Tear-jerking songs for women in their 70s: from Showa-era classics to Heisei hits

Traveler of the NorthYujiro Ishihara

Northern Traveler - Yujiro Ishihara

He sings a melancholic song about lost love set in the northern country with Yujiro Ishihara’s distinctive low voice.

As it follows a man searching for his beloved while traveling through Hokkaido cities like Kushiro, Hakodate, and Otaru, it conveys his heartbreaking emotions.

It was also used as an insert song in the drama “Seibu Keisatsu” and was released in August 1987.

For Yujiro Ishihara, it became his first and only single to reach No.

1 on the Oricon charts, topping the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart as well.

As you recall days gone by, try singing it gently and with feeling.

Isn't it fine as long as you're happy?Naomi Sara

Isn't it fine as long as you're happy?

Her signature song “Iijanai no Shiawase Naraba” was released in 1969 and won the Japan Record Award.

The song is about infidelity, but I feel it conveys the importance of prioritizing your own happiness over others’ eyes and judgments.

Even if people around you have things to say, the figure who reaches honestly for the love right in front of them—while at the same time accepting that they will likely be cast aside someday—is remarkably strong and resilient.

It feels like it’s telling us: live for your own happiness.

If you want to reclaim your true self, why not listen to this song by Naomi Sagara?

Tsugaru Strait Winter SceneSayuri Ishikawa

Tsugaru Strait – Winter Scene

There is a classic song that beautifully and poignantly portrays a northern winter landscape and a bittersweet love.

Powerfully sung by Sayuri Ishikawa, the piece recounts the feelings of a woman traveling from Ueno on a night train to Aomori, where she bids a final farewell aboard the Seikan ferry.

Since its 1977 release, it has garnered numerous honors, including the Japan Record Award for Best Vocal Performance, and stands as a monumental work in the enka genre.

Set against the frigid Tsugaru Strait, the image of a woman quietly deciding to part ways amid snow and the roar of the sea is deeply moving.

Please enjoy a wonderful time together, singing along or clapping in rhythm as you savor nostalgic memories.

I am crying.Lily

I Am Crying

Lily made her debut as a singer in 1972 and is a Japanese singer-songwriter who also pursued an acting career alongside her music.

Her song “Watashi wa Naiteimasu” (“I Am Crying”) was released in 1974 as the last single under her own name and became a hit, reaching No.

3 on the Oricon chart.

The song portrays deep emotions over lost love, depicted through the image of crying in bed.

Its themes center on the pain of parting from a loved one and the difficulty of accepting an ending, particularly conveying the feelings of a woman who is affectionate and honest about her emotions.

Expressing profound sorrow and poignancy, this timeless classic continues to be cherished across generations and is especially recommended when you want to immerse yourself in rich emotion.

Dance with sorrowTeresa Teng

Dance with sorrow

With lyrics by Toyohisa Araki and music by Takashi Miki—a golden duo—“Kanashimi to Odorasete” is a single released by Teresa Teng in 1991.

It’s a masterpiece from the later period of her career, unveiled near the end of her life.

The mellow sound that straddles enka and kayōkyoku, though a product of the early Heisei era, is something I’d love younger listeners interested in Showa-era pop to hear.

While the chorus reaches slightly higher notes, the melody unfolds straightforwardly and the overall range isn’t that wide, so it’s very comfortable to sing at karaoke.

Across this wide fieldRyoko Moriyama

This Wide, Open Field – Ryoko Moriyama

The classic song that celebrates love and freedom spreading across the great outdoors is a folk tune released by Ryoko Moriyama in January 1967.

Her clear, pleasant voice and gentle melody deliver a refreshing sense of liberation, like clouds floating in the sky or wind sweeping through.

The piece is said to have been completed in just 30 minutes, based on a poem found in a Ginza art gallery.

After it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1974, it became a children’s song passed down throughout Japan.

Singing it with older adults can blossom into warm conversations filled with nostalgia and create a wonderful time naturally full of smiles.

Please go ahead as you are.Keiko Maruyama

Please go ahead as you are.

A bossa nova-style masterpiece by Keiko Maruyama that sings of everlasting, unchanging love.

Its delicately drawn emotional expression, woven with metaphors, is deeply moving.

Included on the album “Tasogare Memory,” released in July 1976, the song reached No.

5 on the Oricon weekly chart and became a major hit, selling over 800,000 copies.

With its relaxed tempo and easy-to-remember melody, it’s a joy to sing while savoring a romantic atmosphere.