Tear-jerking love songs: classic and popular hits from Japanese music

Cry On Your SmileToshinobu Kubota

Toshinobu Kubota – CRY ON YOUR SMILE [Official Video Short ver.]

This is a renowned ballad that tenderly yet poignantly captures the feelings of seeing a loved one off as they set out toward their dreams.

Released in October 1987, it became a milestone as the artist’s first entry into the Oricon Top 10.

Built on an R&B foundation, its beautiful melody is paired with lyrics filled with such deep affection that you find yourself in tears even within the other person’s smile—listening makes your chest tighten.

The emotionally overflowing ad-libbed outro is breathtaking, conveying irrepressible feelings that bring tears to your eyes.

Chosen as the theme song for the Toho film “Kamitsukitai,” it’s also included on the best-of album “the BADDEST.” When you listen to it as you cheer on someone dear at the start of a new chapter, it feels like a gentle push on the back.

Song of the Eternal NightGod does not play dice.

God Does Not Play Dice “Yoru-Naga Uta” [Official Lyric Video]

A gem of a rock ballad by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai that became a hit after gaining buzz on social media.

Its melody, vocals, and lyrics each carry a sensational power that speaks straight to the heart.

The song was included on the mini-album “An Opinion on Lambda,” released in May 2019.

It expresses an overwhelming longing for someone precious you can never meet again, and many listeners find themselves moved to tears even without having gone through a breakup.

Vocalist and lyricist Shusaku Yanagita reportedly cried many times during production.

Listen to it on a night when you can’t forget someone, and your tear ducts will surely be stirred.

AiMotohiro Hata

Motohiro Hata / Ai from 'A Night With Strings'

Sung by Motohiro Hata in a delicate, tear-evoking voice, this song is a moving number that portrays how emotions one couldn’t believe in before begin to gently take root in the heart after meeting someone irreplaceable.

The beautiful guitar arpeggios and clear vocals deliver that heartrending love straight to the listener’s heart.

Released in January 2010 as his ninth single, it reached No.

5 on the Oricon weekly chart and was also used as the ending theme for a TV Miyazaki program.

It’s the perfect track for those moments when you want to once again feel the presence of someone precious to you—be it a partner, family member, or any loved one.

MissingToshinobu Kubota

Toshinobu Kubota – Missing [Official Video]

This is an immortal masterpiece included on the first album “SHAKE IT PARADISE,” released in September 1986.

Although it was never released as a single, it’s widely known as one of Toshinobu Kubota’s signature songs.

It portrays a poignant relationship between a man and a woman who are drawn to each other yet can never be together, rendered through a one-of-a-kind, soulful voice.

The more one wishes to forget, the stronger the feelings grow—the searing emotion tightens the listener’s chest.

On a night when your heart is troubled by an unrequited love, why not listen quietly on your own?

Last LoveMiliyah Kato

Miliyah Kato 'Last Love'

The work she created is a breakup song that perfectly fits the phrase “a heartbreakingly sad love ballad.” Through lyrics she wrote herself, it portrays with striking realism the aimless sense of loss and the lingering attachment that won’t fade after losing the one you love.

The grand, beautiful strings only seem to accentuate the loneliness at heart, and the clear, translucent vocals resonate as if asking a question—so achingly bittersweet.

Released in June 2010 as her 18th single, the track was later included on her acclaimed album HEAVEN, which became her first to top the charts.

When you’re carrying the pain of an unforgettable love, this song gently stays by your side in your helplessness.

Sayonara, baby.Miliyah Kato

Miliyah Kato 'Sayonara Baby'

This is a bittersweet love song about a heart swaying between true feelings and outward appearances.

She wants to believe his words, yet deep down she doubts them, and still can’t bring herself to end things… You can sense her wavering emotions in the chorus’s back-and-forth between the man and woman.

The track is a work by singer-songwriter Miliyah Kato, released in September 2008 as her 13th single.

Its arrangement is striking, unfolding from a wistful piano intro into a danceable four-on-the-floor sound.

The song is also included on the acclaimed album “Ring.” When you’re unsure of the other person’s feelings and don’t know what to do, listening to this might resonate with your complicated state of mind.

Love ForeverMiliyah Kato × Shota Shimizu

Miliyah Kato × Shota Shimizu “Love Forever”

The golden duo representing the J-POP scene, Miliyah Kato and Shota Shimizu, have an unmissable duet song.

While celebrating the joy of meeting, its lyrics occasionally hint at an inevitable end, making it achingly bittersweet and tightening your chest.

Told from both of their perspectives, it’s a track that powerfully conveys gratitude toward the person who saved them from lonely days.

Released in May 2009 as a single by Miliyah Kato and included on the classic album “Ring,” the song became hugely popular, with its music video winning an award at MTV VMAJ 2010.

The section in the latter half where their harmonies intertwine is a must-hear.

It’s a masterpiece perfect for nights when you want to bask in the beautiful memories and bittersweetness of love.