[Sing for your health!] Popular songs among seniors. Also recommended for recreational activities.
Music has always enriched people’s hearts, no matter the era.
For older adults as well, there are surely countless songs filled with memories.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs that are popular among seniors.
Just listening to a nostalgic tune can make you feel as if you’ve time-traveled back to those days.
Let’s listen to the songs you used to sing when you were young and reminisce together.
For seniors, singing can support health by improving cardiopulmonary function, stimulating the brain, and promoting emotional stability.
Of course, it’s wonderful to listen to your favorite songs—and we recommend humming along too.
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Sing for Your Health! Popular Songs for Seniors. Also Recommended for Recreational Activities (41–50)
Hello from countries around the worldMinami Haruo

Released in March 1967, this heartwarming song by Haruo Minami became a beloved national favorite, selling over three million copies as the theme song for Expo ’70 in Osaka.
Its heartfelt wish for global exchange and peace is gently wrapped in a friendly melody and bright, uplifting vocals.
Expressing human connection through warm smiles and handshakes, the song has continued to be cherished as a bridge linking people across generations.
We believe it will bring back fond memories and offer a wonderful time as seniors enjoy singing it together.
Grandfather’s Clock

A classic song that weaves a moving story, it tenderly captures the deep bond between a grandfather and his old clock.
Inspired by a pendulum clock Henry Clay Work encountered at a hotel in England, it was created in 1876.
Its gentle melody and heartwarming lyrics make it irresistibly singable for everyone.
Upon release, the sheet music became a smash hit in the United States, selling one million copies, and after being featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” it gained further attention through a cover by Ken Hirai.
It was adapted into a film in December 2022, drawing renewed interest.
It’s a perfect song for joyful gatherings, evoking warmth and nostalgia through the feelings for a clock that has marked time together.
Love VacationZa Pīnattsu

A refreshing love story unfolding by the summer seaside resonates in the heart with a light, buoyant rhythm.
With a swinging feel that incorporates jazz’s four-beat, it’s a song everyone can enjoy together with handclaps.
Its lovely lyrics and melody bring back nostalgic memories of youth.
The beautiful harmonies of The Peanuts gently wrap the sweet moments by the shore.
Released in April 1963 and performed at that year’s 14th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, the piece was also used as the campaign song for Toray’s summer wear “Vacance Look.” It’s a gentle, singable number, perfect for recreational activities at care facilities.
Since it’s a melody everyone knows, simply clapping along or swaying to the beat is more than enough to enjoy it.
Melancholy TrainMitsubishi Michiya

A gem of a classic, woven from a universally memorable melody and a line steeped in nostalgia.
Michiya Mihashi’s expansive vocals—honed through his background in folk songs—richly convey the poignant sorrow of parting from a loved one.
With its universal themes that touch on the subtleties of life and lyrics that resonate deeply, the song invites empathy from many.
Since its 1956 release, it has been a massive hit, selling over 2.5 million copies, and was even adapted into a film the following year.
It is also a memorable piece that marked his first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
This work is perfect for enjoying together while sharing a sense of connection.
We hope you’ll hum or clap along as you bask in nostalgic memories.
BoyhoodInoue Yosui

In Inoue Yosui’s classic song, a gentle yet resonant melody intertwines with nostalgic lyrics, suffused with reflections on youth.
Idyllic summer scenes and memories alive in the mind are spun into poetic expression, tenderly enveloping those treasured moments we keep safe in our hearts.
Since its release in September 1990, it has continued to be loved as a movie theme and a commercial song, and in 1991 it was also used in a Sony Handycam commercial.
Included on the album “Handsome Boy,” this is a tune you’ll want to hum when everyone gathers together.
Why not spend a heartwarming moment as you share stories and let memories blossom?
tea pickingMonbushō shōka

This is a celebrated song from the Ministry of Education’s school song repertoire, passed down since the Meiji era, beautifully portraying the changing seasons.
It vividly depicts the refreshing early-summer scenery and the peaceful scene of people picking tea.
With images of fresh greenery around the Eighty-Eighth Night, tea-pickers’ work garments, and rural landscapes, it conveys traditional Japanese life along with a gentle melody.
Since its inclusion in 1912 in “Elementary School Songs for the Third Grade (Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka),” it has been widely loved through school education.
This piece is a song everyone can enjoy singing together, often tied to fond memories.
Its charm also lies in incorporating simple hand motions while singing, allowing for a heartwarming time.
It’s okayHikawa Kiyoshi

Life brings various hardships and joys, and Kiyoshi Hikawa delivers a warm, gentle song that embraces them all.
Released in 2019, this work expresses the sadness and feelings of love that everyone experiences through his beautiful vocals.
Like the moon setting and the sun rising, its hopeful message—that tomorrow will surely come—resonates in the heart.
Also included on the album “Shin Enka Meikyoku Collection 9,” this piece is perfect for singing along at recreational gatherings.
Its friendly, singable melody and uplifting lyrics are part of its charm.


