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

campfireSakushi: Tatsumi Seika / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru

Bonfire | With Lyrics | 100 Best Japanese Songs | At the fence, at the fence, at the bend

This is a classic winter children’s song that depicts children warming themselves by a bonfire near a hedge.

The poet Seika Tatsumi wrote the lyrics based on a scene of burning fallen leaves he witnessed in Kamitakada, Nakano Ward, Tokyo, and Shigeru Watanabe composed the music.

It was first broadcast on NHK Radio in 1941, and after being sung again on “Uta no Obasan” in 1949, it spread nationwide.

In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” The image of children rubbing their chilblained hands and asking each other, “Shall we warm up?” as they walk down a cold, windblown road evokes a certain nostalgic warmth.

The melody is easy to remember, and its charm lies in how naturally you find yourself humming along with handclaps.

If you sing it at a New Year’s gathering, it might spark lively conversations about old winter memories.

Early Spring OdeSakushi: Ichimasa Yoshimaru / Sakkyoku: Akira Nakata

Early Spring Anthem (♪ Only the name is spring) with lyrics explained by Himawari 🌻×9, Chorus [One of Japan’s 100 Selected Songs]

Although the calendar says it is spring, this piece sings of the lingering chill and the faint unease of the season.

It is said that lyricist Isshō Yoshimaru drew inspiration from the scenery of Azumino, waiting for the snow to melt, when he visited Ōmachi City in Nagano Prefecture to compose a school anthem for a local junior high.

The delicate wording vividly depicts an early-spring scene: in the valleys the nightingales have yet to sing, the ice thaws and reeds begin to sprout, yet snow-filled skies persist.

Since its inclusion in the 1913 songbook New Compositions for Singing, Volume III, it has been passed down in schools and choral settings.

As the cold winds of January still blow, why not hum this piece while looking forward to the spring that is soon to come?

Winter Fantasykazan

Cousin “Winter Fantasy” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

This heartwarming winter classic is notable for its touching lyrics and melody.

Released by Cuzn in October 1995, it was also featured in a Sapporo Beer commercial.

The lyrics, which depict a special story between two people, express warm human connections during the cold season.

Beloved by many, the song reached as high as No.

8 on the Oricon charts.

It’s a piece that may evoke nostalgia for older listeners as well.

Conveying the importance of feeling each other’s warmth and supporting one another even in the winter chill, it could be lovely to listen to together with seniors and let it spark conversations about cherished 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.

Ski Song

Ski Song

When it comes to songs that evoke images of vast ski slopes and snowy landscapes, “Ski no Uta” (The Ski Song) comes to mind.

Composed as a Japanese children’s song, it was also included in music textbooks.

It depicts the scene of gliding over snow-blanketed ground, resonating with a bright melodic line.

Older adults who have experience skiing may find it nostalgic.

Its lively rhythm makes you want to sway your body from side to side, just like when you’re skiing.

Try singing it together with everyone or clapping along to liven things up.

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Mother’s Songkubota satoru

Mother's Song (with lyrics)

This is a children’s song by Satoshi Kubota that quietly stirs the heart with feelings for one’s mother.

Composed in 1956, it was also broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1962, sung by Peggy Hayama.

The piece was born from Kubota’s own experiences of evacuation during the war and his memories of receiving hand-knitted items from his mother.

It portrays a mother staying up late into the night to knit gloves, and the warmth carried by letters from home.

It may bring back days when you were supported by your mother, or memories from when you were raising your own children.

A heartwarming song that renews one’s sense of gratitude to mothers.

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.