Tear-jerking songs recommended for men in their 30s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

tear(s)Ketsumeishi

Tears / Ketsumeishi (Cover)

Ketsumeishi’s 9th single, released in 2004.

The music video features the comedians Dainoji and Masashi Kumada and is styled like a drama.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you’ve had your heart broken or experienced setbacks.

Letting your tears flow is important, isn’t it?

Broken RadioTokunaga Hideaki

Hideaki Tokunaga – The Broken Radio

A classic youth anthem that delicately portrays the wavering emotions of adolescence.

Past and present, hope and anxiety, the shift from boyhood to adulthood—the melody woven from conflicting feelings continues to resonate with listeners’ hearts.

Released in July 1990, the song was used as the theme for the drama “City Forest” and peaked at No.

5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It was also included on the album “JUSTICE,” and was re-released as a double A-side single in 2003.

When city life wears you down, when you’re striving far from home, or when you feel nostalgic for your youth, this song is sure to be there for you.

Sake, Tears, Men, and WomenKawashima Eigo

EXILE ATSUSHI – Sake, Tears, Men and Women (EXILE ATSUSHI SPECIAL SOLO LIVE in HAWAII)

This is a socially conscious masterpiece that portrays the subtle miscommunications between men and women and the nuances of emotional expression with deep insight.

It warmly observes how men open up through drinking and women through tears, each revealing their inner feelings.

Born from impressions Eigo Kawashima had at age 18 during a family memorial gathering, the song was included on the November 1975 album “Jinrui” (Humanity) and released as a single in June 1976.

Also known as the jingle for the sake brand Kizakura, it became a major hit, reaching No.

9 on the Oricon weekly chart.

It is a gem I recommend to anyone who wants to face their heart honestly when confronted with life’s sorrow and poignancy.

Just… I want to see youEXILE

EXILE / I Just... Want to See You - Short version -

Released in 2005, this is EXILE’s 19th single and the last one featuring ATSUSHI and SHUN.

It’s a song that makes you feel like crying from the intro.

ATSUSHI’s deliberate, savoring delivery gives the track depth, while SHUN’s effortless, unforced vocals heighten the sense of poignancy.

The lyrics are straightforward and simple, which further brings out the ballad’s sweetness.

To my belovedGReeeeN

GReeeeN – To My Beloved You

It was the theme song for Fuji TV’s Thursday drama “Oh, My Dad!!” in 2013.

In your thirties, a little more mature than in your twenties—getting married, starting a family, raising kids—you start to understand, little by little, what love really is.

That’s why these lyrics will resonate and move you to tears.

As you experience life’s ups and downs, you realize how important it is to be able to keep going because of someone’s presence.

It’s a moving song that makes you grateful—simple, but it lets you recognize the happiness of having someone important by your side.

Sayonara ColorSUPER BUTTER DOG

SUPER BUTTER DOG – SAYONARA COLOR

You’ve probably already been through one or two heartbreaking, painful, and frustrating breakups now that you’re an adult.

You might be thinking, “I’ll never meet someone I can care about this much again…” But don’t get so pessimistic! Being told that time will heal it doesn’t feel comforting, I know—but if you listen to this song, I’m sure it’ll make things at least a little easier.

unrequited lovemiwa

miwa 'Unrequited Love'

A song released in 2012.

Once you start working, once you hit your thirties, you can’t be as proactive as you were back in your school days, and it’s a little heartbreaking, isn’t it? You feel oddly self-conscious.

Shy.

Even though age has nothing to do with love…

right? This song sings those feelings so honestly and straightforwardly that it slips gently into your heart and brings you to tears.

miwa’s songs are straightforward and feel great.