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Good songs recommended for people in their 60s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

Here are some great Japanese songs I’d recommend for people in their 60s!

Of course, what makes a song “good” can feel different for everyone.There are songs with great lyrics, songs with beautiful melodies, songs with an awesome groove, songs that are just fun to move to, and so on.

In this article, I’ve gathered lots of good songs from a variety of perspectives.

Most of the picks are tracks from the 1970s through the 1980s—the era when many people in their 60s spent their youth—so please give them a listen while reminiscing about those nostalgic memories from your younger days!

Great songs recommended for people in their 60s: Classic and popular Japanese tracks (11–20)

Sky Restauranthaifaisetto

Hi-Fi Set – Sky Restaurant | My Favorite ALFA: Vinyl Side Ep. 1 @ UNITY RECORD BAR(Seoul, Korea)
Sky Restauranthaifaisetto

A gem of a love song set in a high-rise restaurant where the city’s nightscape stretches out in beauty, depicting a heartrending reunion and farewell.

Released by Hi-Fi Set in November 1975, this piece harmonizes Yumi Matsutoya’s delicate lyrics with Kunihiko Murai’s beautiful melody to stunning effect.

Evening darkness and city lights reflected in skyscraper windows—and a reunion with a past lover.

Even as she senses a parting to come, the woman’s earnest wish to cherish this moment alone together strikes deep.

With the gloss of an adult love drama and a refined, urban sound, it’s perfect for a calm evening.

Why not savor it slowly while immersing yourself in the feelings you keep in your heart?

I’m sorryTakahashi Mariko

A song depicting a heartrending farewell and lingering regret, released in May 1996 by Mariko Takahashi as the theme for Tuesday Suspense Theater.

With a clear, translucent voice, it poignantly conveys the feelings of a woman who has hurt someone precious and committed an irreparable mistake.

The portrayal of regret over romantic missteps, the plea for forgiveness, and the earnest love for someone dear is deeply moving.

It is a piece that offers profound empathy to those struggling with relationships or who have experienced a painful parting.

A masterpiece that everyone who has known heartbreak or separation should hear.

threadNakajima Miyuki

A classic song that likens encounters with loved ones and the workings of fate to the warp and weft used in silk weaving.

The irreplaceable bonds formed with those we meet eventually become a beautiful fabric that warmly envelops someone—this is the wonderful tale woven by Miyuki Nakajima in this gem of a track.

Its emotionally rich melody and lyrics that pierce the heart are in perfect harmony, gently embracing the listener.

Released in October 1992 on the album “EAST ASIA,” it returned to the spotlight in 1998 as the theme song for the drama “Seija no Kōshin” (March of the Saints).

Sparked by a cover by Bank Band, it has continued to be cherished as a wedding staple.

Why not etch it into your heart as a memorable song to color life’s milestones together with someone special?

Slow motionNakamori Akina

[Official] Akina Nakamori 'Slow Motion (from “Hajimemashite”)' [1st Single (Released May 1, 1982)] Akina Nakamori / Slow Motion
Slow motionNakamori Akina

A gem of a love song that portrays a fateful encounter on the beach as if time itself had stopped.

Its delicate lyrics and harmonious melody leave a striking impression, letting the protagonist’s pounding heartbeat seep into the listener’s own.

Released in May 1982 as Akina Nakamori’s debut single and included on the album “Prologue ,” the song is elevated by Nakamori’s vocals, which blend innocence with allure.

It’s a track perfect for the season of refreshing spring breezes, and anyone who has ever felt the thrill of budding romance is sure to relate.

Why not surrender to the pleasant early-summer wind and bask in those bittersweet memories?

stationTakeuchi Mariya

Mariya Takeuchi – Station [Live Version / 2000 @ Nippon Budokan]
stationTakeuchi Mariya

A song by Mariya Takeuchi that tells a poignant story of unexpectedly reuniting with a former lover at a station at dusk.

The pain and nostalgia of a past romance seep into the heart, carried by her clear, translucent voice.

Originally written in 1986 as the theme song for the film “Goodbye Mama” and provided to Akina Nakamori, it was self-covered by Mariya Takeuchi the following year.

Rearranged by her husband Tatsuro Yamashita, the piece blossomed into an elegant sound centered on piano and strings.

Its universal narrative, themed around the breakup and reunion that many experience in love, gently stirs the listener’s memories.

It is a gem of a song best enjoyed in the quiet mood of twilight, as you reflect on cherished memories with someone dear.

Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki

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?

Recommended great songs for people in their 60s. Classic and popular Japanese songs (21–30)

Run, Kotaro!Sorutī Shugā

This is Salty Sugar’s second single, released in July 1970.

It topped the Oricon weekly chart and won the New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards.

Incidentally, there really was a racehorse named Kotaro.