Enthralling mood kayō: A collection of classic Showa-era songs
Suddenly, but what kind of image do you all have of “mood kayō” (mood ballads)?
If you’re from a younger generation, you may not have even heard of the genre “mood kayō” in the first place.
Born in the postwar era, mood kayō is, as the name suggests, a form of kayōkyoku (Japanese popular song), but its definition is actually quite ambiguous.
You could say it’s a genre that values sentiment—indeed, the very “mood”—more than strictly musical elements.
This time, we’re focusing on this uniquely alluring, adult music born of the Shōwa era—mood kayō—and have gathered some representative classics.
Whether you’re a young music fan curious about Shōwa-era kayōkyoku or someone who lived through those times, please enjoy!
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Enthralling mood kayō: A collection of Showa-era masterpieces (41–50)
I love you more than anyone.Wada Hiroshi to Mahina Sutāzu
Released in 1960 (Showa 35).
It won the 2nd Japan Record Award, and with Kazuko Matsuo as the female vocalist, the record sold over three million copies—an astonishing figure at the time.
Kazuko Matsuo was also a leading figure in mood kayō (mood pop), and the perfect match between the song and her image likely contributed to its success.
Even today, it remains a popular duet song among older gentlemen at karaoke.
Love me to the bone.Jō Takuya
It was released in 1966 as Takaya Shiro’s first single under that name.
In the same year, a film titled “Love You to the Bone,” based on this song, was released.
That year, with this song, he made his first appearance at the 17th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, and it became one of Takaya Shiro’s signature songs.
The song was created based on lyricist Yasunori Kawauchi’s experience related to the All Nippon Airways crash off Haneda that occurred on February 4, 1966.
Silver Fox of the NightSaijō Shirō
A main characteristic of mood kayō songs released in 1969 (Showa 44) is that, from the 1960s through the early 1970s, many of them—not limited to “Yoru no Ginko” (Silver Fox of the Night)—feature men singing from a woman’s perspective.
They often depict women living in the nightlife/entertainment world, with common patterns where true romance or love is impossible, or if it happens, she gets deceived.
Within that trend, “Yoru no Ginko” is a quintessential mood kayō piece—you can guess that just from the title.
Partway through, there are lyrics in a foreign language that are hard to catch; they’re in Spanish.
That, too, is part of the song’s charm.
Osaka RhapsodyUminara Senri · Mari
Above all, it is noteworthy that the younger sister in the sister manzai duo who sings this song is the present-day Emiko Uenuma.
In the world of regional mood kayō (local mood-pop), which was mostly performed by male groups or mixed-gender pairs, a duet by two sisters sounded refreshingly new.
Miracle of LoveHide to Rozanna
Released by an unusual combo—a duet with an Italian woman—this song, despite being the B-side of a debut single, broadened its buzz and became a major hit that launched them into the ranks of popular singers.
The two were not only business partners; they later married and became a duo as husband and wife.
atonementTeresa Ten
Released in 1984 as Teresa Teng’s 14th single.
It became her first song to enter the top ten on the Oricon charts, and at both the 17th Japan Yusen Awards and the 17th All Japan Yusen Broadcasting Awards, she achieved her first East-West Yusen Grand Prize, winning the top honor in both.
It is a classic that continues to be sung as one of Teresa Teng’s signature songs.
Port Town BluesMori Shinichi
This is a single released by Shinichi Mori in 1969.
The song features many port towns, starting in Hakodate, Hokkaido and moving south down the Japanese archipelago to Makurazaki, Kagoshima.
It sold over a million copies, won the Best Vocal Performance at the 11th Japan Record Awards, and received the Grand Prize at the 2nd Japan Cable Radio Awards.
At the 20th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, Mori made his second appearance and served as the final performer for the White Team.