a breakup.

Unable to accept parting from someone he loved deeply, he longs for an impossible reunion; the loneliness of his lover’s traces fading from everyday life is expressed through vocalist So Sasaki’s superb word choices—so moving you might be brought to tears.

The song is also known for surpassing 100 million total streams in November 2023 and is included on the album “Hors d’œuvre.” Why not entrust your heart to its somehow comforting melody that stirs up those bittersweet feelings?

Please forget it.Yorushika

Yorushika – Please Forget (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

A song by Yorushika whose gentle melody and soul-soothing vocals evoke a sense of nostalgia.

The theme centers on self-sacrificial love, as the narrator wishes for their beloved to “forget” them for the sake of the beloved’s future.

Yet behind those words seems to lie a desperate, contradictory feeling of “I actually don’t want you to forget,” and that tension tightens the listener’s chest.

Released in July 2024 as the theme song for the drama “GO HOME: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department—Unidentified Persons Consultation Office,” this sentimental number quietly stays by your side on nights when you’re nursing heartbreak or immersing yourself in memories of someone dear.

hundreds of millions of light-yearsOmoinotake

Omoinotake | Hundreds of Millions of Light-Years [Official Music Video]

This song was written as the theme for the drama “Eye Love You” starring Fumi Nikaido, and it’s performed by the piano rock band Omoinotake.

Its theme is steadfast love that never fades, no matter how far apart you are—even transcending time.

While the bright, exhilarating sound makes your heart dance, the lyrics portray a poignant longing for someone you may never meet again, and that contrast really hits home.

After its release in February 2024, the song captured so many hearts that it surpassed 100 million streams at the sixth-fastest pace in history.

When you can’t easily see someone important to you, this song is sure to gently stay by your side.

Love WindIkuta Rira

Lila Ikuta “Koikaze” Official Music Video

This song was chosen as the theme for the ABEMA romance reality show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita.

New Zealand Edition.” It’s a work by Lila Ikuta, who is also active as the vocalist of the music duo YOASOBI, and it was released in April 2025.

The piece is a love song that portrays a delicate emotional landscape: though timid about love, the narrator is touched by the other person’s earnest feelings and tries to take a step forward.

The fresh sound, like a herald of spring, layered with Lila Ikuta’s clear, transparent vocals, tightens your chest as you listen.

This marks the third time she has provided the theme song for the series.

It’s a masterpiece filled with warmth that gently gives you a push when you’re troubled by love or can’t quite take that next step.

All of the Youthsuis from Yorushika

suis from Yorushika “All the Young People” Music Video

The melancholic air at summer’s end and the memories that resurface in a quiet moment—no one captures such aching scenes more beautifully than Yorushika’s vocalist, suis.

Her cover of a classic Fujifabric song has been used alongside moving videos on YouTube Shorts, touching many hearts.

The nostalgia for seasons gone by and time that won’t return, carried by suis’s translucent voice, seems to awaken memories tucked away deep inside.

This track is a reinterpretation of Fujifabric’s 2007 release, produced by music producer Seiji Kameda, and it also serves as the theme song for the Netflix film ‘My Last Year of Life, and the Story of Meeting You with Six Months Left.’ When you want to reminisce at summer’s end or after parting with someone dear, listening to it may gently comfort your heart.

Blue amberback number

back number – Blue Amber [Theme song for the Kansai TV/Fuji TV Monday 10 p.m. drama 'From the Day I Took You']

A ballad that epitomizes back number, fully portraying deep sorrow and complex emotions.

Released in April 2025, this song served as the theme for the drama “From the Day You Were Taken,” aligning closely with its weighty narrative.

Like rare amber that changes color depending on the angle, the piece explores the multifaceted nature of the human heart.

Even when acting with firm resolve, another self is screaming inside—its wavering comes through with piercing clarity.

The grief of being torn apart by inescapable fate and the indelible memories of love are carried by a beautiful melody, drawing you in until you can’t help but empathize.

It’s a track you’ll want to hear on sleepless nights when you’re burdened with feelings you can’t tell anyone.