For men in their 80s, many are deeply familiar with Showa-era pop and enka.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of moving classics from the Showa period that are sure to resonate with men in their 80s.
From heartrending romances and mutual, pure love to family bonds and farewells with loved ones, we’ve chosen songs that each carry their own story.
We hope this will be helpful for those in their 80s reading this, or for anyone who wants to gift a wonderful song to someone dear in their 80s.
Be sure to read the lyrics of each song and feel the emotions woven into them.
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Tear-jerking songs for men in their 80s to listen to: a collection of moving masterpieces (1–10)
Oh, sake!Yoshi Ikuzo
Yoshi Ikuzo’s soul-stirring masterpiece “Sake yo.” Entrusting life’s joys and sorrows to sake, this song speaks to the heart and is sure to strike a chord with many.
While laying bare nostalgic memories and inner pain, it also conveys pride in the hardships overcome and hope for the future.
Since its 1988 release, it has been widely cherished as one of his signature songs and included on numerous albums.
When you find yourself at a crossroads in life, facing your own self with a drink in hand, this song will surely steady your heart.
A gem that resonates with the wealth of life experience accumulated by those in their eighties.
To say goodbyebiriibanban
It’s a classic song by Billy BanBan, beloved for its heartwarming melody and memorable lyrics.
While looking back on a lost love, it also expresses a resolve to move toward a new beginning.
Released in February 1972, it became their signature piece and marked their first appearance at the 23rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen that same year.
It has continued to be cherished across generations, even being included in high school music textbooks.
This is a song that comforts those who have experienced partings in life or are trying to let go of the past and look forward.
pledge; vow; promise; (contextually also) bond of love/sexual unionItsuki Hiroshi
“Chigiri” is a masterpiece imbued with Hiroshi Itsuki’s deep emotion.
Aku Yu’s lyrics, themed around bonds and vows in life, speak powerfully to the listener’s heart.
It’s also striking that Itsuki himself composed the music.
While honoring the tradition of enka, the song offers a fresh sense of moving emotion.
Released in March 2008, it’s an indispensable track in Itsuki’s career.
The melody especially resonates with generations at life’s turning points, offering comfort.
It’s a song I particularly recommend to adults who have experienced the full range of life’s joys and sorrows.
Northern SpringSen Masao
Masao Sen’s vocals in “Spring in the Northern Country” delicately paint the hometown scenery that resurfaces with the arrival of spring, as if in a watercolor, stirring the heart.
The melody, filled with nostalgia and longing, is enough to make your chest tighten.
Released in April 1977, the song became a massive hit, selling three million copies and earning the Japan Record Award’s Long Seller Prize.
It has been covered in Chinese and Thai and is widely loved across Asia.
It’s a quintessential spring classic to hear when living away from your hometown in the city, when you want to reminisce about where you come from, or when you wish to feel the warmth of family bonds.
MotherMori Shinichi
Shinichi Mori’s classic song Ofukuro-san.
A piece that sings of deep gratitude and love for one’s mother, its lyrics evoke the parent-child bond and family love, resonating in the heart.
The melancholic melody and warm vocals move every listener.
Since its release in 1972, it has won numerous music awards and has been performed continuously on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen—truly a masterpiece among masterpieces.
It has been used on television programs, radio, and in films, and continues to be loved across generations.
For those in their 80s, it is sure to be a precious opportunity to reflect on memories with their mothers.
Sake, Tears, Men, and WomenKawashima Eigo
Woven with words and melodies that touch the heart, “Sake, Tears, Men and Women” is a classic that portrays men and women struggling amid life’s sorrow and loneliness.
You can’t help but empathize with those who entrust their unspoken feelings to drink and tears.
Released in 1975, it gained nationwide recognition after being featured in a Kizakura commercial, and it was also used as an insert song in the TBS drama “Mr.
Kinpachi in Class 3B.” Whether you’re facing a turning point in life or wanting to remember someone dear, this song continues to be loved by many as a tune that stays close to such moments.
brandy glassIshihara Yūjirō
A classic love song whose lyrics overflow with Yoko Yamaguchi’s feelings of romance, beautifully colored by Mitsuru Kotani’s melody.
The lyrics, depicting a delicate woman’s heart and the course of love, gain even greater depth through Yujiro Ishihara’s powerful, richly expressive vocals.
Released in 1977, this piece can be considered indispensable in Ishihara’s singing career.
Intoxicated by love yet sensing the sorrow of an impending farewell—this is a work I especially recommend to adults who wish to savor such complex emotions.
ultramarineTanimura Shinji
Shinji Tanimura’s “Gunjō.” This song was released as a single in July 1981 and was also used as the theme song for the film Combined Fleet, which came out the same year.
It’s a piece that conveys the feelings of a parent who lost their child to war, and just imagining that emotion is enough to bring you to tears.
Carried by Tanimura’s uniquely lyrical vocals, it draws us into its story.
It’s a beautiful song that I especially recommend to older listeners who may feel a personal connection to the tale it tells.
Withered Pampas Grass of the Showa Erasakura to ichirō
Sakura and Ichiro’s rendition of the Showa-era classic “Showa Kare Susuki” leaves a strong impression with its melody and lyrics that convey the strength not to succumb to poverty or loneliness.
While carrying the burden of life’s hardships, the resolve of the two to overcome them together is deeply moving.
Since its release in 1974, it became a massive hit after being used as an insert song in the TBS drama “Jikan Desu yo Showa Gannen.” It went on to sell 1.5 million copies, becoming a million-seller.
It’s a song widely beloved by those who lived through the Showa period, especially men in their 80s.
It offers courage through its portrayal of life’s harshness and the strength to keep going without giving up.
Gardenia blossomWatanabe Tetsuya
Tetsuya Watari’s “Kuchinashi no Hana” is a masterpiece among masterpieces that sings of lost love and the memories it leaves behind.
It portrays a man who, upon seeing gardenia flowers, recalls a former lover and reminisces about their time together.
In Watari’s deep, resonant voice, the song conveys the fragile lingering feelings of a man who ended the relationship himself, striking a chord with listeners.
Released in 1973, it became a major hit, ranking seventh on the following year’s annual chart.
It also earned Watari his first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen and was chosen as the theme song for a Toei film in which he starred.
This is a heartfelt track we especially recommend to those who have passed the midpoint of life and find themselves looking back with nostalgia.