[For Seniors] Classic Autumn Songs to Sing in November: From Children’s Songs to Popular Enka and Kayōkyoku

MoonMonbushō shōka

Moon

The descriptive passages praising the beauty of the perfectly round full moon leave a lasting impression.

First published in May 1911 in the Ministry of Education’s songbook “Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka: For First Grade,” it has been sung by many generations ever since.

Created through a committee-based process by editors from the Tokyo Music School, it is characterized by its simple, easy-to-sing melody.

Long beloved as a school song in music education, recordings by children’s choirs still exist today.

It’s a tune that makes you want to hum while gazing at the moon from your window on an autumn night.

Why not enjoy this nostalgic melody together with everyone at your facility?

red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

Red Dragonfly | With Lyrics | 100 Selected Japanese Songs | Red Dragonfly of the Evening Glow

This is a nostalgic work that layers feelings of longing for childhood while gazing up at a red dragonfly flying in the sunset sky.

Rofu Miki infused the poem with memories of his hometown in Hyogo Prefecture, and Kosaku Yamada set it to a beautiful melody.

The poem was published in 1921 and set to music in 1927, and it has been sung across generations ever since.

It was featured in the 1955 film “Koko ni Izumi Ari” and on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1965, and has long been widely cherished.

On an autumn evening, why not hum it as you watch the red dragonflies by the window? Its gentle triple-meter melody is easy to sing, and if you gather to sing it together, it’s sure to spark fond reminiscences.

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.

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?

A deserted seaTo wa e mo wa

♫ An empty beach — a Showa-era song. It's already autumn, an empty beach! With lyrics

A quietly sung piece set on an autumn seashore, reflecting on a lost love and facing one’s own future.

Released in November 1970 as a single by Towa Tei et Moi, it features lyrics by poet Yoko Yamaguchi and music by Noriyoshi Naitō.

The words—resolved not to grieve anymore because promises were made to the sea, the sand, and the sky—gently resonate in the heart.

On the same day, chanson singer Fubuki Koshiji also released a version, and on the Oricon charts the Towa et Moi version reached No.

16.

Its portrayal of someone striving to look ahead despite setbacks and loneliness is something many will relate to.

It’s a song that tenderly stays by your side—one you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the autumn sea.

Harvest MoonSakusha:Noguchi Ujo/Sakushi:Motori Nagayo

♪ Full Moon on the Fifteenth Night – 15-ya Otsuki-san | ♪ Full Moon on the Fifteenth Night, how are you, dear Moon? [Japanese Song / Shoka]

This is a representative work by Noguchi Ujō that overflows with feelings for family as one looks up at the full harvest moon.

It was published in a children’s magazine in September 1920, with Motoori Nagayo composing the music.

The piece depicts a protagonist whose grandmother who raised them has taken leave and returned home, and whose younger sister has married into a rural family, speaking to the moon and wishing to see their mother.

The quiet nostalgia for family that floats on a moonlit night seeps gently into the heart in this song.

When you find yourself thinking of loved ones who live far away, why not gaze at the autumn moon on a long evening and softly hum along?

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?