Spring songs from the early Showa era: a collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring
When you hear “early Showa era,” what period do you imagine?
In this special feature, we’ve focused on the early Showa years from before the war to just after it, selecting songs centered on popular tunes, school songs, and children’s songs from that time.
To help you fully enjoy the “retro Showa vibe,” we’ve tried to choose linked audio/video materials that use the original recordings whenever possible.
We hope to convey the spring atmosphere of the early Showa era along with the nostalgic mono sound quality.
As you recall those days, please join us in humming along and enjoy!
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- [Spring Songs] Spring tunes and classic spring hits. Popular spring songs.
- [Children’s Songs] Let’s Sing of Spring! A Fun Collection of Nursery Rhymes, Folk Songs, and Children’s Songs
- [Spring Songs] Masterpieces to Listen to in April: Classic Tracks that Color the Month
- Enka spring songs you want to listen to carefully: classic pieces that evoke the feeling of spring in Japan.
- Moving songs to listen to in spring. Classic and popular spring tracks.
- Spring song medley. The best classic tunes to listen to in spring.
- A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
- Time-travel back to your memories just by listening! Spring songs recommended for people in their 50s
- [Spring Songs] Masterpieces for Mid-Spring to Listen to in March. Spring Tunes
Spring songs from early Showa era. A collection of popular songs and school songs that evoke spring (1–10)
Flowershouka
It is a classic children’s song that gently portrays scenes of spring.
A beautiful piece that conjures images of cherry blossoms in full bloom and petals dancing on the spring breeze.
Through the depiction of flowers in their glory, the lyrics express the joy of spring’s arrival.
It’s a familiar song for many older adults as well, so why not hum along together? Nostalgic memories will come flooding back, warming the heart.
It’s also perfect as a companion for a springtime stroll.
Savoring the change of seasons while walking at a relaxed pace sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
Elegy of SpringShōji Shirō
Spring Elegy, which conveys the atmosphere of early Showa to the present day, is a masterpiece sung with heartfelt emotion by Shiro Shoji.
Released in 1934, this song, which entrusts its plea to flowers symbolizing lost love and the transience of spring while yielding to the tides of the era, became a foundation that enriched the music scene thereafter.
Shoji’s voice gently accompanies the lyrics that depict the pain of parting, resulting in a performance that resonates deeply.
It evokes a certain nostalgia and a stirring emotion that anyone can feel.
Maiden of the LakesideKikuchi Akiko
Akiko Kikuchi, a singer who earned full mastery of the biwa at the age of six, made her debut as a vocalist in 1939.
Her single “Lakeside Maiden,” released on November 15, 1942, became a major hit as the theme song for the film Farewell by the Lakeside.
Its clear, soaring high tones and lyrical melody evoke the charm of Japan’s bygone musical era.
It’s an emotional number you’ll want to hear while paying attention to the lyrics, which are steeped in the beauty of the Japanese language.
Spring songs from the early Showa era: A collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring (11–20)
The Night Wind of the JourneyKirishima Noboru, Misu Koromubia
“Tabi no Yokaze” is a Showa-era popular song released in 1938.
It was composed as the theme song for the film Aizen Katsura, which was based on a novel depicting a quintessential ‘star-crossed’ romance, and it became a smash hit for the time, selling over 800,000 copies.
Even if people don’t know the song’s title, many will recognize it when the opening lyrics play and say, “That’s the song from Aizen Katsura, isn’t it?” The understated yet expressive vocal performance by Noboru Kirishima and Miss Columbia remains moving even today.
Song of SpringUchida Hajime
This is a heartwarming song that began airing in March 1937 (Showa 12) on NHK’s Osaka Central Broadcasting Station as a National Song.
Composed by Hajime Uchida with lyrics by Kunizo Kishi, its melody has a familiar warmth that resonated with people’s daily lives at the time.
Across its four verses, the lyrics depict charming scenes: the sweet gaze of a flower seller, the bustle of a market lined with fresh vegetables, the chirping of fledgling birds, and a spring landscape swaying in a gentle breeze.
A record was released by Polydor in July of the same year, followed by a release from Teichiku the next year.
The song has been covered by many artists, including Chieko Baisho and the sisters Saori Yuki and Sachiko Yasuda, and it continues to be beloved as a piece that lets listeners share the joy of spring’s arrival.
It’s a tune you’ll want to hum with family and friends as the season signals the beginning of spring.
Over the hillFujiyama Ichirō
This is the signature hit that cemented the popularity of Ichiro Fujiyama, the mega-star also known for the smash classic “Aoi Sanmyaku” and the first singer to receive the People’s Honor Award during his lifetime.
“Oka o Koete” traces its origins to “Picnic,” a mandolin ensemble piece composed by Japan’s beloved national composer Masao Koga for the Meiji University Mandolin Club.
Later, with lyrics added by Yoshifumi Shimada, it was released in 1931 as the theme song for the film “Ane” (Elder Sister), becoming the “Oka o Koete” we know today.
The anecdote of Koga, then a student at Meiji University, composing the piece while strumming his own mandolin and thinking of those youthful days of cherry blossoms in full bloom that would never return, is itself like a scene from a movie—so lovely, isn’t it? Why not listen to this song as performed by Fujiyama—who graduated at the top of his class from the Tokyo Music School and possessed a naturally rich voice and impeccable precision—and let it evoke images of springtime from your own youth?
Maiden’s SpringAwaya Noriko
This is a song by Noriko Awaya, a pioneer of chanson in Japan who was also affectionately known as the “Queen of Blues.” Otome no Haru (Maiden’s Spring) was released in 1934 (Showa 9), with music by Yuji Koseki and lyrics by Yoshifumi Shimada.
Strongly imbued with the atmosphere of the Showa era, its gentle sound by the Columbia Orchestra is striking, evoking the warmth of spring.
The lyrics depict a woman in scenes related to spring, expressing moments such as gazing into the distance in contemplation and shedding tears.
