Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 60s: classic and popular Japanese hits

Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki

HIDEAKI TOKUNAGA – Rainy Blue

The debut song by Hideaki Tokunaga, a poignant love story that begins in a late-night phone booth.

Its lyrics—quintessentially Showa—paint cinematic scenes of urban stillness and rain, perfectly intertwined with delicate, emotionally rich vocals to create a gem of a track.

Released in January 1986, it reached No.

90 on the Oricon charts.

A rearranged version released in November 1997 rose to No.

31, capturing the hearts of many.

By portraying heartbreak and loneliness as universal themes, it remains a beloved classic that resonates even today.

It’s the kind of bittersweet love song you’ll want to play on a rainy day—why not give it a listen?

In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthMatsuyama Chiharu

In the Great Sky and on the Vast Earth

Set against the majestic nature of Hokkaido, this gem of a masterpiece sings of a powerful way of life.

Its lyrics, which stress the importance of continuing to look forward even while facing the setbacks and hardships everyone experiences at least once, are filled with the unique depth of insight and warmth characteristic of Chiharu Matsuyama.

Especially in moments when your heart feels like it might break, the song embodies the will to seize happiness with your own hands, gently giving listeners a reassuring push forward.

Included on the June 1977 album “Kimi no Tame ni Tsukutta Uta” (A Song Made for You), it was later featured as an insert song in the Fuji TV drama “The Ugly Duckling” and used in a Snow Brand Milk Products commercial.

This is a song to hear when you stand at a crossroads in life or are about to take a new step.

Matsuyama’s clear, pure voice will surely kindle a light of courage and hope in your heart.

SakurazakaFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Sakurazaka (Full ver.)

A gem of a love song that captures both the ache of parting and a glimmer of hope.

Its tender, bittersweet feelings and the sincere wish for the other’s happiness seep in together with a gently comforting melody.

Masaharu Fukuyama’s delicate vocals softly embrace the lingering emotions that remain even as he accepts the end of a romance.

Released in April 2000, the song drew attention as the theme for TBS’s popular segment “Mirai Nikki V” on the show “Uunnan no Hontoko!” and ranked second on Oricon’s year-end singles chart.

It became a massive hit, selling over 2.29 million copies in total.

With lyrics that depict a farewell mirrored by the falling cherry blossoms of spring, it’s a song you’ll want to hear in a season of new encounters and goodbyes.

Blue MountainsFujiyama Ichirō

Miyuki Kawanaka “Blue Mountains” (from “Miyuki Kawanaka Sings Ryoichi Hattori”)

In 1949, as postwar Japan began to blossom, a gem of a masterpiece expressing young people’s hopes for a bright future was born, with lyrics by Saijō Yaso and music by Hattori Ryōichi.

The duet woven by the voices of Fujiyama Ichirō and Nara Mitsue evokes the powerful, beautiful arrival of spring—like snow-breaking cherry blossoms that bloom after a harsh winter.

Written for a film, this work overlays the dreams and yearnings of the youth of the time with scenes from nature, brilliantly depicting the sentiments of people during the postwar reconstruction period.

Set against blue mountain ridges crowned with rose-colored clouds, its heartwarming melody and lyrics seem to gently embrace those living in a new era, making it an eternal classic one longs to hear with the coming of spring.

It was rainy again in Nagasaki today.Uchiyamada Hiroshi to Cool Five

Nagasaki Was Rainy Again Today (High Quality) — Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five

It was the major-label debut single by Hiroshi Uchiyamada and the Cool Five, released in February 1969, and it reached No.

2 on the Oricon weekly chart.

It won the Newcomer of the Year award at both the Japan Record Awards and the Japan Cable Awards, and it was also performed on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Let’s meet in a dreamSakamoto Sumiko

“Let’s Meet in a Dream” sung by Sumiko Sakamoto

“Yume de Aimashou” was a variety show broadcast on NHK, featuring a stellar cast including Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and Masumi Okada.

The song used as its theme was this one, performed by Sumiko Sakamoto, known as the “Queen of Latin.”

Farewell, youthogura kei

Amateur solo singing with guitar: Farewell, Youth by Kei Ogura

This is a song included on the B-side of singer-songwriter Kei Ogura’s debut single “Shiosai no Uta,” released in February 1971.

It was performed at the 1994 Kohaku Uta Gassen.

A version sung by Ken Tanaka has also been broadcast on the program “Minna no Uta.”