Popular Japanese songs among women in their 30s. Recommended masterpieces and classic tracks.
A special feature on Japanese pop songs popular among women in their 30s!
We’ve gathered recommended classics, from nostalgic hits of the 2000s and beyond.
The songs you listened to in your youth still bring back memories when you hear them now, don’t they?
Everything introduced here is a song that any woman in her 30s has likely heard at least once.
From iconic themes of nostalgic romance dramas to love songs you listened to during a crush back then, these are the kinds of tracks that will make you want to sing them again at karaoke!
If you’re going to karaoke with people of the same generation, you can’t go wrong with these—so be sure to check them out!
Popular Japanese songs among women in their 30s. Recommended masterpieces and classic tracks (1–10)
AM11:00HY
Just hearing the intro of this song brings back memories of school days—many women in their 30s probably feel the same.
Plenty of people even chose it as their cell phone ringtone.
When this song was released, you could hear it playing in schools, convenience stores, and on street corners everywhere.
Since it can be sung as a male-female duet, it’s also one of the most popular karaoke songs.
If you can pull off the rap in the interlude, it looks really cool, too.
With its refreshing vibe, it’s the perfect track for car BGM!
planetariumOtsuka Ai
This is “Planetarium,” Ai Otsuka’s 10th single, released in 2005.
It served as the image song for the TBS drama “Boys Over Flowers” starring Mao Inoue.
The song conveys the longing to be close to the one you love, making it heartrending to listen to.
The shakuhachi’s timbre adds a touch of melancholy, deepening the sense of sorrow.
Kiss me here.Shiina Ringo
After her stint as the vocalist for Tokyo Jihen, Ringo Sheena feels like she’s shed another layer and leveled up.
As she’s gotten a bit older, she’s really made the kimono look her own, and she’s come to seem like a symbol of cool Japanese womanhood.
If you’re around your thirties, she might hit you right in the sweet spot of relatability.
When she debuted, every song she released was shocking.
The same goes for this track, “Koko de Kiss Shite.” It starts a cappella, and then that punchy, resonant guitar sound hits—super impactful.
If you sing it at karaoke, try channeling Ringo Sheena a bit and roll your Rs; it might capture the vibe.
nape (of the neck)aiko
For all the women who want to stay forever young, whether in fashion or in the way they live, they might find some hints by imitating Aiko.
The lyric about how you even fight in order to stay in love is quintessentially Aiko.
Even as we get a little older, I want to keep cherishing feelings like these.
With no dramatic rises and falls like key changes in the melody and few parts that require a high voice, it’s a song I recommend even to people who don’t usually sing karaoke.
The trick is not to force your voice—sing while keeping that relaxed, laid-back feel in mind.
Hello, helloSuperfly
It seems that Shiho Ochi, the woman who handles vocals for Superfly, is only about 153 cm tall.
Yet she always looks larger-than-life on stage, doesn’t she? Maybe it’s because of her commanding presence.
For women in their 30s, it’s a time when you want to build confidence.
For you, I recommend “Hello Hello,” which is actually Superfly’s debut single.
It’s a song you can enjoy singing from start to finish, and that joy naturally spreads to those around you.
The chorus is great for belting out with energy, making it a perfect track to enjoy together while clapping along!
holly (Japanese holly tree, Ilex crenata)Do As Infinity
“柊” is pronounced hiiragi (holly).
The lyrics, which use the holly’s spines as a metaphor for thorns that pierce the heart, are simply wonderful.
The line about wanting to heal the wounds if you’ve hurt someone is also something many women in their 30s can relate to, isn’t it? If you sing it at karaoke, try delivering it gently and tenderly.
It was also used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Koibumi: Watashitachi ga Aishita Otoko.” Because it always played during the climactic parts toward the end of episodes, the drama’s image still lingers with me.
A heartrending yet powerful love story, with Atsuro Watabe and Miki Mizuno perfectly cast.
NEVER ENDAmuro Namie
This is a song produced by Tetsuya Komuro for the summit of major nations held in 2000.
Come to think of it, I feel like I heard the phrase “Kyushu-Okinawa Summit” a lot back then.
Thanks to her connection to Okinawa, Namie Amuro was chosen for the project.
The lyrics sing of a world bigger than love or romance—messages like, “Even when sad things happen, we have to keep moving forward; our future goes on forever.” It’s truly wonderful to be able to direct our awareness toward things beyond ourselves.
Sayonara, baby.Kato Miria
One of Miliyah Kato’s signature songs, “SAYONARA Baby.” Released on September 24, 2008, it became a hit as a love song that resonated with women.
In 2019, she released her second best-of album, which includes a re-recorded version, “SAYONARA Baby feat.
SKY-HI.” The chorus features call-and-response between Kato and SKY-HI, adding a male perspective to the arrangement.
If you listen to the original first and then revisit this version, you’ll likely feel an even deeper meaning in the lyrics.
KanadeSukima Suichi
Kanade is Sukima Switch’s second single, released in 2004.
It was featured in the film Rough, the TV drama Sotsu Uta, and as the ending theme on the final day of the 2006 Netto Koshien.
It’s a song that has been loved by many for years, even taking first place in a 2012 fan poll.
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro
It became a hit as the theme song for the hugely popular drama series TRICK.
Chihiro Onitsuka also handled the theme song for TRICK 2.
The banter between Yukie Nakama and Hiroshi Abe made it a truly enjoyable show.
Did you watch it? When it was released, Chihiro Onitsuka drew attention for performing barefoot on stage.
The way she sang with her whole body trembling was truly beautiful—“putting her whole soul into it” fits perfectly.
More recently, Chihiro Onitsuka’s bold image change has been the talk of the town.
The way she steers her own life without worrying about those around her—many women in their 30s probably relate to this song, Gekkou (Moonlight), too.