Songs to give for an 88th-birthday celebration (Beiju). Heartwarming classics and popular tunes.

There are various terms corresponding to different ages for longevity celebrations, such as kanreki and koki, but do you know how old “beiju” refers to?

Beiju is 88 years old in traditional Japanese age counting.

It is said to come from the fact that the character for “rice” (米) can be broken down into the components for eighty-eight (八十八).

In this article, we’ve compiled classic Japanese songs that you’ll want to sing or gift for a beiju celebration.

Our lineup centers on timeless enka and kayōkyoku, while also including recent J-pop.

We hope you’ll find songs that the whole family—especially the grandchildren—can sing together to celebrate your grandpa’s or grandma’s beiju!