Remioromen - Konayuki (I don't know if it's just that I saw 1 Litre of Tears that i like this so much but it's a really powerful ballad and his singing is so convincingly emocional, especially during the choruses. The verses are kind of undersung, but it works with the melancholy feel. I don't often go for ballads but this one rocks lol)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DayRtlDtfg
Others worth noting are
KAT-TUN: REAL FACE which I didn't like, then for a random 3 days or so I thought was genius, then it became just a good pop song.
NEWS: weeeek, code, Ai nante
Arashi: Sakura Sake (not the alcoholic beverage sorry haha)
abingdon boys school: INNOCENT SORROW, ATHENA
Charcoal Filter: TAIYOU
Ellegarden: Jitterbug, Supernova