Crying songs, tear-jerker tunes. A request of tears dedicated to you.
When you hear the phrase “tearjerker song,” what kind of track comes to mind?
A heartbreaking breakup song, a love song that sings of earnest devotion, a piece that tells a moving story, an anthem that cheers on life, a song about loss…
Even just listing them like this shows how many kinds of tearjerker songs there are, doesn’t it?
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of masterpieces that shake us listeners to the core—songs you can’t hear without tears.
We’ve picked out all kinds of genres and moods—above all, songs that will make you cry.
If you find one that resonates with your experiences and feelings, it’s sure to become a treasured song for you.
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Crying songs, tear-jerker tracks. A request of tears dedicated to you (31–40)
Just… I want to see youEXILE
Released as EXILE’s 19th single, this song features lyrics written by vocalist SHUN for what became his final track with the group.
Gaining attention for foregoing dance to focus solely on vocal performance, it conveys the aching feeling of a breakup—showing that men feel the same overwhelming longing and heartbreak.
1/6000000000Kyūshūdan
Back when I was a student, a friend recommended this song to me.
When I listened to it, the straightforward lyrics and easy-to-catch melody felt like they were giving me a strong push in the middle of my unrequited crush, and it really gave me courage.
Even now, when I listen to this song, it brings back memories of that time.
AloneMayo Okamoto
This is Mayo Okamoto’s third single, released in November 1996.
Said to be based on her own real-life experience, it’s a heartbreak song and an unrestrained cry of grief.
Following a run of upbeat, message-driven songs—“TOMORROW” and “FOREVER”—it marked a new direction for her.
It peaked at No.
10 on the Oricon charts and sold 478,000 copies.
All of the YouthFujifaburikku
It’s truly a hidden, tear-jerking song by Fujifabric.
Just as the title says, it sings about everything in youth.
The fleeting melody and gentle voice that bring back memories of student days and adolescence make me cry every time I listen.
In fact, I can almost say I end up crying without fail every time I hear it.
Violet-colored tearsIwasaki Hiromi
Hiromi Iwasaki’s 25th single, released in June 1981.
It’s a cover of a 1960s song by The Blue Comets, but it has become one of her signature tracks.
Perhaps it’s the power of her vocal prowess.
The lyrics are wonderful as well.
On the Oricon charts it peaked at No.
6, with sales of 317,000 copies.
Crying songs, tearjerker tracks. A tearful request dedicated to you (41–50).
Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki
It’s Hideaki Tokunaga’s debut single, released in 1986.
With his distinctive husky tone and sweet, slightly high voice, he sings about lingering feelings for a woman he parted with.
This gentle love ballad evokes the image of a man’s tears falling like a steady rain, making it a deeply heartrending song.
makeupSakurada Junko
Junko Sakurada’s 33rd single, released in January 1981.
It’s a heartbreak song written by Miyuki Nakajima and was originally included on Nakajima’s 1978 album “Aishite Iru to Itte Kure” (Say You Love Me).
As Sakurada’s popularity had waned by the late ’70s, the single peaked at only No.
44 on the Oricon charts and did not sell well; Nakajima’s original version has become the more widely known one.