When you hear “spring,” what songs come to mind?In the early Showa era, spanning from before to after the war, many popular songs, school songs, and children’s songs were created that delicately captured the changing seasons.In this special feature, we present a rich selection of songs and school songs about spring from that time.Some of the linked audio-video materials use original recordings from the era, so please savor the spring air of those days along with the retro sound.We hope you enjoy a gentle springtime, humming along to these nostalgic melodies.
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Spring songs from early Showa era. A collection of popular songs and school songs that evoke spring (1–10)
Green breezesakushi: shimizu katsura / sakkyoku: kusakawa shin
Broadcast nationwide via NHK Radio in January 1948, shortly after the war, this work is one of the quintessential children’s songs of the Showa era, depicting the cheerful arrival of spring and children’s wholesome play.
The lyrics were written by Katsura Shimizu, known for “Kutsu ga Naru,” and the music was composed by Shin Kusakawa; the sunny melodies woven by the duo cast a warm light on Japan during its period of reconstruction.
In fact, the piece has remained beloved across generations, even being used in a 2006 TV commercial by Asahi Kasei Homes.
The lyrics feature butterflies and a brook, expressing the joy of playing amid tranquil nature, making it perfect for those who wish to reminisce about nostalgic Showa-era scenery.
A monument to the song also stands in Wako City, Saitama Prefecture, and it continues to be cherished by the local community as a classic.
Flowers of the trifoliate orangeSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku
This classic piece, crafted by the golden duo of Japanese music history—Hakushu Kitahara and Kósçak Yamada—is a sentimental song that portrays the changing seasons through white flowers, blue thorns, and golden fruit ripening in autumn.
The lyrics are said to be based on Yamada’s poignant childhood memories, with the composition completed in January 1925 and first published that May in the magazine Josei (Women).
In fact, a television drama of the same title aired on Nippon TV’s Yamaichi Masterpiece Theater starting in April 1958, and in 2007 it was selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Japanese Songs,” a testament to its enduring popularity.
If you’d like to reminisce about childhood memories with the arrival of spring, or savor the beautiful sound of the Japanese language, I highly recommend listening closely to this song.
Spring somewhereSakushi: Momota Sōji / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin
In the lingering chill of early spring, don’t you sometimes catch a hint of the season to come in a fleeting moment? It’s at times like these that you naturally find yourself humming this piece composed by Shin Kusakawa.
Rather than announcing a flamboyant arrival of spring, its lyrics, which invite you to listen closely and sense the turning of the seasons, create a quietly moving children’s song.
This work was published in March 1923 in the magazine Shogaku Dansei, with lyrics by the poet Soji Momota.
Cherished for many years through textbooks and collections of children’s songs, it was selected in 2007 for the 100 Best Songs of Japan by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Congress of PTA.
It seems like the perfect song for quietly rejoicing in the certain coming of spring, or for parents and children to feel the season together.
Haze or cloud?shouka
When you stroll through the fields and hills in spring, don’t you sometimes feel your heart leap at the faint songs of little birds? Published in March of 1883 in The Elementary School Song Collection, Part II, this piece sets Japanese lyrics to a German folk melody and is cherished as a song that symbolizes spring in Japan.
In fact, when it was included in textbooks in 1947, the lyrics were changed to the familiar version we know today, penned by Katsuo Shōfu.
Perhaps one of the charms of school songs is how their form evolves as they are passed down through the ages.
Loved for many years as educational material, it can also be heard in beautiful harmony on albums like the Doyo/Shoka series by Saori Yuki and Shoko Yasuda.
It’s a tune you’ll want to hum as a companion on a walk in the gentle spring sunlight.
Flower Towndōyō
Flowers in the Town, which spread through the NHK radio program “Women’s Hour” in 1947 (Showa 22), is a quintessential postwar spring children’s song whose beautiful lyrics by Shoko Ema and refined melody by Ikuma Dan resonate deeply.
Imbued with an earnest prayer for peace, this work brought people in Japan—where war scars still lingered—visions of an almost dreamlike, longed-for spring.
Released as a single in April 1952 and later selected in 2006 for the “100 Best Japanese Songs,” it remains beloved across generations.
Many likely sang it in school classes or choir competitions.
Within its fantastical worldview lies a depth where a hint of real sorrow slips in, making it a song to be quietly passed down on gentle spring days while reflecting on the preciousness of peace.