[2026] Recommended for Men in Their 40s! A Collection of Classic Japanese Breakup Songs
When you go through a heartbreak, it can feel like there’s a gaping hole in your heart.
Little moments can bring those memories rushing back, leaving you with a pang of sadness.
In this article, we’ve gathered Japanese breakup songs released from the 1990s to the mid-2000s—the soundtrack to the youth of those who are now in their 40s.
The nostalgic melodies you used to listen to back then and the lyrics that resonate in your chest may hit even deeper now.
As you look back on past loves, why not find a small push to move forward, together with these timeless songs that stay close to your heart?
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- [Tearjerker Guaranteed!] A Heartbreak Song Told from a Male Perspective
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Karaoke songs for men in their 40s: a curated selection of hit tracks women want to hear!
- Recommended love songs for men in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks.
- For men in their 30s: Heart-touching breakup songs—masterpieces that can move grown men to tears
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 1980s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks
- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Recommended Japanese pop songs for karaoke for men in their 40s
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Tear-Jerking Breakup Songs] A curated selection of love songs that gently comfort a wounded heart!
[2026] Recommended for Men in Their 40s! A Collection of Classic Japanese Breakup Songs (31–40)
I LOVE YOUOzaki Yutaka
It was released in 1991 as Yutaka Ozaki’s 11th single.
The song originally appeared on Ozaki’s debut album, Seventeen’s Map, released in 1983, and was issued as a single eight years later.
He performed it at nearly every live show during his lifetime, and after his death it has been covered and kept alive by many artists.
Just… I want to see youEXILE
It was released in 2005 as EXILE’s 19th single.
The song was used for the KDDI/Okinawa Cellular “au × EXILE” campaign, and it became the last song with lyrics written by SHUN (Shunsuke Kiyokiba) during his time in EXILE.
It’s a track that foregoes dancing to focus solely on vocal performance, and it’s a heartbreak song whose lyrics convey the lingering regret and melancholy of a man after a breakup.
Surely, somewhere…TUBE
It was released in 1998 as TUBE’s 28th single.
The song evokes themes of meeting and parting, and it was used as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Sekai de Ichiban Papa ga Suki” (I Love My Dad the Most in the World).
Although TUBE is known for many “summer” songs, this track drew attention for not conveying any sense of summer at all.
With this song, they performed at the 49th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Festival).
even ifHirai Ken
It was released in 2000 as Ken Hirai’s 11th single.
As it was a limited-time release, the single is no longer available.
Both the lyrics and music were written by Ken Hirai himself, and it reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It is a poignant ballad that conveys the sorrow of an unrequited love—falling for a woman who already has someone.
OrangeSMAP
It was released in 2000 as the coupling track to SMAP’s 32nd single, “Lion Heart.” Despite being positioned as a B-side, it’s a renowned song that has ranked high in karaoke charts, and it’s a poignant breakup song from a man’s perspective.
After SMAP announced their disbandment, the song drew renewed attention and ranked high on digital distribution sites.
[2026] Recommended for Men in Their 40s! A Collection of Classic Japanese Breakup Songs (41–50)
By the time of the Christmas carolsInagaki Junichi
Released in 1992 as Junichi Inagaki’s 27th single.
Sung from a male perspective, the song portrays a couple in a stagnant phase deciding to take some distance until Christmas to reassess their future together.
It was used as the theme song for the TBS TV drama “Homework” and became Inagaki’s biggest hit, selling over a million copies.
It also remains a popular Christmas standard.
It hurts.Kiyoshi Ryujin
A big hit by Ryujin Kiyoshi.
It’s a masterpiece distinguished by a simple, beautiful piano melody.
Kiyoshi’s fragile, heartrending vocals—like he’s singing through tears—are truly moving.
The lyrics, which candidly lay bare his feelings for a girlfriend he dearly loved, are so painfully bittersweet and full of raw realism that they grip your heart.