[Showa Era] A roundup of nostalgic folk song classics and popular tracks you’ll want to sing at karaoke
What kind of image do you have of the music genre known as “folk songs”? Perhaps many of you picture Showa-era singers with an acoustic guitar in hand, singing lyrics like private diaries of everyday life—and at times delivering political messages.
In Japan, folk songs became a booming trend from the 1960s to the 1970s, and countless classic tracks that made music history were born as the style evolved.
In this article, we’ve curated a wide selection of nostalgic Japanese folk song classics that you’ll definitely want to try singing at karaoke.
Whether you experienced them in real time or you’re a younger listener who loves Showa-era music, be sure to check them out!
- [Japanese Music] A Collection of Heart-Touching Hit Folk Songs from the 1970s
- A classic Japanese folk song passed down through generations of acoustic performances
- A collection of nostalgic hits from the ’70s to 2000s that are perfect for livening up karaoke
- Timeless classics only! Showa-era hit songs perfect for acoustic sing-alongs
- When you can’t decide what to sing at karaoke: Easy-to-sing classic hits from the Showa era
- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
- [2026] Songs I Want to Try at Karaoke! A Roundup of Popular Showa-Era Kayōkyoku
- [Songs from the Showa Era] Introducing classic tracks that are easy to sing at karaoke.
- A lineup of classic hits! Karaoke songs recommended for the yutori generation
- Easy-to-sing youth songs for karaoke: recommended classics and popular hits
- [For People in Their 50s] Ranking of Easy-to-Sing Karaoke Songs [2026]
- Karaoke songs everyone can sing: Japanese tracks that are easy to enjoy with a group.
- Must-see for men: Songs that look cool if you can sing them at karaoke—numbers that women can’t help but be captivated by.
[Showa Era] A collection of nostalgic folk song masterpieces and popular karaoke picks (31–40)
Goodbye for today.Moriyama Ryoko
It was released on August 25, 1966.
This is a signature song by Ryoko Moriyama that has become a karaoke staple.
With lyrics expressing the friendship of young people, it’s a song that appeals to all generations.
It has been widely loved, having been broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” and included in music textbooks.
One day, suddenlyToa e moa
As soon as it was released in May 1969, Towa Tei Moi’s debut single became a major hit, reaching No.
4 on the Oricon chart.
This work portrays the love that blooms from a sudden encounter through delicate lyrics and melody.
Its lyrics, which depict quietly growing emotions, resonated with many people and have been cherished for years.
In 1993, it was remixed with a new arrangement and chosen as a TV drama’s opening theme.
It’s also a perfect song to sing at karaoke, letting you pour your feelings for someone special into your performance.
Why not sing your hidden feelings along with its gentle tune?
Aoba Castle Love Songsatou muneyuki
Muneyuki Sato, who hosted a radio program in Sendai, had a segment where he invited listeners to submit lyrics and then set them to music.
“Aoba Castle Love Song” was written by a listener, Shoichi Hoshima, and came about when he took a demo tape to Tokyo.
Later, Yu Aku—who went on to create one hit after another—praised the beauty of the song’s lyrics.
In the Showa era, words were carefully expressed in lyrics, so even when taken as a heartbreak song, it paints a vivid picture.
It’s also used as the departure melody for the Shinkansen at Sendai Station.
Shiretoko Ryojo (Shiretoko Travel Sentiment)Katō Tokiko
The original song is “Saraba Rausu yo,” which Hisaya Morishige wrote the lyrics and composed overnight as a thank-you to those who assisted during filming in Hokkaido.
It didn’t gain much popularity around 1960 (Showa 35), but later Chieko Baisho performed it on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen as “Okhotsk no Funauta.” The one who sang it as a folk song, however, was Tokiko Kato.
It’s said that whenever Morishige heard Kato sing it, he would remark, “She still hasn’t reached the level yet,” and never offered praise.
It’s a song that slowly and deeply evokes the harsh land of Hokkaido.
Sanae-chanFurui do
While Furuido had a devoted folk-song fanbase, the only song that became widely known was Sanae-chan.
Later, Reiichi Nakaido, Furuido’s vocalist, joined RC Succession, and Kiyoshiro Imawano also sang it.
It was a hit thanks to its unique lyrics, and it’s perfect for making parody versions.
If you’ve got a sense of humor, try singing a parody of this song.
The melody is very simple, so you can learn it quickly.
[Showa Era] A Collection of Beloved Nostalgic Folk Song Classics for Karaoke: Popular Picks (41–50)
Travel Lodgeyoshida takurou
Takuro Yoshida’s songs can be pretty hard to sing at karaoke, but if we’re talking masterpieces, this one definitely belongs on the list, doesn’t it? I’ve heard one theory that the song’s theme is a honeymoon.
If he really moved from “Let’s Get Married” to “Honeymoon,” then it just proves how amazing Takuro Yoshida is! It’s folk music, but the lyrics are very literary.
Takuro’s style is known for having a few extra syllables, but the more you sing his songs, the more you understand him.
Please understand.Inaba Akira
It’s an adult folk song—a breakup ballad and a masterpiece in which Akira Inaba poignantly sings of a woman’s feelings.
Within the simple lyrics saying “Please understand,” you can clearly sense the heartache of not wanting to part yet having to say goodbye.
It’s a somewhat challenging song, but if you can sing it well, it shows considerable vocal skill.