For When You Need a Good Cry: Soul-Soothing Tearjerker Classics — Life, Love, and Work

Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa

ReoNa “Just Being Alive Is Wonderful” - Lyric Video -

For those shedding tears over days that just won’t go right, this song might be there to comfort you.

It’s a track by ReoNa, a singer known as a “despair-style anisong singer,” included on her fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in 2021.

The lyrics and composition were created by the popular Vocaloid producer Toa Kasamura.

The lyrics, which spill out feelings straight from the heart, are so raw they make your chest tighten just by reading them.

The sorrowful piano and ReoNa’s on-the-verge-of-tears vocals really hit you right in the tear ducts.

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Araki Jakkan

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horsetailnishina

Nishina – Tsukushi [Official Video]

A song written as the theme for NHK’s Saturday drama “The Beast Path Where Lilacs Bloom.” It’s a heartwarming piece that gently portrays the fragility and beauty of life, as well as the strength of people who face adversity.

Released in February 2025, the work was created after Nishina visited the land and school that inspired the original story.

With delicate nuance, it captures the way life carries itself with quiet dignity even amid loneliness, and the growth that follows trials—like flowers that take on color as they learn of parting.

Born from experiences of encountering the rhythms of nature and the ways people live, and of contemplating the meaning of life, this work will stay close to your heart and give you the courage to look forward when confronted with difficulties or standing at a crossroads.

Only on nights when I want to dieAina ji Endo

Aina the End – Only on Nights When I Want to Die [Official Music Video]

This is a heartwarming song that delicately portrays how the smile of someone precious comes to mind in moments when your heart feels like it might break amid an unremarkably passing everyday life.

Aina the End wrote and composed the song, with production by Shingo Sekiguchi of Ovall.

Her quietly companionable husky voice blends exquisitely with the warm acoustic sound.

Written in February 2020 as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS drama “Shinitai Yoru ni Kagitte” (“Only on the Nights I Want to Die”), Aina the End—who was a fan of the original work—carefully captured the story’s worldview.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you feel lonely, hopeless, or on the verge of breaking.

The presence of someone dear, and the warmth of shared memories, will surely become a source of support for your heart.

fireflySazan Ōrusutāzu

Southern All Stars – Firefly [Live at Miyagi Stadium, 2013]

Since their debut, Southern All Stars, a five-member rock band that epitomizes summer in the J-pop scene, have continued to captivate fans.

“Hotaru,” included on their 54th single “Peace and Highlight,” was chosen as the theme song for the film The Eternal Zero.

Its lyrics, evoking farewells with loved ones and prayers for peace, are sure to resonate with many listeners on a personal level.

With a gentle yet heartrending message and melody that stirs the soul, it’s a ballad that feels sentimental while still conveying a sense of positivity.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Twilight NostalgiaNaoto Intiraymi

Naoto Inti Raymi “Evening Nostalgia” Lyric Video

The phrase “unpretentious cool” feels like it was made for Naoto Inti Raymi, doesn’t it? His songs are always packed with positive messages like courage, gratitude, and kindness, and this track, “Yūgure Nostalgia,” seems to hold all of them at once.

With lyrics that gently say things like, “Life can be complicated, but when the sun sets, maybe it’s okay to forget it all for a moment,” it will surely soothe the weariness of your day.

The tender, word-wise opening hook might just make you cry if you hear it unexpectedly.

What do you want to become?Rozarīna

Rosalina 'What Do You Want To Be,' Official Lyric Video

Facing the true feelings that we’re prone to forget as we repeat our days, “Nani ni Naritakute,” was released in 2020 by singer-songwriter Rozarina, known for her work on numerous anime songs.

It portrays the raw emotions of having dreams and goals and working hard, yet losing sight of what you truly want to do.

The rhythmic vocals carried by the warm tones of an acoustic guitar are sure to soothe a tired heart.

It’s a song filled with a gentle message that tells you it’s okay to let your tears fall sometimes.

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mutō

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aspiration; longing; ardent desireFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Wishful Longing (Inspire Movie for the film “If Only I Could Meet You Again at the Hill Where That Flower Blooms”) *NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen performance song

A poignant song by Masaharu Fukuyama that portrays a heartbreaking love during wartime.

Released in December 2023 as the theme song for the film “If Only I Could Meet You Again at the Hill Where That Flower Blooms.” It delicately captures the protagonist’s feelings as they savor the small joys of everyday life before parting from their beloved.

The resolve to embark on a “journey of no return” and the gentle wish for the loved one’s happiness leave a strong impression.

It weaves a fragile yet beautiful love story amid changing times.

A song that offers solace to those who have experienced parting with someone precious or who stand at a crossroads in life.