[For Seniors] Recommended Summer Songs for August [2026]

The Longed-For Hawaii RouteHaruo Oka

The Longed-For Hawaii Route — Song by Haruo Oka

It’s a song that can be called a representative of postwar popular music, released in 1948 (Showa 23).

Hawaii—where many Japanese had emigrated even before the war—became the “dream Hawaii” that ordinary people couldn’t travel to for a while after the war, and Haruo Oka’s distinctive singing voice is striking.

I think the song reflects the spirit of Japan in that era, bright and forward-looking.

Around 1965 (Showa 40), there was a quiz show famous for the catchphrase “Answer 10 questions correctly and win a dream trip to Hawaii,” showing that, then as now, Hawaii is a place people long for.

Seagull Sailorshouka

Seagull Sailor (Summer Children's Song)

Many of you may find that memories of singing and dancing energetically in classrooms and at school sports days come flooding back.

It’s an utterly charming piece that conjures up birds in white hats and clothes marching briskly across the waves.

The rhythmic repetition of onomatopoeia is delightful and makes you feel like moving your body.

The record was released in April 1937, and after the war it was included in school textbooks from 1955, making it a beloved song across generations.

In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” Even today, it is used as the arrival melody at JR Mihara Station, so you might have a chance to hear it.

If you clap along or move lightly to the music while listening, those fresh summer scenes from back then will come nostalgically to mind.

Great Tokyo OndoHashi Yukio・Kanazawa Akiko

“Great Tokyo Ondo” sung by Yukio Hashi ♪ The folk song diva! Akiko Kanazawa / Lyrics by Tokiharu Takita / Additional lyrics by Masato Fujita / Music by Minoru Endo / Arrangement by Toshiaki Maeda — from the LP record. Strength to Japan!

A duet song by Yukio Hashi and Akiko Kanazawa, “Dai-Tokyo Ondo,” is frequently used at Bon Odori festivals held in Tokyo.

Released in 1979, the song was produced to commemorate the 15th anniversary of what is now TV Tokyo.

It’s perfect not only for Bon Odori but also as background music for summer festivals, making it a great recommendation for events at nursing care facilities as well.

The lyrics depict scenes that evoke dreams, showing Tokyo rapidly transforming into a dazzling metropolis.

Even if you don’t live in the Kanto region, why not dance along to the music while imagining the thrilling sights of Tokyo?

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

SAKI

Report a problem

We are children of the sea.gasshou

Singing and Music Activities at the Day Service (2): We Are Children of the Sea [Fukukuru]

“Ware wa Umi no Ko” (I Am a Child of the Sea) is a recommended song for August.

Raising your voice isn’t just great for relieving stress; it also really helps improve your cardiopulmonary function.

Take deep breaths and sing children’s songs and beautiful Japanese tunes together in harmony—there are so many benefits, including better sleep.

Even if you feel shy about singing alone, you’ll surely enjoy it when you sing with others.

Advanced singers, try two-part or three-part harmonies.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

Report a problem

seashouka

Sea | with lyrics | Ministry of Education shoka (school song) | Where the distant pine groves fade

Many of you may feel nostalgic, recalling memories of singing this in the classroom.

The song portrays scenes of the vast and beautiful sea by day and by night.

It vividly sings of the vitality of the daytime ocean—ships with white sails and seagulls dancing—and the tranquility of the nighttime ocean, where fishing lights gently sway.

Its leisurely melody is like the sound of gentle waves.

Since it was introduced in 1941 in “Uta no Hon (Upper Volume),” it has been cherished for many years, and in 2000 it was proudly chosen as the number one “Sea Song to Preserve for the 21st Century.” It’s lovely to overlay your own memories onto the landscapes in the lyrics and bask in the nostalgia.

If everyone hums along together, it might spark lively conversations about summer memories.

A Gift of a Summer Daygasshou

[Choral Piece] A Gift of Summer Days / Mixed Chorus in Two Parts [With Lyrics]

A song that lets you look back on many summer memories, “A Gift of a Summer Day.” The lyrics are by Akiko Takagi, a children’s author and lyricist, and the music is by opera singer Kiyotaka Kaga.

Summer overflows with a bright, lively atmosphere, so perhaps many people feel a certain loneliness as the season passes and gives way to autumn.

As the natural scenery changes and summer drifts farther away, this is a piece that makes you want to give thanks for all the fun memories, even while feeling a touch of wistfulness.

Try singing or listening to it as you reminisce about the happy moments from this summer.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

SAKI

Report a problem

Love VacationZa Pīnattsu

Love Vacation – Sung by The Peanuts [With Lyrics] (Including Harmony Chorus)

A refreshing love story unfolding by the summer seaside resonates in the heart with a light, buoyant rhythm.

With a swinging feel that incorporates jazz’s four-beat, it’s a song everyone can enjoy together with handclaps.

Its lovely lyrics and melody bring back nostalgic memories of youth.

The beautiful harmonies of The Peanuts gently wrap the sweet moments by the shore.

Released in April 1963 and performed at that year’s 14th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, the piece was also used as the campaign song for Toray’s summer wear “Vacance Look.” It’s a gentle, singable number, perfect for recreational activities at care facilities.

Since it’s a melody everyone knows, simply clapping along or swaying to the beat is more than enough to enjoy it.