[For Seniors] Spring Songs You'll Want to Hum: Feel the Season with Nostalgic Classics

butterfly

♪ Butterfly – Choucho | ♪ Butterfly, butterfly, alight on the rapeseed flowers [Japanese song / shoka]

“Butterfly,” also known as a children’s song.

It’s a tune that celebrates the arrival of spring and lifts your spirits with a buoyant feeling.

In fact, it’s said to be a children’s song from Europe and America that was adapted into Japanese! The first verse is the most widely known, but there are apparently up to four verses, so it could be interesting to do some research.

You could even come up with your own arranged lyrics! In recreational activities at senior care facilities, doing exercises to this song or having a sing-along could really liven things up.

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Song of Springshouka

Mixed Chorus Piece “Spring Song” — Moto Uchida (arranged by Takeshi Yoshinao)

This is a heartwarming song that began airing in March 1937 (Showa 12) on NHK’s Osaka Central Broadcasting Station as a National Song.

Composed by Hajime Uchida with lyrics by Kunizo Kishi, its melody has a familiar warmth that resonated with people’s daily lives at the time.

Across its four verses, the lyrics depict charming scenes: the sweet gaze of a flower seller, the bustle of a market lined with fresh vegetables, the chirping of fledgling birds, and a spring landscape swaying in a gentle breeze.

A record was released by Polydor in July of the same year, followed by a release from Teichiku the next year.

The song has been covered by many artists, including Chieko Baisho and the sisters Saori Yuki and Sachiko Yasuda, and it continues to be beloved as a piece that lets listeners share the joy of spring’s arrival.

It’s a tune you’ll want to hum with family and friends as the season signals the beginning of spring.

Oh, the pastures are greenChekosurobakia min’yō

Green Are the Meadows (Oo, Makiba wa Midori) with Lyrics – Suginami Children's Choir – Czech Folk Song

This is a Czechoslovak folk song that gently sings of a lush, green pastoral landscape.

With a friendly melody and refreshing lyrics that conjure up soothing scenes of nature, it’s full of charm that makes you want to hum along.

Introduced in April 1961 during the very first broadcast of “Minna no Uta,” it has since become a beloved classic in Japan.

It is also known for being performed by the Tokyo Broadcasting Children’s Choir on an NHK program.

Why not sing it together during a music recreation session, imagining the beautiful scenery of the meadows and the young people singing? It might even spark nostalgic conversations and fond memories.

This roadSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

This Road | With Lyrics | Radio Kayō (Radio Songs) | One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs | This is the road I once walked

This classic that portrays the beauty of Japan’s changing seasons is a masterpiece of lyrical song, with music by Kósçak Yamada set to a poem by Hakushū Kitahara.

Its bright, gentle melody and vividly scenic lyrics blend in perfect harmony.

The soothing, healing tone of the piece reminds us of the joy of singing.

Since its release in 1927 in a recording by Yoshie Fujiwara, it has continued to be loved by many.

It’s an ideal song for a music recreation activity everyone can enjoy together.

Why not spend a heartwarming moment sharing fond memories as you listen?

Song of MayYakushi: Aoyagi Zengo / Sakkyoku: Mōtsuaruto

Song of May | Japanese lyrics | German lied | Joyful is May, the grasses and trees are budding

Set to a famous piece composed by Mozart, this song features richly expressive Japanese lyrics by the poet Zengo Aoyagi—perfect for the fresh, verdant season of early summer.

Included in an elementary school music textbook in 1947, it has long been loved by many.

The work gently portrays the beauty of spring and the feelings of delight it inspires.

Along with its pleasant melody, it evokes springtime joys sensed through all five senses: the murmur of a brook, the scent of violets, and young leaves swaying in a soft breeze—wrapping listeners in a warm, cheerful mood.

How about singing it together with older adults during a music recreation session? As nostalgic memories blossom into conversation, everyone can savor the arrival of spring to their heart’s content.

Spring Night

Spring Night – Miyagi 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?

A small nutSakushi: Umino Yōji / Sakkyoku: G. Bizet

The Little Fruit | With Lyrics | From the opera “La jolie fille de Perth” | One in a Small Palm

A gem of a work based on a classical music masterpiece that portrays the warm bond between father and child.

The image of a boy running across the grassland and the message from his father embedded within it have earned this piece enduring affection as a quietly moving classic.

It was first broadcast in October 1971 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” where Teruko Ōba’s performance drew a tremendous response.

It was featured again on “Minna no Uta” in 1983 and 1995 and has since been covered by numerous artists.

With Father’s Day in June approaching, it’s recommended as a song seniors can enjoy together with their children and grandchildren.

Its gentle melody and heartwarming content also provide a wonderful spark for sharing memories.