Lively songs recommended for people in their 90s—fun songs for everyone to listen to and sing together.

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.

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your handsSakamoto Kyu

Kyu Sakamoto / If You’re Happy and You Know It (1964–65)

Its charm lies in the way you can enjoy it by expressing a heartwarming classic through full-body movement.

It’s a song that lets you share the joy of connecting with others along with a simple, familiar melody.

Released by Kyu Sakamoto in 1964, it became one of his signature songs alongside “Ue o Muite Arukou” (“Sukiyaki”).

Based on an American folk song, Toshito Kimura wrote the Japanese lyrics with wishes for peace and friendship.

A heartwarming experience in the Philippines inspired the creation of this song, and it is said to have spread through activities at the YMCA.

It has been widely used in films and commercials and has long been cherished in educational settings.

Why not enjoy clapping and body movements together with seniors and let the conversation blossom with fond memories?

Flowers will bloom.

Flowers Will Bloom – Flowers Will Bloom Project (with Japanese lyrics)

This song was planned and produced as the theme song for NHK’s Great East Japan Earthquake Project, with lyrics by film director Shunji Iwai from Sendai.

For those who experienced the disaster, it may bring back difficult memories, and it also served as a source of support during the recovery.

There is also a video from the “Flowers Will Bloom Project,” featuring singers, entertainers, and athletes connected to Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate Prefectures.

With its easy-to-understand melody and singable chorus, it’s fun for everyone to sing together.

It’s also recommended as a choral piece for events.

Apple SongNamiki Michiko

Apple Song - Michiko Namiki - Showa-era song

A gentle, warm song that likens the object of one’s affection to an apple.

Released in January 1946, it became a classic that drew a major response for the first time in the postwar era.

As the theme song of the film “Soyokaze,” it was performed as a duet by Michiko Namiki and Noboru Kirishima.

Under the blue sky, the way the singer longs for the charming apple is portrayed alongside a refreshing melody.

In the turmoil of the time, it became a ray of hope.

For older listeners, it’s a nostalgic piece that brings back memories of the good old days.

Setting aside time to sing it together in a care facility may well spark lively conversations about happy times gone by.

Soran Bushimin’yō

Soran Bushi (Hokkaido folk song) singing method

The work songs that Hokkaido fishermen used to sing between tasks are now loved by many as some of Japan’s representative folk songs.

Their powerful calls and lively rhythms are brimming with energy that makes your heart leap, and they have a lasting charm that stays with you.

Over the years, new allure has been added by numerous singers, including Fuyumi Sakamoto, Yoshimi Tendo, and Takio Ito.

Sayuri Ishikawa also presented her own arrangement on her 2019 album “Tami.” These songs are perfect for moments when you can sing along together—chatting with family and friends, or at community events where people gather and connect.

They’re sure to offer a heartwarming time, wrapped in a sense of nostalgia.

What a nice bath.Za Dorifutāzu

Nice hot bath [The Drifters]

This is a song that celebrates the charms of hot spring resorts, beloved from the Showa-era hit TV program “It’s 8 o’clock! Everybody, Gather Round!” The original version, sung by the Duke Aces, was themed around hot spring areas in Gunma Prefecture, and The Drifters covered it on the B-side of their debut single.

The lyrics were adapted to feature hot spring resorts across Japan—such as Noboribetsu and Kusatsu—expressing fondness for onsen through a lively rhythm and call-and-response shouts.

The song was used as the ending theme for both “It’s 8 o’clock! Everybody, Gather Round!” and “Drifters’ Big Laughter,” and it also appeared in a 1969 film.

Humming it together with older adults while reminiscing about hot spring trips can make for a heartwarming moment.

BoyhoodInoue Yosui

Boys' Time / Yosui Inoue (with lyrics)

In Inoue Yosui’s classic song, a gentle yet resonant melody intertwines with nostalgic lyrics, suffused with reflections on youth.

Idyllic summer scenes and memories alive in the mind are spun into poetic expression, tenderly enveloping those treasured moments we keep safe in our hearts.

Since its release in September 1990, it has continued to be loved as a movie theme and a commercial song, and in 1991 it was also used in a Sony Handycam commercial.

Included on the album “Handsome Boy,” this is a tune you’ll want to hum when everyone gathers together.

Why not spend a heartwarming moment as you share stories and let memories blossom?