[For Seniors] Speaking of July, it’s this song! A selection of tunes to enjoy the hot summer

Seagull SailorSakushi: Takeuchi Toshiko / Sakkyoku: Kawamura Mitsuyo

[Music Recreation/Lyrics Included] Children's Song: Seagull Sailor (For Senior Care Facilities)

This song expresses the image of seagulls—so often associated with the sea—through light, buoyant sounds and the feel of the words.

A charming touch is the cute worldview that likens the seagull’s all-white body to a sailor’s white uniform.

Because the content is simple, depicting the relationship between seagulls and waves, the lightness of the onomatopoeia stands out all the more, enhancing the sense of fun.

It’s a piece that not only conveys seagulls enjoying the waves, but also evokes a fresh atmosphere, as if they’re taking in the wind with their whole bodies.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Great Tokyo OndoHashi Yukio・Kanazawa Akiko

“Great Tokyo Ondo” sung by Yukio Hashi ♪ The folk song diva! Akiko Kanazawa / Lyrics by Tokiharu Takita / Additional lyrics by Masato Fujita / Music by Minoru Endo / Arrangement by Toshiaki Maeda — from the LP record. Strength to Japan!

A duet song by Yukio Hashi and Akiko Kanazawa, “Dai-Tokyo Ondo,” is frequently used at Bon Odori festivals held in Tokyo.

Released in 1979, the song was produced to commemorate the 15th anniversary of what is now TV Tokyo.

It’s perfect not only for Bon Odori but also as background music for summer festivals, making it a great recommendation for events at nursing care facilities as well.

The lyrics depict scenes that evoke dreams, showing Tokyo rapidly transforming into a dazzling metropolis.

Even if you don’t live in the Kanto region, why not dance along to the music while imagining the thrilling sights of Tokyo?

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

SAKI

Report a problem

coconutSakushi: Shimazaki Tōson / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Toraji

[Piano Accompaniment] Yashi no Mi (Coconut) – For Seniors’ Recreation ♪ [With Large Subtitles]

This is a piece themed around a coconut that drifted ashore from some tropical island.

Its content invites you to imagine the coconut’s journey, evoking a worldview of the path from its homeland and a long, distant voyage.

As a symbol of the tropics, the coconut and its story of slowly crossing the sea also convey the refreshing scenery of summer.

It’s a song that unfolds from the coconut to feelings for one’s own hometown, carrying a grand yet gentle image.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Song of the SeashoreSakushi: Hayashi Kokei / Sakkyoku: Narita Tamezō

Seaside Song | With Lyrics | 100 Selected Japanese Songs | If I wander along the beach tomorrow

Speaking of summer, it’s the season when the desire to experience the changing seasons on the beach grows stronger, isn’t it? “Hamabe no Uta” is a piece that seems to depict the scenery seen from the shore, and it conveys a refreshing atmosphere.

The elements of wind and waves are portrayed vividly, and even without specifying a particular season, you can feel something like the vigor of summer.

Although the song proceeds at a gentle tempo, it conveys a sense of exhilaration, as if you can truly feel nature from the beach.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Watermelon-producing regionSakushi: Takada Sankuzō / Sakkyoku: Fushō

[Children’s Song] Suika no Meisan-chi / Daisuke Yokoyama

“Suika no Meisan-chi” is a delightful children’s song perfect for summer, with lyrics written by Takada Mikuzo.

Although the melody is originally based on an American folk tune, the lyrics convey the importance of friendship and the fun atmosphere of the season.

Combined with its simple, familiar melody, it’s a song you can enjoy singing together with your children or grandchildren.

It’s widely loved in nursery schools and kindergartens, too, and I think it’s a wonderful song that will stay close to everyone’s hearts along with nostalgic summer memories.

Please give it a try and sing it yourself.

Sugarcane fieldSakushi sakkyoku: Terashima Naohiko

Sugarcane Field (♪ zawawa zawawa~) by Himawari ×9 [Chorus] Full Version with Lyrics | 8/15 End of War Memorial Day

This is an anti-war song imbued with a deep wish for peace, overlaying memories of the Battle of Okinawa with the sound of sugarcane swaying in the wind.

It was conceived when Naohiko Terashima visited Okinawa in 1964 and was told about the remains of the war dead at Mabuni Hill.

Premiered in 1967, it became widely beloved after Naomi Chiaki sang it on NHK’s music program “Minna no Uta” in 1975.

Told from the perspective of a girl who lost her father in the war, the song features the symbolic sound “zawawa” repeated 66 times, resonating deeply with listeners.

It’s a recommended piece for those who have experienced war or for moments when you want to reflect on peace.

Ginza Kan-kan GirlTakamine Hideko

Hideko Takamine Ginza Kankan Musume (with lyrics)

Brimming with the hope and vitality of Japan’s postwar reconstruction period, it became beloved as the theme song for the film of the same name released in 1949.

The song accompanies a story in which a young woman aspiring to be a painter—played by Hideko Takamine—sings her way through bars in Ginza to earn her tuition.

Ryoichi Hattori’s light, swinging jazz melds with Takao Saeki’s cheerful lyrics, resulting in a major hit that sold 500,000 copies at the time.

It strikingly captures the strength of women who lived positively even amid the postwar turmoil, along with the lively melody that resonated through the streets of Ginza.

When sung as a recreation by older adults, it is likely to evoke memories of the postwar recovery and their youthful days, encouraging everyone to hum along together.