[For Seniors] Songs to Hum in March: Heartwarming Moments with Nostalgic Classics that Evoke Spring

KintaroSakushi: Ishihara Wasaburō / Sakkyoku: Tamura Torazō

Kintarō - Children's Song

When the season of Boys’ Festival comes around, you can hear from somewhere the lively song of the boy from Mount Ashigara.

You can just picture his sturdy figure, a big axe slung over his shoulder as he plays riding on a bear’s back.

Created by Wasaburō Ishihara and Torazō Tamura, this piece was published to the world in June 1900 in “Shōnen Shōka, First Collection, Upper Volume.” It quickly became a big hit among children of the time and has been sung and loved ever since.

Its strong duple-time rhythm is perfect for recreational sing-alongs with hand clapping! Why not join your voices together, recalling the story of pitting strength against the animals? Enjoy a nostalgic moment as you share memories of the festival days from your childhood.

Flowers of the trifoliate orangeSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

Karatachi no Hana (Spring Children's Song)

It is a famous song that sings of the Japanese spirit, themed on a plant with white flowers and sharp thorns that bears golden fruit in autumn.

Based on a slightly bittersweet childhood experience of Kosaku Yamada, Hakushu Kitahara wove beautiful words.

The gently flowing melody sinks into the heart, carrying a tenderness that brings tears to your eyes.

Composed in 1925, it is a work with history, released the same year in collections such as the children’s songs anthology “The Children’s Village.” Its title has been used for dramas and films depicting the life of Hakushu Kitahara, and in 2007 it was selected among the “100 Selected Japanese Songs.” It’s perfect for humming softly under the gentle sunlight of spring.

Why not spend a heartwarming moment sharing nostalgic memories together?

Farewell at 22kaguya hime

Parting at 22 / Kaze (with lyrics)

This quintessential work by Kaguya-hime, beloved as a milestone in folk music, features lyrics and composition by Shozo Ise, and many people carry it deeply in their hearts.

The lyrics, which delicately depict the parting of two lovers like a scene from a film, are truly moving.

The melody, which conveys a will to look forward even amid sadness, never loses its luster no matter when you listen to it.

Originally included on the album “Sankaidate no Uta,” released in March 1974, the song was later used as the ending theme for a TV drama in 1984 and was released as a single.

It’s a piece you’ll want to listen to in spring, when farewells and encounters intersect, overlaying it with bittersweet memories of youth.

Why not listen slowly under the gentle sunlight?

strollInoue Azumi

[My Neighbor Totoro] ♪ Stroll / Azumi Inoue

When you feel the warm spring sunshine, it makes you want to go outside and get moving, doesn’t it? The perfect choice for times like that is this piece, known as the opening theme song of Studio Ghibli’s film My Neighbor Totoro.

Although it’s a song from the film released in 1988, it had actually already been included on the image album My Neighbor Totoro: Image Song Collection, which came out in November 1987, before the movie’s release.

Azumi Inoue’s clear vocals and Joe Hisaishi’s march-like rhythm alone are enough to put a spring in your step.

The lyrics feature familiar scenes like hills and tunnels one after another, brimming with an exciting sense of setting off on an adventure.

How about enjoying it during rehab or exercise time, imagining everyone swinging their arms energetically as they walk together?

Song of the Language of FlowersSakushi: Saijō Yaso / Sakkyoku: Ikeda Fujio

Flower Language Song | With Lyrics | Cute bud, beautiful dream

Hanakotoba no Uta, with its elegant waltz rhythm that evokes a modern Showa-era atmosphere, leaves a strong impression.

Its romantic theme of entrusting feelings to flowers and the call-and-response between a man and a woman make it a beautiful duet.

It was produced as the theme song for Shinko Kinema’s 1936 film First Love Diary.

With lyrics by Yaso Saijo and music by Fujio Ikeda, the piece became a major hit despite being composed on short notice during filming, and a line from the lyrics even became a popular catchphrase.

The voices of Akira Matsudaira and Nobuko Fushimi still sound fresh today.

The gentle triple-time melody is perfect for swaying leisurely in the spring sunlight.

Why not hum along with older listeners while reminiscing about nostalgic films?

Height comparisonSakushi: Umino Atsushi / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei

Height Comparison – Sei Kurabe | The mark on the pillar was from the year before last [Japanese Song / Shoka]

As Children’s Day approaches, many people may find themselves recalling the marks on the pillar.

This children’s song, written by Atsushi Unno with his younger brother in mind—seventeen years his junior—depicts a warm scene where the older brother measures his little brother’s height.

It is said that the lyrics also capture the loneliness of not having met the previous year, preserved as a two-year record.

With music composed by Shinpei Nakayama, it was published as a collection of sheet music in May 1923.

The song has continued to be sung for many years and was selected in 2007 as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” As you feel the May breeze, why not look back on nostalgic memories with your siblings and family? Enjoy this seasonal song with a bright, uplifting spirit, as if gazing up at the majestic Mount Fuji.

Anemone flaccida (nirinsō; literally “two-flowered anemone”)kawanaka miyuki

【MV】Miyuki Kawanaka / Nirinso (Two Buttercups)

Have you heard of the delicate white flowers that bloom in clusters after enduring a harsh winter? This masterpiece, one of Miyuki Kawanaka’s signature songs, overlays their image with the bond of a married couple.

Released as a single in 1998, it later became a massive hit, selling over one million copies.

The story of a monument to the song being erected in a park in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, also speaks to how deeply loved it is by so many people.

The warm lyrics addressing “you” evoke the very scene of a couple who have spent many years together.

Just humming it brings a gentle feeling, and it’s best enjoyed while listening slowly in the spring sunshine.

How about spending a peaceful moment recalling the days you spent with someone dear?