Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

Best FriendKiroro

Kiroro 「Best Friend」 Music Video (Short ver.)

For example, when you’re so busy with work that you can’t even see what truly matters, if there’s someone nearby who keeps you safe with a smile—that kind of presence, which can’t be traded for money or fame, is what real happiness is.

Sad love songs can make you cry, but with this song, it’s the irreplaceable presence close to you that fills you with happiness and brings you to tears.

Beyond the Night SkySuga Shikao

Shikao Suga - Beyond the Night Sky

This track is by singer-songwriter Shikao Suga, who, despite initially joining a production company after graduating from university, has drawn attention for his musical sensibilities since his debut.

It’s a self-cover of a song for which he wrote the lyrics when it was provided to SMAP; unlike the SMAP version that became a million seller, his husky vocals here deepen the sense of melancholy.

The lyrics, which cast thoughts from the past toward the future, may offer a message that prompts women in their 40s—who increasingly find themselves at life’s crossroads—to reflect on their lives.

With a catchy sense of floating that evokes the title, it’s a cool number.

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Hoshino Takashi

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SquallFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama [Live] Squall

This song is Masaharu Fukuyama’s 14th single, released in 1999.

It’s a self-cover of a track he originally wrote for singer-songwriter Eiko Matsumoto—his first time providing a song to another artist.

Because of that background, the lyrics are written from a woman’s perspective.

It’s said that baseball player Tsuyoshi Shinjo decided to pursue a move to Major League Baseball after hearing this song.

The Day of Departure — Complete VersionJULEPS

[Original] JULEPS / The Day of Departure (LIVE ver) Theme song of the anime version “The Elephant’s Back”

JULEPS is an unconventional four-member unit consisting of three male vocalists and a female pianist, combining chorus and piano.

They were selected to perform the commercial song “Sorezore no Yume” (Each One’s Dream), which was later released in 2007 under the production of Yasushi Akimoto, marking their major-label debut with this track.

With soothing chorus work and standout piano, it’s easy to see why this unit is popular for commercials.

Before memories turn sadsayonara poniiteeru

Sayonara Ponytail “Before Memories Turn Sad”

SayoPoni, the enigmatic masked unit that burst onto the scene like a comet in 2011.

This is a breakup song that sings of the loneliness of losing a lover and the heartache of wanting to see them but being unable to.

Mina’s breathing as she sings feels raw, giving the track a striking sense of realism.

Letter ~To You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki

Angela Aki “Letter: To You, Fifteen” Music Video (HD)

Many people were likely moved by her powerful performance of “the meaning of living in the present” in the song.

It seems like the kind of track that could naturally bring you to tears when you’re going through hard times.

It’s a ballad released as her eighth single.

The lyrics—written as a letter to her future self—are particularly distinctive.