A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
The word mibōjin originally referred to a woman who had lost her husband.
It’s a term that isn’t used much these days, but it was originally used to refer to oneself, and it has appeared in various contexts—such as drama and movie titles, as well as song lyrics.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs we hope will be heard by those who have lost a beloved partner: women who have lost their husbands, men who have lost their wives, or anyone who has lost someone dear to them.
We’ve gathered love songs that express feelings for a loved one who has departed for heaven, as well as songs that convey messages from those who have passed on.
Please listen while thinking of your special someone.
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- [Just the Lyrics Make Me Cry] Tear-Jerking Songs That Touch the Heart
- Sad Song Rankings [2026]
- [Remembering the Pain of Love…] Breakup Songs Recommended for People in Their 60s
- [Masterpiece] Tear-jerking Western songs. The tears won’t stop… truly sad songs [2026]
- Breakup songs recommended for people in their 80s: a collection of classic tracks that capture heartbreaking feelings
Songs I Want People Who Have Lost a Beloved Partner to Listen To (71–80)
Until your night breaks (into dawn)Kasamura Tōta
This is one of Tota Kasamura’s signature works, beginning with a question posed to a broken world and a mistaken world.
The sorrow of losing a loved one and the aching wish to meet them again resonate deeply.
The melody, woven to accompany the listener’s emotions, and the lyrics, imbued with profound love, are beautifully harmonized.
Released in January 2019 and included on the February 2021 album “How to Become a Wonderful Adult,” this piece—together with its counterpart, “Lily of the Endless Night”—is highly regarded as one of Kasamura’s representative Vocaloid songs.
It is a gem that offers comfort and healing to those facing the grief of losing someone dear, as well as to anyone who loves someone deeply.
Winter is nearchiaki naomi
This was when Chiaki Naomi was around 41 years old.
In 1978, she married Eiji Shishido, the younger brother of actor Jo Shishido, and was enjoying a fulfilling career as a singer.
Her husband, Go, told her, “You don’t have to force yourself to sing anymore,” and the two of them opened their own agency, choosing work that matched Chiaki’s wishes.
I’m sure she wouldn’t be able to sing this song now.
Hide-and-seekRADWIMPS
Through the childhood game everyone once played—hide-and-seek—this RADWIMPS song gently depicts parting from someone dear.
The quiet tones of piano and strings resonate as if to stay close to the hearts of those who have lost a loved one.
It carefully expresses the bewilderment and sense of loss toward someone who suddenly disappeared, the guilt of forgetting, and the struggle between that and the reality of having to move forward.
Written as the theme song for the NHK General drama special “Anata no Soba de Ashita ga Warau,” broadcast on March 6, 2021, marking ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was included on the album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs.” This piece will deeply resonate not only with those who lost loved ones in the disaster, but with anyone who has experienced parting from someone important in any form.
I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu
Partings from those dear to us, encounters with the ones we love, and emotions too deep for words.
This gem of a ballad, released by Off Course in February 1982, gently sings of such delicate moments in life.
Kazumasa Oda’s clear, pure voice and the beautiful melody seep deep into the heart.
The song is included on the album “over” and was released as a double A-side single with “Kimi ni Okuru Uta.” In 1999, it was chosen for a life insurance company’s commercial, once again moving the hearts of many.
It’s a song to play when your feelings for someone overflow or when you want to express gratitude to someone precious.
Departures ~memory~Hisaishi Joe
A gem-like instrumental piece that colored the film Departures (Okuribito).
The profound tones performed by thirteen of Japan’s leading cellists and the lyrical melodies strike straight to the heart.
Meticulously crafted by Joe Hisaishi, the music beautifully conveys, alongside the film’s themes, both the solemnity and warmth inherent in the profession of a nokanshi—those who prepare the deceased for their final journey.
Also included on the album “Songs of Hope: The Essential Joe Hisaishi Vol.
2,” this work was released as the film’s soundtrack in September 2008 and won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Music that year.
It was also used in the 2010 stage adaptation, where live performances captivated audiences.
This is a highly recommended piece for moments of parting with someone dear—when you wish to quietly send them off while cherishing the memories you shared.