[For Seniors] Recommended spring songs for people in their 90s: A collection of Shōwa-era spring tunes

Flower TownSakushi: Ema Akiko / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma

Flower Town (♪ Crossing the seven-colored valley ~) Chorus by Himawari ×6 🌻 With Lyrics [100 Best Japanese Songs]

How about including this classic song—which lit a beacon of hope in postwar Japan—in a heartwarming springtime recreation? Created by Shoko Ema and Ikuma Dan, the piece was first introduced to the public on an NHK radio broadcast in April 1947.

Sharing time through music can spark conversations about treasured memories and what life was like back then.

Why not spend a soothing moment together with older adults, feeling the gentle arrival of spring?

Always keep your dreamsHashi Yukio / Yoshinaga Sayuri

Yukio Hashi & Sayuri Yoshinaga / Itsudemo Yume o (Always Dream)

Because it’s used as an insert song in NHK’s morning drama series “Amachan,” in SoftBank commercials, and in various other contexts, it hardly feels like an old tune.

Of course, for older listeners it’s famous as a duet by Yukio Hashi and Sayuri Yoshinaga.

It even won the Japan Record Award, was performed on the Red and White Song Battle, and inspired a film—what we’d now call a mega-viral hit! Just hearing the intro will bring back fond memories of days gone by.

It’s also a great choice for karaoke with someone special!

The Flower Girl of TokyoHaruo Oka

Tokyo Flower Girl

Haruo Oka’s “Tokyo no Hanauri Musume” (The Flower-Selling Girl of Tokyo) is a classic set in postwar Tokyo that portrays the hopes and loneliness of the era through the figure of a young flower seller.

The image of a girl cradling a flower basket, dreamlike, on a spring street corner where the willows are budding is particularly striking.

You can also glimpse Tokyo where new culture and tradition intersect, such as the streets touched by jazz.

The Showa-era atmosphere of the lyrics is sure to resonate deeply with older listeners, and it may well spark nostalgic reminiscences.

It’s a song to enjoy at an easy pace while feeling the arrival of spring.

My Giftofukōsu

My Gift / Off Course

This is a masterpiece whose gentle tones resonate in the heart like the mild sunlight of spring.

As one of Off Course’s signature works, it appears on the album “Off Course 1 / Boku no Okurimono,” which includes their 1973 single, showcasing Kazumasa Oda’s talent for songwriting and composition.

It’s a song that lets you feel the arrival of spring and recall someone dear.

With heartwarming lyrics and melody, it sings of sentiments offered to a loved one while accompanying the changing seasons.

Later adopted in elementary and junior high school music textbooks, it has been cherished by people of all ages.

The tender vocals and choral work leave a strong impression, making it a perfect track for a peaceful moment.

It’s a classic that evokes the colors of spring, enjoyable while reminiscing about hometown memories together with older listeners.

Ah, Ueno StationIzawa Hachirō

Ah, Ueno Station — Hachiro Izawa

That nostalgic melody echoing from the station that serves as Tokyo’s gateway.

It’s a classic enka song imbued with the feelings of those who left their hometowns to seek new horizons during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth.

Hachirō Izawa’s powerful yet gentle voice warmly envelops the anxieties and hopes of the youth of that era, as well as their love for their families.

Since its release in May 1964, this work has continued to resonate with many and is still cherished today as the departure melody at Ueno Station.

A gem of a song that tenderly gives voice to the complex emotions everyone feels when taking a new step in life.

It’s a track to enjoy while reminiscing and talking with someone dear to you.

Spring somewhereSakushi: Momota Soji / Sakkyoku: Kusagawa Shin

Somewhere Spring is | With Lyrics | Somewhere Spring is Being Born | Nursery Rhymes and Songs for Adults | English: EN subs

A beloved song that gently portrays the arrival of spring was born in March 1923.

Created by Soji Momota and Shin Kusakawa, the piece delicately captures subtle changes in nature—like the sound of water beginning to flow, birdsong, and the breath of budding plants.

Its calm, warm melody is filled with the joy and hope of spring, and it has often been featured on NHK’s educational programs.

It is recommended for music recreation sessions that spark nostalgic conversations about the past or allow people to share the feeling of spring’s arrival together.

Like a pleasant spring breeze, it will help you spend a gentle, peaceful moment.

Song of Springshouka

Mixed Chorus Piece “Spring Song” — Moto Uchida (arranged by Takeshi Yoshinao)

This is a heartwarming song that began airing in March 1937 (Showa 12) on NHK’s Osaka Central Broadcasting Station as a National Song.

Composed by Hajime Uchida with lyrics by Kunizo Kishi, its melody has a familiar warmth that resonated with people’s daily lives at the time.

Across its four verses, the lyrics depict charming scenes: the sweet gaze of a flower seller, the bustle of a market lined with fresh vegetables, the chirping of fledgling birds, and a spring landscape swaying in a gentle breeze.

A record was released by Polydor in July of the same year, followed by a release from Teichiku the next year.

The song has been covered by many artists, including Chieko Baisho and the sisters Saori Yuki and Sachiko Yasuda, and it continues to be beloved as a piece that lets listeners share the joy of spring’s arrival.

It’s a tune you’ll want to hum with family and friends as the season signals the beginning of spring.