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!
- [Spring Songs Born in the Showa Era] Carefully Selected: Hit Tunes That Colored Their Times and Timeless Masterpieces Still Sung Today
- [For Seniors] Popular Spring Songs: A Collection of Nursery Rhymes and Kayōkyoku Also Recommended for Music Therapy
- [For Seniors] Recommended spring songs for people in their 90s: A collection of Shōwa-era spring tunes
- [For Seniors] Spring Songs Perfect for the Warm Month of April
- [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 the early Showa era: A collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring (41–50)
Sakura, sakurashouka
When you think of spring, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind cherry blossoms? There are many other famous flowers, but when you close your eyes, what you picture behind your eyelids is a row of cherry trees in bloom.
And this piece, “Sakura Sakura,” is a quintessential Japanese song—a classic sakura song.
It’s also well known as a practice piece for the koto.
You often hear it as background music in scenes meant to symbolize Japan.
It seems that the lyrics were a bit different before 1941, and singing it with the old lyrics can be fun too.
It’s a song that represents Japan’s beautiful four seasons—especially spring.
Happy HinamatsuriKawamura Junko
With the arrival of spring, the Doll’s Festival (Hinamatsuri) is celebrated by decorating with colorful lanterns and peach blossoms.
A song that beautifully captures this seasonal scene is “Ureshii Hinamatsuri” by Junko Kawamura.
Since its release in 1936, this beloved tune has been cherished in homes across Japan, a classic that people of all ages find themselves humming.
Listening to it evokes an immediate sense of spring and brings a gentle warmth to the heart.
The lyrics by Hachirō Satō portray the Hinamatsuri landscape, where family bonds and tender moments intertwine, leaving a deep impression on the listener.
Included on the albums “Junko Kawamura: A Journey Through Children’s Songs I” and “Junko Kawamura: A Journey Through Children’s Songs II,” its nostalgic melody remains timeless even today.
It’s the kind of song you’ll want to hear each time spring returns.
Smiling Backkyandīzu
This is a supreme song by Candies that delicately sings of a woman’s bittersweet feelings before parting with someone dear, carried on a melody as fresh as a spring breeze.
Released in February 1978, it reached number one on the Oricon charts and sold over one million copies in total.
Depicting a couple’s breakup through a moving-day scene, it shows the protagonist looking back on their memories, her smile concealing complex emotions beneath.
It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have experienced parting with someone important in the springtime.
Spring NightMiyagi Michio
This piece beautifully portrays a scene where the pure tones of the koto reverberate through a spring evening wrapped in silence.
Released in 1914 (Taisho 3), it is known as a masterpiece of Japanese music composed by Michio Miyagi at the young age of twenty.
It delicately depicts a man, guided by the sound of the koto on a night scented with white plum blossoms, experiencing a fleeting encounter with a beautiful woman.
The melodies Miyagi wove after overcoming blindness gracefully express the quiet of a spring night and the subtleties of the human heart, opening a new horizon for traditional Japanese music.
This work is recommended for those who wish to feel the changing seasons of Japan and the nuances of emotion.
On a tranquil spring night, why not surrender yourself to the harmonies of koto and shakuhachi?
tricolor violetSakurada Junko
This is a song by Junko Sakurada, released in February 1974, that entrusts the tender feelings of first love to tricolor violets.
Singing of a fleeting romance, the track reached No.
10 on the Oricon chart and sold approximately 186,000 copies.
The fusion of Akuyu’s delicate lyrics and Taiji Nakamura’s evocative melody beautifully captures the aching innocence of a young girl’s love.
The work depicts the emotions of adolescence—where hope and anxiety intertwine—with elegance, while Sakurada’s clear, translucent voice adds depth to the story.
It is a gentle companion for anyone who holds close the longing of waiting and the poignancy of an unfulfilled love.
In conclusion
Now that we’ve taken a generous tour through the retro popular songs of the early Showa era, how did you find it? Popular songs are often said to be mirrors of their times, so I hope you were able to enjoy them along with the atmosphere of the period.
As the editor in charge of this feature, what left the strongest impression on me was the superb projection and high level of vocal skill of Showa-era singers.
The fact that they captured performances of this quality in an era that likely didn’t even have multitrack recorders—let alone pitch correction, which is now used as a matter of course—is truly astonishing.
“Showa has receded into the past”… it’s a phrase we hear from time to time, but I believe that listening to the singers of that era still offers a great deal to young people who aspire to be vocalists today.
I would be delighted if this feature could be of help in that regard as well.