Popular Japanese songs among men in their 60s: recommended masterpieces and classic tracks

GoodbyeOf course

Sayonara

A gem of a ballad that gently and poignantly portrays a lovers’ parting.

Against the backdrop of a cold day when rain turns to snow, their memories and emotions are woven with delicate detail.

Kazumasa Oda’s clear, pure vocals beautifully convey the wavering heart of the protagonist who chooses to say goodbye.

Released in December 1979, the song was used as an insert track in the first season of the TBS drama “Mr.

Kinpachi in Class 3-B” and reached No.

2 on the Oricon weekly singles chart, making it one of Off Course’s signature classics.

It’s a soul-stirring piece you’ll want to listen to alone on a quiet night, glass in hand.

RobinsonSpitz

Spitz / Robinson

With its translucent melody and poetic lyrics, this classic song captures the bittersweetness of spring and snapshots of youth.

While carrying loneliness and solitude, the lyrics overflow with a tenderness that cherishes everything that exists, soaking into the heart.

Released in April 1995, it became a massive hit, selling over 1.

62 million copies.

It was used as an insert song for the drama “Hakusen Nagashi” and won an Excellence Award at the 37th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a recommended song for times when you want to look back on nostalgic memories or reevaluate your relationship with someone important.

Slow motionAkina Nakamori

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

A sweet yet wistful classic that captures the moment of a fateful encounter.

This is Akina Nakamori’s debut single, released in May 1982.

Etsuko Kisugi’s lyrics and Takao Kisugi’s melody are perfectly in harmony, beautifully portraying the fluttering heart of a young girl captivated by someone she meets on the beach.

The transparent vocals and the arrangement that makes time feel as if it flows slowly leave a strong impression.

Also included on the album “Prologue (Jomaku),” this masterpiece later led to a revival hit.

Highly recommended for those seeking a heartwarming love song or wanting to recall the feeling of falling in love for the first time.

A Doll's HouseMieko Hirota

A Doll's House

A quintessential love song that symbolizes the Showa era, this is Mieko Hirota’s signature track, released in July 1969.

While harboring deep affection for her partner, the song portrays a woman who has lost sight of herself.

The protagonist likens herself to a doll and expresses her resolve to overcome lost love and rediscover who she is.

It topped the Oricon chart for three consecutive weeks and earned the Vocal Performance Award at the 11th Japan Record Awards.

Her powerful yet delicate voice beautifully conveys the song’s melodic and lyrical world.

Many artists across genres, including Megumi Asaoka and Hideaki Tokunaga, have covered it.

It’s a song that resonates when facing a farewell with someone dear or taking a step into a new chapter of life.

In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthChiharu Matsuyama

In the Great Sky and on the Vast Earth

This is one of Chiharu Matsuyama’s signature songs, known as an anthem of encouragement for young people.

Its powerful message resounds amid vast natural landscapes, urging listeners to seize their dreams through their own effort and will.

It conveys the resolve to believe in your true self and to live with all your strength, like a wildflower blooming in the fields, even when times are hard—an inspiring classic that gives courage to all who hear it.

Featured on the album “A Song Made for You,” the piece was released in June 1977 and remains enduringly popular.

It has been cherished as an insert song in the drama “The Ugly Duckling” and as a cheer song for high school baseball in Matsuyama’s home of Hokkaido.

With its dramatic melody, powerful vocals, and stirring lyrics, it’s a song to listen to when you’re at a crossroads in life or about to take a new step forward.

Rainy MidosujiOuyang Feifei

Stranger In Midoosuji

A gem of a love song set on Osaka’s iconic Midosuji, portraying the ache of love in the bustling city, soaked in rain.

Fifi Ouyang’s powerful yet delicate vocals brilliantly capture the pain of heartbreak and lingering attachment.

Released in September 1971, it spent nine consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the Oricon charts and won the Newcomer Award at the 13th Japan Record Awards the same year.

Originally an instrumental by the American rock band The Ventures, this piece gained Japanese lyrics by Haruo Hayashi, perfectly blending a rock-inflected rhythm with a wistful melody.

Why not savor this timeless classic that seeps into the heart, along with fond memories?

A world without youThe Beavers

A world without you

A masterpiece woven from a psychedelic rock sound and a wistful melody, this is The Beavers’ second single, released in November 1967.

Its heartrending tune vividly portrays the pain of a broken heart.

Showcasing beautifully balanced twin vocals and the twin-guitar virtuosity of Hideki Ishima and Masayuki Hirai, the track reached No.

57 on the Oricon chart.

The band also appeared on the TV program “Young 720” that same year.

It’s a song to play on nights when you want to soothe a love-broken heart, or on a quiet afternoon when you’re nostalgic for your youth.