[For Seniors] A collection of nostalgic classics to sing in May: popular songs everyone can hum together

Choo-choo trainSakushi: Tomihara Kaoru / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin

[Military Song] 🎌 'The Soldiers’ Train'

This is a memorable piece crafted by Kaoru Tomihara and Shin Kusakawa that brings back nostalgic memories.

Its charm lies in the lively melody that evokes the passing scenery outside the window and the rhythmic sounds of a train in motion.

Released in 1937, the song has been cherished by many and was selected in 2007 as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” As a masterpiece representing children’s songs around the world, it has been covered by numerous artists, including Masako Kawada.

How about livening up a music recreation session by sharing stories about trains? It could be a wonderful time to share the nostalgic views from train windows in your memories, especially together with older adults.

scarecrowsadamasashi

Scarecrow — Masashi Sada

This is a song that conveys feelings for one’s hometown, depicting the scenery of the Showa-era countryside with a quiet, gentle melody.

In Masashi Sada’s tender storytelling style, it likens thoughts for younger siblings living alone in the city to the figure of a scarecrow standing in the snow.

Released in November 1977, it is also included on albums such as “Watakushishu” and “Masashi Sada Best.” It’s a wonderful song that older listeners can find familiar, inviting everyone to sing together while fondly recalling family members living far away.

For recreation in care facilities, we hope people will enjoy it by clapping along slowly to the performance.

dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo

Hitoto Yo – Hanamizuki

Yo Hitoto’s “Hanamizuki” is a song that gently supports the hearts of older adults with its tender lyrics and moving melody.

Released in 2004, it has also been used as a theme song for TV dramas and films.

Filled with wishes for peace and feelings for loved ones, it’s a great fit for music therapy.

It might be nice to clap along together with seniors or listen while picturing cherished scenes from the past.

It’s also recommended to open the window and listen on a calm spring day.

This is a song that wraps both mind and body in kindness, leaving you with a warm, comforting feeling.

like youDREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE – “Like You”

This is a song lovingly crafted by DREAMS COME TRUE, like a gift that wraps you in warmth.

It portrays the figure of a mother, weaving feelings of gratitude and respect with care.

Carried by gentle melodies of piano and strings, thoughts for a loved one quietly resonate in the heart.

The piece was produced in May 2016 as a campaign song for Kanpo Life Insurance and was included on the album THE DREAM QUEST.

It is a fitting song to hum together on Mother’s Day or special occasions, especially with older listeners.

Through this song, you can share the appreciation that is hard to express in everyday life.

Across this wide fieldMoriyama Ryoko

This Wide, Open Field – Ryoko Moriyama

The famous song that sings of love and freedom spreading across vast nature is a folk song released by Ryoko Moriyama in January 1967.

Her clear, soothing voice and gentle melody bring a refreshing sense of liberation, like clouds floating in the sky and wind sweeping through.

There’s an anecdote that the piece was completed in just 30 minutes, based on a poem found in a gallery in Ginza.

After it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1974, it became a children’s song passed down throughout Japan.

Singing it together with seniors is likely to spark nostalgic stories and create a wonderful time filled with natural smiles.

The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms BloomSakushi: Katō Shōgo / Sakkyoku: Kainuma Minoru

The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms Bloom – Shoko Haida

When we think of mikan (mandarin oranges), many of us associate them with autumn and winter, but that’s the season for harvesting the fruit; the blossoms actually bloom around May.

At that time of year, small white flowers spread across the mikan orchards.

The harmony of the white blossoms and green leaves creates a beautiful scene that lifts your spirits.

This piece gently looks back on such scenes of mikan blossoms and the memories tied to them.

With depictions of the sea visible beyond the orchards and ships running across it, the music powerfully conveys a sense of wide-open vistas and the beauty of a grand landscape.

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tea pickingMonbushō shōka

Tea Picking | With Lyrics | The 88th Night as Summer Approaches | Nursery Rhyme/Song for Adults | Romanized: JP subs / English: EN subs

This is a celebrated song from the Ministry of Education’s school song repertoire, passed down since the Meiji era, beautifully portraying the changing seasons.

It vividly depicts the refreshing early-summer scenery and the peaceful scene of people picking tea.

With images of fresh greenery around the Eighty-Eighth Night, tea-pickers’ work garments, and rural landscapes, it conveys traditional Japanese life along with a gentle melody.

Since its inclusion in 1912 in “Elementary School Songs for the Third Grade (Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka),” it has been widely loved through school education.

This piece is a song everyone can enjoy singing together, often tied to fond memories.

Its charm also lies in incorporating simple hand motions while singing, allowing for a heartwarming time.