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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- A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
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Spring songs from the early Showa era: A collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring (21–30)
The Port Town of Red CamelliasKirishima Noboru
This is a song by Noboru Kirishima, who was active as a singer and actor from the prewar to the postwar period.
With this piece, he made his first appearance at the 2nd NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 1952 (Showa 27), and went on to perform at the event five times in total with that year’s and subsequent years’ hit songs.
The first recording featuring Kirishima’s vocals was produced in 1950 (Showa 25), and since then the song has been passed down and performed by various renowned singers.
Notably, Kirishima—who aimed to become a tenor during his student days and received formal vocal training—delivers a clear, expansive voice, and the song’s melancholic lyrics leave a strong impression.
Tokyo RhapsodyFujiyama Ichirō
One of the emblematic songs of prewar Showa-era pop, it was released in 1936, showcasing Ichiro Fujiyama’s rich, velvety voice.
Even the use of katakana in the title gives it a radiant, modern feel.
The lyrics feature words like “paradise” and “jazz,” and name Tokyo’s iconic entertainment districts such as Ginza, Kanda, Asakusa, and Shinjuku.
With lines like “Ginza’s tea rooms” and “jazz in Asakusa,” the lush lyrics evoke the excitement of the big city.
Give it a listen and let your thoughts drift to Tokyo as it was back then!
Spring songs from the early Showa era: A collection of popular songs and school songs that evoke spring (31–40)
A Hazy Moonlit Nightshouka
A song that beautifully portrays a spring evening depicts, with delicate nuance, a scene where the setting sun and haze spread over a field of rapeseed blossoms, and a pale moonlight floats in the sky.
Alongside the tranquil countryside, it gently embraces quintessential images of spring in Japan—the hues of the forest, people walking along rice-field paths, the croaking of frogs, and the tolling of bells.
Released in 1914 as a Ministry of Education school song, the work seamlessly marries lyrics by Tatsuyuki Takano with music by Teiichi Okano, and it has long been cherished in educational settings.
It has continued to be loved across generations, with Aiko Moriyama covering it in 2009 and Ai Nishida performing it on a program in June 2023.
As a song to hear on a calm spring evening, it offers a warmth that deeply touches the heart.
The country where cherry blossoms bloomOSK Nihon Kagekidan
The song “Sakura Saku Kuni,” which revives the sentiment of the prewar era, was performed by the OSK Nippon Revue Company.
Since the 1930 production “Spring Dance Sakura,” it has become established as the theme song for their spring performances.
Ever since, it has been cherished across generations.
The lyrics depict cherry blossom petals fluttering in the air, bringing a refreshing breeze of spring to the listener’s heart.
It is also known as a fight song for the professional baseball team, the Kintetsu Buffaloes.
Sakura OndoKouta Katsutaro, Mishima Issei, Tokuyama Tamaki
Sakura Ondo, a staple of Bon Odori festivals, is a famous song that most Japanese people have heard at least once, regardless of age or gender.
Although Sakura Ondo was born in 1934 (Showa 9) as a so-called popular song and also served as the theme song for a film of the same name, there are actually multiple versions, including the films themselves.
Released as a competitive project by four film companies, Sakura Ondo also saw its respective theme songs—each titled Sakura Ondo—issued competitively by four different record companies.
With different people handling the lyrics, composition, and vocals for each, they are effectively different songs despite sharing the same title.
The most famous version was composed by Shinpei Nakayama, who had worked on Tokyo Ondo released the previous year (1933, Showa 8), with lyrics by Takao Saeki, and vocals performed by four singers: Kouta Katsutaro, Issei Mishima, Ren Tokuyama, and Chiyoko Kobayashi.
Just hearing its lively opening will make you want to start dancing!
Spring is still young.Arishima Michio
“Spring, Still Shallow,” which incorporates a song that appears in Takuboku Ishikawa’s short story The Clouds Are Geniuses, is a piece created as the theme song for the 1936 film The Passionate Poet Takuboku: Hometown Chapter.
Takuboku, a leading poet and tanka composer of the Meiji era who died at the young age of 26, is central to its inspiration.
The music was composed by Masao Koga, one of Japan’s most celebrated national composers, and performed by Michio Arima.
In fact, the song is said to be an arrangement of a dormitory song Koga had worked on in the past, which explains why traces of the original’s atmosphere remain.
Happy Hinamatsuri
In 2006, in Japan, 101 songs selected from children’s songs, school songs, and popular songs—chosen by the Agency for Cultural Affairs with the aim of being passed down between parents and children for generations—were announced as the “100 Selections of Japanese Songs.” The piece introduced in this article, “Ureshii Hinamatsuri,” is one of those 101 selections.
It hardly needs explanation as it is a famous children’s song that everyone has heard.
Released in 1935 as a children’s song with lyrics by Hachiro Sato and music by Chokurei Kawamura, “Ureshii Hinamatsuri,” as its title suggests, is themed around the Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri).
Interestingly, despite its lyrics evoking the joy and sentiment of spending a delightful time during Hinamatsuri, the song is set primarily in minor keys—what is commonly called a “minor mode.” It is also true that the lyrics contain some inaccurate depictions of actual Hina dolls.
Nevertheless, the excellence of the composition remains unchanged, which is why, as mentioned at the beginning, it continues to be loved as one of Japan’s representative spring children’s songs.