[For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities

Valentine KissKunikyo Sayuri

Valentine Kiss

When it comes to events in February, many people probably think of Valentine’s Day.

As a classic Valentine’s song, Sayuri Kokusho’s solo debut track continues to be loved even today.

Released in 1986, this song is memorable for its bright, bouncy melody and lyrics that charmingly express the feelings of being in love.

It was also well known as the ending theme for Fuji TV’s “Monday Drama Land.” The catchy chorus has an irresistible quality that makes you want to hum along after just one listen.

Even after many years since its release, it still plays on TV and in shops every February, making it a true seasonal tradition.

If everyone sings it together during recreation time, it might spark lively conversations about Valentine’s memories.

Snow TrainMaekawa Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi Maekawa “Snow Train”

This is a classic by Kiyoshi Maekawa that sings of winter travel, set against snowy landscapes and scenes of a passing train.

Released as a single in October 1982, it’s known as an ambitious work with lyrics by Shigesato Itoi and music by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

There’s even an anecdote that Sakamoto spent three days recording, trying to recreate the resonance of Japanese taiko drums using a drum kit, resulting in a modern sound that transcends the enka genre.

The image of a train running through quietly falling snow comes vividly to mind, and the feelings for one’s hometown and the ache of parting gently resonate in the heart.

On a cold winter’s day, singing it together indoors might bring back memories of journeys from long ago.

fresh snowSakushi: Saeki Takao / Sakkyoku: Sasaki Shun’ichi

Fresh Snow, Showa 17 (sung by Katsuhiko Haida), Lyrics by Takao Saeki, Music by Shunichi Sasaki

This song, released in 1942 as the theme for a Daiei film, features lyrics by Takao Saeki, music by Shun’ichi Sasaki, and vocals by Katsuhiko Haida.

Its memorable lyrics evoke the feeling of gazing up at snow-covered peaks tinged with violet haze and overlay a prayer for youth upon the pure, sunlit snowscape.

The imagery of snowy mountains conveys the hopes of youth and a resolve for the future.

Haida’s clear, expansive tenor blends beautifully with the gentle melody, and the song has been cherished across generations—sung even after the war on programs like the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

As the snow begins to fall, why not hum it while picturing winter’s scenes? It’s a heartwarming winter classic, especially recommended for those who love mountains and nature.

You like whisky, don’t you?Ishikawa Sayuri

You like whisky, don’t you?

Sayuri Ishikawa’s song conjures the image of a grown-up, tranquil scene—lingering over a glass at a bar late at night.

Released in 1991 under the name SAYURI, the track was created as a commercial song for Suntory’s Crest 12-year-old whisky and marked a striking departure from her enka image, embracing a full-on jazz and mood-kayō flavor.

Composed by Makoto Sugii, its refined atmosphere—born from string arrangements and vocals that deliberately forgo enka-style embellishments—harmonizes beautifully with lyrics that feel as if they’re spoken across a bar counter.

Since 2007, it has been revived as the theme for commercials for Kaku-bin and has continued to be covered by many artists, including The Gospellers and Hanaregumi.

Though it presents a different kind of difficulty than enka, why not surrender yourself to its chic vibe and enjoy singing it with ease?

The person I fell in love withMiyako Harumi

The person I fell in love with

Even while singing of parting, this enka masterpiece somehow gives you the strength to look ahead.

Released as a single by Harumi Miyako in September 1968, its repeated opening words strikingly capture a heart in turmoil.

Rather than blaming the other person, the song resonates for the way it sends them off while bearing one’s own pain.

Although it peaked at No.

24 on the Oricon chart, it stayed ranked for 38 weeks, becoming a long‑loved bestseller.

It was used as an insert song in the 1991 animated film “Only Yesterday” (Omohide Poro Poro) and chosen as the ending theme for the 1999 film “Big Show! Utaeba Hawai.” A legendary moment often recalled is its performance as the first-ever encore in the 1984 NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

On a winter’s day, why not hum it softly as you look back on your memories?

Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)Sakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

Pechka (Winter Children's Song)

This is a nursery song that paints a warm scene of people gathered around a fireplace, talking on a cold, snowy night.

Created by the golden duo of Hakushū Kitahara and Kōsaku Yamada for children living in Manchuria, it was included in the 1924 collection Manchurian Songbook: For Elementary Grades 1 and 2.

Later, it was featured on NHK’s Minna no Uta from December 1965 to January 1966, and gained wider popularity thanks to visuals by picture-book artist Rokurō Taniuchi.

You can almost feel the quiet of the night as they gaze into the fire, savoring the aroma of roasted chestnuts and the crackle of sparks.

Even when it’s cold outside, the warmth of time spent with family seeps into the heart—making this a perfect song for winter.

Octopus SongMonbushō shōka

Octopus Song (♪ Kite, kite, fly high ~) by Himawari 🌻 with Lyrics [One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs]

When New Year’s comes around, many of us may remember gazing up at kites soaring high in the sky.

Published in school textbooks in 1910 as a Ministry of Education song, this piece lists neither lyricist nor composer.

In simple, child-friendly language, it depicts a kite catching the wind and rising to the clouds, to the very heavens, as well as the playful scene of guiding it by pulling and loosening the string.

Despite its simple melody, the composition naturally conveys the lively sense of the kite climbing into the sky.

Humming it together at a New Year’s gathering will bring back memories of nostalgic winter days and make for a heartwarming moment.