Recommended breakup songs for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

Last LoveKato Miria

Miliyah Kato 'Last Love'

Miliyah Kato’s songs, which capture the feelings of a woman in love with striking realism, are especially popular among young women for being “so relatable.” Her signature track “aitai” is well-loved as a heart-wrenching love song, and this song “Last Love” is also a poignant, gut-aching breakup number.

It powerfully conveys lingering attachment to someone you’ve already broken up with and the painful contrast with the happiness you once felt.

It’s a breakup song filled with many moments people can relate to—like saying or thinking, “You said we’d always be together.” And the way she keeps posing questions to someone who’s no longer here conveys a strong, unforgettable love that refuses to fade.

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A little; a bitDaikoku Maki

Maki Ohguro – “Chotto” with lyrics

Maki Ohguro is one of the defining figures of 90s J-pop.

Her song “Chotto,” released in 1993 as her third single, was a big hit—many people in their 40s and 50s today can probably sing it.

With its fast, intense tempo and Ohguro’s powerful vocals, you might wonder, “Is this really a breakup song?” But it’s a very passionate one that expresses a woman’s true feelings.

It portrays dissatisfaction with the partner and the desire for a cleaner, more decisive breakup—one that would make her resent him—capturing the feeling of wanting to forget but being unable to.

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Ice RainKudō Shizuka

Shizuka Kudo / Ice Rain [Official Video]

A heartbreak song you want to listen to in the cold season as the snow falls: Shizuka Kudo’s “Ice Rain.” Heartbreak alone already feels cold and chilling, but with this song set against a winter backdrop, the white snow seems to make an already frozen heart even colder, as if driving the chill deeper.

It’s a breakup song about knowing in your head that you’re parting from someone you love, but your heart can’t catch up to that reality.

For anyone who feels the same—unable to manage the emotions of heartbreak—this is a song you won’t be able to listen to without tears.

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The Refrain Is ScreamingMatsutōya Yumi

Yumi Matsutoya – The Refrain Is Shouting

If you’re looking for a breakup song that lets you fully sink into sadness and express exactly how you feel right now, I recommend Yuming’s “Reflections Cry Out.” The song is included on the 1988 album “Delight Slight Light KISS.” It’s widely known—a hit that even non-Yuming fans often recognize—yet there’s the surprising fact that it was never released as a single.

It’s a breakup song that conveys, almost painfully, the regret after parting ways—something anyone who’s been there can relate to.

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Listening to OliviaAnri

Anri / Listening to Olivia [Official Video]

Since we’re recommending breakup songs for people in their 40s, many of the selections are tracks that were popular in their youth.

But this song—Anri’s “Listening to Olivia (Olivia wo Kikinagara)”—was released in 1978.

For many, it’s a song from around the time they were born.

Even so, it has been loved and passed down for many years, and chances are you’ve heard it or even sung it yourself.

As proof of its enduring appeal, numerous artists have covered this number.

Anri’s gentle, heartfelt voice is one that loosens listeners’ tear ducts—a song that can easily move you to tears.

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Poem of SunlightLe Couple

Hidamari no Uta / Le Couple (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

“Hidamari no Uta” by Le Couple is a love song about a cherished person who has left the singer’s side.

It was a major hit when it was released and has been a popular choice for karaoke ever since.

It’s a very gentle-sounding ballad and tends to suit voices with a relatively higher range.

DEAR…againHirose Kōmi

Kohmi Hirose / DEAR…again

When you think of Kohmi Hirose, she’s the queen of winter songs who has sung countless love songs.

Her “DEAR…again” is a very poignant heartbreak song.

Its melody is catchy and has a charm that sticks in your head after just one listen.