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 from the early Showa era: A collection of popular songs and school songs that evoke spring (31–40)
Spring at the BorderHaruo Oka
Haruo Oka was a popular singer who rose to fame from before the war through the postwar era, scoring huge hits in his peak years in the late 1940s with songs like “A Longing Voyage to Hawaii.” His landmark debut single was “Spring at the Border,” released in 1939 (Showa 14).
The lyrics, seemingly sung from the perspective of a protagonist staying on the border between the Soviet Union and Manchukuo at the time, evoke a poignant yearning for spring back home in Japan.
Oka’s refined, impeccable vocals lend compelling weight to the song’s unique sense of melancholy.
hometownshouka
Blue mountains, pure waters, and memories of childhood play.
The gentle melody that wraps these scenes of a beloved hometown, along with feelings for family and friends living far away, holds a universal appeal that resonates with everyone.
First published in 1914 as a Ministry of Education school song, this piece was created by Tatsuyuki Takano and Teiichi Okano, vividly reflecting the rural landscapes and lifestyles of Japan at the time.
It was sung at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, moving countless people.
Its simple, memorable melody in G major and triple meter continues to be sung at life’s milestones, such as graduation and coming-of-age ceremonies.
With lyrics and melody that evoke nostalgia, it is truly a song that stands by all who live away from their hometowns—a work that can be said to symbolize the heart of Japan.
Has the plum blossomed?
Ume wa Saita ka has been sung as an Edo hauta.
Nowadays, it’s best known as a parlor song performed to shamisen accompaniment, with geisha dancing to it.
The plum blossom is a flower that heralds spring and makes us feel its approach, yet the plum season is still quite cold.
One might expect the song to be about yearning for what comes after the plums—the scene of cherry blossoms in bloom and the mild weather of that time—but in fact it sings of the changing of human hearts and expresses feelings toward the opposite sex.
Lyrics that seem neatly tied to spring—like references to clams and short-necked clams—turn out, on closer reading, to carry quite different meanings.
We Look Up to You with Respectshouka
A classic song for spring is Aogeba Tōtoshi, familiar from graduation ceremonies.
For many people, hearing this song brings back the feeling that spring has arrived.
Although the details of the song are unclear, it was first published in the 1884 collection Shōgaku Shōka (Elementary School Songs).
Spring has come.
The children’s song “Haru ga Kita” is a classic that evokes the beauty of Japan’s four seasons.
It depicts spring arriving in the mountains, villages, and fields through simple, familiar melodies and lyrics.
You can almost see spring scenes of flowers blooming and birds singing.
Composed in the Meiji era, the song has been cherished for over a hundred years in Japanese music education and cultural events.
The lyrics, filled with the joy of spring’s arrival, convey the happiness of having endured a long winter.
It’s the perfect song when you want to feel the coming of spring along with nostalgic memories.
Spring songs from the early Showa era: A collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring (41–50)
Spring Stream
As a children’s song about spring, this is surely the first one that comes to mind for many people.
The piece “Haru no Ogawa” (Spring Stream) was released in 1912 as a Ministry of Education school song, and it has been loved for many years as a seasonal children’s song.
The 1912 version has lyrics up to the third verse, but the lyrics were revised in 1942 and again in 1947, resulting in the version we know today.
Rather than a song you want to listen to in spring itself, it’s one that makes you feel excited as spring approaches—perfect to start incorporating around February to boost that mood.
Come, spring
Many of you were probably longing for winter to end and waiting eagerly for spring.
Haru yo Koi captures that yearning for spring and the buoyant feeling as it draws near.
It was composed in 1923, yet it remains a beloved classic today.
Its slow melody makes it easy to sing, and the short lyrics are easy to remember.
It’s also a song that lets you feel spring’s warmth.
By the way, the little girl who appears in the song is said to be the daughter of Gofū Sōma, the lyricist.
