Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese hits
As of 2023, those in their 50s likely spent their sensitive teenage and twenties years experiencing in real time the golden age of Japan’s music industry—from late-70s New Music through 90s J-POP.
Each of you must have your own songs filled with memories.
In this feature, we’ve gathered tracks we recommend for all of you—songs that will likely resonate and move you.
We hope they help you relive and enjoy your younger days.
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Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 50s: Classic and popular Japanese tracks (31–40)
While listening to a distant train whistleArisu
This is a song released by Alice in 1976, with lyrics by Shinji Tanimura and music composed by Takao Horiuchi.
At the 47th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 1996, Horiuchi performed it as a solo act, and at the 56th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2005, it was featured as part of a medley by Alice.
It is considered one of Alice’s classic songs.
somedaySaucy Dog
A straightforward, honest love song that brings the ache and poignancy of heartbreak right to your chest.
Through real-life scenes—like the deserted park at Tawarayama and the sloping road where you can see the starry sky—the memories woven together vividly portray feelings for a precious person you can never meet again.
Released in May 2017 as a track on the album “Country Road,” this piece gently embraces an unforgettable love with warm lyrics that blend in the local Shimane dialect.
Its softly resonant melody offers quiet comfort to those who want to hold their one-sided love close, and to those who can’t quite put an end to a past romance.
I can’t say it.Gō Hiromi
It was released in 1994 as Hiromi Go’s 66th single.
The song was used as the theme for the TBS drama “Omiai no Tatsujin” and as the ending theme for Fuji TV’s “Kamioka Ryūtarō ni wa Damasarenai zo!” It is the second entry in a trilogy of ballads following “Boku ga Donna ni Kimi o Suki ka, Kimi wa Shiranai,” and is celebrated as one of Hiromi Go’s signature ballads, a track that showcases his overwhelming vocal prowess and is truly moving.
Tears of Magnolia ~acoustic~Sutādasuto☆Rebyū
Let me introduce a timeless ballad in music history, “Mokuren no Namida.” It’s a signature song by the rock band Stardust Revue and is also known as a commercial song for Nikka Whisky.
The piece portrays a woman overwhelmed by grief, mourning a man who has passed away.
Those who have experienced something similar will likely find deep resonance in it.
Coupled with vocalist Kaname Nemoto’s husky voice, it’s enough to bring tears to your eyes.
fireflySazan Ōrusutāzu
Southern All Stars is a five-member rock band that has continued to captivate fans since their debut, standing as a quintessential group representing summer in the J-pop scene.
“Hotaru,” included on their 54th single Peace and Highlight, was selected as the theme song for the film The Eternal Zero.
Its lyrics, which evoke farewells with loved ones and prayers for peace, are ones many listeners may find themselves identifying with.
With a gentle yet heartrending message and melody that stir the heart, it’s a ballad that feels sentimental while still conveying a sense of positivity.
Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 50s: Classic and popular Japanese tracks (41–50)
Time, stop.Yazawa Eikichi
This was Eikichi Yazawa’s fifth single overall, released in March 1978.
It was commissioned and produced as a Shiseido commercial song that same year, and at the time it was highly unusual for a male artist to handle a cosmetics CM track—something that made it a hot topic as well.
I think it’s a classic whose beautiful arrangement and melody, along with Yazawa’s distinctly masculine vocals, really sink into your heart.
As of 2023 when this piece was written, many men in their 50s may remember admiring Yazawa in their youth and enjoying sticking “E.YAZAWA” decals on their bags, bicycles, or motorbikes.
Please enjoy it together with those memories from back then.
As a personKaientai
Rather than explaining that it was a single by Kaientai, the band featuring Tetsuya Takeda, released on November 5, 1980, it might be clearer to say it was the theme song for the hugely popular drama “Mr.
Kinpachi in Class 3B” (Season 2).
In the 1980s, the show gained immense popularity by tackling school violence—then a major social issue—head-on.
For those who are now in their 50s, you likely lived through that era alongside the characters, making this song especially nostalgic.
It was also popular as a graduation song at the time.
I myself am now in my 50s, and I can still vividly remember bursting into tears the moment this song played at my junior high school graduation.
Please enjoy it along with your own memories!