Recommended autumn songs for people in their 90s: A collection of Showa-era autumn tunes

Sky of my hometownsakushi: oowada kenki

Hometown Sky (Autumn Children's Song / School Song)

This is a school song that sings of gazing up at the autumn evening sky and letting one’s thoughts wander to a distant hometown.

Set to a traditional Scottish folk tune, the Japanese lyrics were written by the Meiji-era poet Takeki Owada.

It was published in May 1888 in Meiji Shoka, Volume 1, and expresses the anxious hope that one’s parents and siblings back home are living well.

For older adults who have spent many years away from their hometowns, the lyrics may evoke fond memories.

On these long autumn nights, try humming it while picturing the landscape of your own hometown.

Desert of the MoonSakushi: Katou Masao / Sakkyoku: Sasaki Suguru

Moon Desert by Himawari 🌻 with Lyrics [One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs]

Beloved as a children’s song, this work was created by poet and painter Masao Kato, who produced the poem together with accompanying illustrations.

After its publication in a magazine in 1923, composer Suguru Sasaki set it to music, and it came to be widely sung.

It depicts a prince and princess riding a camel, quietly traveling across moonlit sands, unfolding a fantastical and beautiful world.

Its wistful melody gently accompanies the reflective mood of autumn.

Why not spend a moment singing it together and sharing nostalgic memories? It is a somewhat romantic, unforgettable autumn classic.

wild chrysanthemumSakushi:Ishimori Nobuo/Sakkyoku:Ishimori Nobuo

Wild Chrysanthemum (♫ Blowing from the distant mountains) by Himawari 🌻 with Lyrics

This is a 1942 children’s song with lyrics by Nobuo Ishimori and music by Kan’ichi Shimofusa.

It charmingly depicts the pale purple wild chrysanthemums blooming in an autumn field.

The first verse portrays the delicate figure of the quietly blooming flowers; the second presents a peaceful scene of an insect alighting on a blossom; and the third conveys a warm wish for the flowers to keep blooming even when the cold winter arrives.

With its relaxed tempo and easy-to-sing melody, it’s well suited for singing together at gatherings of older adults.

If you come across wild chrysanthemums on an autumn stroll, think of this piece and savor the changing of the seasons.

Rabbit DanceSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei

[Children’s Song] Rabbit Dance / Daisuke Yokoyama

It’s a lively, bouncy tune.

It was published in May 1924 in the magazine Kodomo no Kuni.

The lyrics were written by Ujō Noguchi, known for songs like “Seven Baby Crows” and “Soap Bubbles,” and the music was composed by Shinpei Nakayama, who created many children’s songs such as “Teru Teru Bozu” and “Back-to-Back.” The song depicts rabbits dancing lightly, with the onomatopoeic “taratta, ratta” echoing pleasantly.

As Shinpei Nakayama himself indicated with the performance note “with bounce and extremely briskly,” it’s best sung brightly and energetically.

It’s also nice to sing it together with friends at a facility, enjoying handclaps and swaying your bodies.

On a calm autumn afternoon, why not hum it and feel like a child again?

That Town, This TownNoguchi Ujō:sakushi/Nakayama Shimpei:sakkyoku

Children’s song: That Town, This Town (Ano Machi Kono Machi). Lyrics by Ujō Noguchi, music by Shinpei Nakayama.

This is a children’s song about the walk home on an autumn evening.

With lyrics by Ujo Noguchi and music by Shimpei Nakayama, it was published in 1924 in the magazine “Kodomo no Kuni.” The piece was also selected in 2007 as one of Japan’s 100 Best Songs and has long been cherished as a classic.

It gently portrays a call to children hurrying home at dusk.

You can almost picture the autumn scenery as the sun gradually sets.

For older adults who remember playing until dark when they were young, it’s a song that may stir nostalgic feelings.

Why not sing it together with friends at your facility, or hum it on your way back from an autumn stroll?