The memory of a broken heart is a special one that remains deeply etched in our hearts even as time passes.
Miyuki Nakajima’s heartrending vocals, Saori Yuki’s pure melodies, Anri’s crystal-clear voice—timeless masterpieces born in the Showa era.
In this article, we introduce breakup songs that have stayed close to our hearts since our youth.
Gems that bring back the feelings of those days along with nostalgic memories.
When you want to heal your heart or quietly dwell in reminiscence, lend them your ears.
- Love songs that resonate with women in their 60s: gem-like romance tunes that revive memories of youth.
- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 70s. A collection of classic Showa-era breakup masterpieces.
- Recommended breakup songs for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese tracks
- [Remembering the Pain of Love…] Breakup Songs Recommended for People in Their 60s
- A heartbreak song that resonates in the chest of a man in his 60s: memories of youth woven by classic Showa-era masterpieces
- A love song that reminds those in their 60s of a forgotten romance
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Breakup songs recommended for people in their 80s: a collection of classic tracks that capture heartbreaking feelings
- A love song that makes a man in his sixties relive his youth. Timeless classics that rekindle the romances of those days.
- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Recommended love songs for women in their 70s: A collection of nostalgic love songs
- Recommended heartbreak songs for men in their 70s: A collection of poignant, nostalgic classics
- Breakup songs recommended for people in their 90s: a collection of timeless tracks that comfort the heart
Nostalgic Showa-era heartbreak songs: Healing your heart with timeless classics that will move women in their 60s to tears (1–10)
airportTeresa Ten
A signature song by Teresa Teng, the diva of Asia, depicting a poignant farewell at an airport.
Released in July 1974, it became a massive hit, selling over 800,000 copies.
Her clear voice and expressive singing are striking, conveying the hearts of two people forced apart.
The delicate portrayal of a woman’s complex feelings as she watches her beloved wave goodbye in the rain is especially moving.
It’s sure to resonate when you want to look back on memories of love or when you’ve experienced a farewell with someone dear.
A highly recommended track for those who feel nostalgic about their youth as well.
Homesickness on a JourneyNishizaki Midori
Midori Nishizaki’s clear, translucent voice beautifully conveys the aching longing of pursuing a loved one along life’s journey.
Released in 1974, this song garnered major attention as the theme for the TV drama “Kurayami Shi-to-ri-nin” (The Darkness Assassins).
It’s a piece you’ll want to listen to when you feel like revisiting memories of love, or when you wish to contemplate the journey of life.
Why not surrender yourself to Nishizaki’s vocals and recall that special person who remains in your heart?
Cotton HandkerchiefŌta Hiromi
A heartwarming classic that portrays a long-distance romance.
Hiromi Ota’s gentle vocals tenderly wrap the bittersweet lyrics.
Told from the perspective of a woman left in her hometown, it captures her complex feelings toward a man changing in the big city, evoking a tight, aching sensation in the listener’s chest.
Released in 1975, the song became a major hit, selling 867,000 copies.
As a bold attempt bridging folk and kayōkyoku, it brought a fresh breeze to the music scene.
It’s a recommended track for moments when you want to heal the pain of heartbreak or bask in nostalgic memories of youth.
Why not listen closely while reflecting on your feelings for someone important?
I want to go back to that dayArai Yumi
Featured on the album COBALT HOUR, this piece is a classic that beautifully captures the bittersweet memories of youth.
Yumi Arai’s clear, transparent vocals and the piano-centered, melodious arrangement deeply resonate with listeners.
Released in June 1975, the song struck a chord with many and has been cherished for years.
The lyrics, imbued with nostalgia for lost love and time gone by, feel like retrieving a precious treasure long kept in the depths of the heart.
It’s recommended for moments when you want to linger in fond memories or quietly reflect on yourself.
The Day the Seagulls FlewWatanabe Machiko
It’s a classic that conjures up the scenery of a port town.
Released in April 1978, it’s one of Machiko Watanabe’s signature songs and became a major hit, selling 460,000 copies.
The lingering feelings for a former lover and the yearning for seagulls freely flying in the sky are expressed over a beautiful melody.
It’s said the recording was done without a metronome, giving the song a distinctive acceleration in tempo as it progresses.
Many listeners may relate to the image of a woman who, despite the pain of heartbreak, resolves to face forward and keep living.
Letting the heartfelt lyrics and Watanabe’s clear, transparent voice soothe you as you look back on precious memories might be just the thing.
I can’t stop this sadnessAnri
A gem of a love song by Anri that conveys the poignant emotions of a woman whose boyfriend has been taken by her best friend, expressed through an urbane melody and sophisticated arrangement.
With her warm vocal timbre and graceful singing, your heart aches for the heroine who loses both her lover and her friend at once.
Released in November 1983, the song was issued as an advance single from the album “Timely!!” and reached No.
4 on the Oricon weekly chart.
Bolstered by its tie-in with a Shiseido commercial, it generated a huge response.
It’s a song that stays close to your heart when you want to heal the pain of a breakup—something everyone experiences at least once—while reflecting the complicated feelings stirred by the evolving relationship between friend and lover.
Eyes Are DiamondMatsuda Seiko
This is Seiko Matsuda’s 15th single, which depicts the bittersweet feelings before the end of a romance as if in a movie.
Released in October 1983, it held the No.
1 spot on The Best Ten for eight consecutive weeks.
On the Oricon weekly singles chart, it achieved the remarkable feat of monopolizing both No.
1 and No.
2 simultaneously together with its predecessor.
The lyrics, written by Takashi Matsumoto, memorably portray the moment of heartbreak—such as a farewell in the rain and the emotions of a woman stepping out from under an umbrella.
The melody, composed by Yumi Matsutoya under the pen name Kureta Karuho, results in a captivating song that conveys strength even amid sorrow.
It’s a recommended track for those seeking empathy and solace in the image of a woman striving to overcome the pain of a broken heart.