[For Seniors] Recommended Songs for New Year’s Parties: Nursery Rhymes, Children’s Songs, and Popular Songs to Liven Up Even on Cold Days

Mount FujiSakushi: Iwaya Konami/Sakkyokuka: Fushō

Mount Fuji (Fuji no Yama) 🗻 (♪ With its head above the clouds~) by Himawari 🌻×3 with lyrics | Ministry of Education Song [100 Selected Japanese Songs] | Fuji Mountain

Fuji no Yama (Mount Fuji), which depicts the majestic beauty of Japan’s Mount Fuji, is a song from the Ministry of Education’s collection of school songs.

It is also sometimes titled “Fujinoyama.” Its first appearance is said to be in the Shoka (song) section of the Elementary School Reader published in 1910.

The composer is unknown; the lyrics were written by Iwaya Sazanami, a writer, children’s author, and haiku poet.

As a song long cherished in Japan, listening to or singing it will surely delight older generations as well.

Its relaxed tempo and soaring melody seem to convey the dignified presence of Mount Fuji.

It is a piece that invites you to stand tall and sing with a beautiful, resonant voice.

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Let yourself go with the flow of timeTeresa Ten

Leave oneself to the flow of time / Teresa Teng (with lyrics)

The songs of Teresa Teng, the diva of Asia, are full of melodies that bring back nostalgic memories for many seniors.

This piece, infused with deep feelings for a loved one and a resolve to go with the flow of time, is a classic that resonates with many hearts.

Released in 1986, it became a huge hit not only in Japan but across Asia.

The Chinese version was also popular, and it reportedly ranked second in a 2010 list of Teresa Teng’s songs.

Singing it together at a New Year’s party would surely make for wonderful memories.

And for those who find it difficult to sing, keeping rhythm with handclaps is a great way to enjoy it too.

Kiyoshi’s Zundoko SongHikawa Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi Hikawa / Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi [Official]

With its lively, uplifting rhythm and heartfelt lyrics, this song is truly captivating.

Released in 2002, it is cherished as one of Kiyoshi Hikawa’s signature numbers.

Loved nationwide as a Bon Odori staple, the song centers on themes of facing life’s hardships with resolve, bonds with family, and a deep affection for one’s hometown.

Singing it at a New Year’s party is sure to warm the hearts of older attendees.

Accompanied by a nostalgic yet hopeful voice, it’s perfect for everyone to clap along and dance together.

It will surely fill the entire venue with smiles.

A Journey Through Wind and SnowKitajima Saburō

Saburo Kitajima “Kansetsu Nagare Tabi” (Official Audio)

Set against the harshness of winter, this moving song portrays a man’s journey and way of life.

Saburō Kitajima’s powerful vocals vividly depict a man who keeps playing the shamisen amid falling snow.

Released in September 1980, the single sold a total of 2.5 million copies and won the 1st Masao Koga Memorial Music Award.

It was performed multiple times on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen starting in its release year, and in 1981 it even closed the show, cementing its status as a classic that resonates with many.

This piece conveys human resilience that won’t yield to the cold of winter and a fervent passion for music.

Listening to it with older adults may help you share in life’s hardships and joys together.

New Year (Japanese New Year)shouka

New Year (with gestures) [Japanese Songs / Children's Songs]

“Oshogatsu” (New Year’s) is a Japanese children’s song that captures the excitement kids feel as they look forward to the New Year.

Its lyrics are filled with classic New Year activities like kite flying, spinning tops, and bouncing a handball, and they bring back happy memories.

Since its debut in 1901, it has been loved for over a hundred years.

Singing it with older adults may spark lively conversations as they recall how New Year’s used to be.

With its gentle melody and easy-to-hum tune, why not sing it together and enjoy the New Year atmosphere?

Snowy TownTakayoshio

Snowy Town / Ei Otoko Takashi & Dark Ducks

With its slightly austere melodic line that paints a scene of steadily falling snow, “Yuki no Furu Machi o” (The Snowy Town) was released in 1952.

The lyrics by Naoya Uchimura and the melody by composer Yoshinao Nakata were originally written in 1951 as an insert song for an NHK radio drama.

It is said that the composer conceived and completed the melody while visiting Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture.

The song’s structure is sophisticated, featuring a shift from minor to major chords in the chorus.

The choral parts are also beautiful, perfectly matching winter scenery.

Why not play this classic old hit at a New Year’s gathering for seniors?

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Early Spring OdeSakushi: Nakata Akira / Sakkyoku: Yoshimaru Kazumasa

Early Spring Anthem / Lyrics: Kazumasa Yoshimaru / Music: Akira Nakada / Vocals: Ayano Nonomura

Early Spring Rhapsody is a celebrated song whose lyrics vividly depict landscapes that evoke the arrival of spring.

It portrays scenes from Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture through the Azumino area, letting us sense the lingering traces of winter and the warm promise of spring.

One can imagine the clear air and beautiful scenery spreading out before them.

Selected for the “100 Best Japanese Songs,” it continues to appear in school textbooks as a representative song of spring in Japan.

For many seniors, it is a piece that resonates with fond memories.

It’s best enjoyed at a relaxed pace while savoring the feeling of spring’s approach.