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 (41–50)
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.
Sake, Tears, Men, and WomenKawashima Eigo
This song is included on Eigo Kawashima and Homo Sapiens’ debut album, Jinrui (Humanity), which was released in 1975.
The following year, in June 1976, it was released as a single under Eigo Kawashima’s name.
It’s one of those tracks where Kawashima’s rich, rugged voice and the quietly resonant lyrics and melody sink deep into your heart.
For men in their 50s as of 2023, chances are you first heard this song when you were in elementary or junior high school; but now, in your 50s, having gone through many phases of life, you can probably grasp its “depth” more fully.
Daily life can be stressful, but this is exactly the kind of song you’ll want to listen to at the end of such days.
Azure NocturneOzaki Ami
Aozekyoku ~ Serenade is characterized by its romantic yet razor-sharp sound.
It’s a song released by singer-songwriter Ami Ozaki.
To discuss this work, it’s essential to understand the “serenade” mentioned in the title: a serenade is a piece performed beneath a lover’s window to express one’s love.
In this song, the wish is sung for one’s beloved to sing a serenade to them.
There are actually both single and album versions, so be sure to check out each.
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!
I want to see you.yuzu
In April 2009, Yuzu released a gem of a ballad imbued with a stirring melody and deep feelings for a loved one.
Created by Kitagawa as an expression of gratitude and love for his late father, the song touched many hearts as the theme for the NHK drama “Ghost Friends.” Carried by a warm piano tone and a beautiful string arrangement, it gives voice to a heartfelt wish for a beloved person who has been lost.
Their moving performance on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen remains fresh in memory, and the song was also included on the album “Yuzu Iroha 1997–2017,” where it continues to be cherished.
It is a piece that gently stays close to the hearts of those who have experienced the parting of a dear one or who carry feelings they cannot fully express.
Ruby RingTerao Akira
Released in 1981 as Akira Terao’s fifth single, it was used as the theme song for Yokohama Tire’s “ASPEC” commercial.
At the 23rd Japan Record Awards, it won the Grand Prize, the Gold Prize, the Lyricist Award, the Composer Award, and the Arranger Award, becoming a major hit.
It was Terao’s breakthrough as a singer and the best-selling single of his career.