[Shōwa-Era Heartbreak Songs] Carefully selected timeless love classics adored across generations!
Showa-era love songs feel nostalgic to those who spent their youth back then, and fresh to the Heisei and Reiwa generations.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected popular heartbreak songs from among those classic Showa hits!
We’ll introduce tracks that are still widely recognized—covered even in the Reiwa era—as well as timeless masterpieces that continue to be loved across generations as quintessential breakup songs.
Whether you listened to them back then or not, there’s sure to be something you can relate to.
Be sure to give them a listen!
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 1980s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
- Heart-touching, tear-jerking masterpieces from the Showa era
- [Female Heartbreak Song] A soul-stirring song dedicated to you, who loved with all your heart.
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 90s. Classic and popular tracks in Japanese music.
- Nostalgic Showa-era heartbreak songs. Soothe your heart with timeless classics that can move women in their 60s to tears.
- A heart-wrenching story that tightens the chest! A Showa-era unrequited love song
- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 70s. A collection of classic Showa-era breakup masterpieces.
- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
- Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
- Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- A heartbreak song that resonates in the chest of a man in his 60s: memories of youth woven by classic Showa-era masterpieces
- [Tearjerker Guaranteed!] A Heartbreak Song Told from a Male Perspective
[Showa-Era Heartbreak Songs] Carefully Selected Timeless Love Classics (11–20)
MissingKubota Toshinobu
This song is included on the debut album “SHAKE IT PARADISE,” released in 1986.
Although it’s an album track, its lyrics—capturing the ache of unrequited love—struck a chord with many people and became a major hit.
It’s now considered one of Toshinobu Kubota’s signature songs and remains a fan favorite.
The poignant love song conveys the heartbreak of a love that cannot be, with lyrics that resonate across generations.
Many female artists have covered it as well, each bringing a unique charm—be sure to listen to those versions too.
Woman ~from ‘W’s Tragedy’~Yakushimaru Hiroko
Woman ~From W’s Tragedy~, featured in the film W’s Tragedy starring Hiroko Yakushimaru—who has been active across a wide range as an actress and singer—was composed by Yumi Matsutoya under the pen name Kureta Keiko, with lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto.
The song depicts the moment when a loved one leaves, unfolding a poignant, heart-wrenching story.
Her vocals, carried by the beautifully expansive tones of the synthesizer, convey a deep sense of sorrow and helplessness.
It is a piece imbued with the wish to remain by a cherished person’s side, if only for the time until morning arrives.
stationNakamori Akina
A heartrending love song that begins with an unexpected reunion at a station where people pass each other by.
Akina Nakamori’s delicate vocals beautifully capture the complex emotions of a woman bewildered by a chance encounter with her former lover.
Released in December 1986 and included on the album “Crimson,” this gem was written by Mariya Takeuchi.
One of its charms is that you can enjoy both Nakamori’s version and Takeuchi’s self-cover, each with its own captivating voice.
It’s a song that gently nudges those who, while carrying the pain of heartbreak, are trying to lift their heads and move forward.
Goodbyeofukōsu
Off Course, a band that epitomized the Showa era, sadly disbanded in 1989.
Their song “Sayonara,” released in 1979 (Showa 54), is one of their signature tracks.
It has been covered by numerous artists, and it’s also well known for the self-cover later sung by Kazumasa Oda, who was Off Course’s vocalist.
Many breakup songs tend to let the sadness slowly well up, don’t they? But this song delivers a direct farewell from the very first word.
With Oda’s vocals and lyrics that suggest a love felt to the core, it’s a song that’s impossible to hear without tears.
Our FailureMorita Doji
Bokutachi no Shippai, which carries a warmth even amid despair, is a song released by Doji Morita in 1976.
It sings of the sorrow and regret of a couple who had been living together but eventually broke up.
Yet it isn’t only about negative emotions; it also expresses a deep love, which may be what gives the song its warmth.
Incidentally, the lyrics include many phrases that can serve as windows into 1970s culture.
If you come across anything unfamiliar, be sure to look it up!
