Rumiko Koyanagi Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

cherry blossom frontKoyanagi Rumiko8rank/position

Cherry Blossom Front / Rumiko Koyanagi

This is a classic by Rumiko Koyanagi that evocatively portrays the cherry blossom season moving from south to north.

It includes depictions that suggest the shift from winter to spring and the feeling of a train journey, creating a world that’s not just a bright spring song but one that gently conveys a certain wistfulness and emotional sway.

Koyanagi’s lustrous voice seems to carry the scenery outside the train window, making you feel as if you’ve set off on a trip just by listening.

Released as a single in January 1976, it has been cherished not as a flashy hit, but as a work you want to savor slowly each time the seasons turn.

With its relaxed tempo that makes the scenes easy to picture, it’s perfect for a calm afternoon, listening while reminiscing about old travels.

My Dear EllieKoyanagi Rumiko9rank/position

Beloved Ellie — Rumiko Koyanagi

This is the version included on Rumiko Koyanagi’s live album “Yasashisa To Iu Koto…” released in 1979.

It feels a bit unexpected for Koyanagi to sing this song, but it’s amazing how anything she sings becomes her own.

Her supple, graceful voice is captivating.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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My NagasakiKoyanagi Rumiko10rank/position

My Nagasaki - Rumiko Koyanagi

This is the B-side track to the 1975 single “Hanaguruma,” released to commemorate the opening of Nagasaki Airport.

With chiming bells and a refreshing vocal that feels light and airy, it’s a love song in which two people, who deepened their love in the city of Nagasaki, sing about returning someday.

Town of Snow LightsKoyanagi Rumiko11rank/position

Snow-Lit Town - Rumiko Koyanagi

A song by Rumiko Koyanagi that heartfeltly sings of aching emotions, set in a northern town blanketed in snow.

Released in January 1972, this work conveys thoughts for a cherished person far away, in a quiet town illuminated by snowlight.

The image of the protagonist brushing snow off a mailbox and posting a letter amid a blizzard is especially striking.

It depicts winter scenes familiar to older listeners, making it perfect for softly humming along while reminiscing about the past.

It’s a piece that resonates even more deeply when heard in the cold season.

A sudden shower in KyotoKoyanagi Rumiko12rank/position

A Sudden Shower in Kyoto (Song: Rumiko Koyanagi), 1972 (Showa 47)

When it comes to hit songs that represent the Showa era—such as “Watashi no Jōkamachi,” “Seto no Hanayome,” and “Hana no Yō ni Hisoyaka ni”—you can’t overlook Rumiko Koyanagi.

You could even call her the original, quintessential Japanese diva.

Of course, even now in her later years, the refined, lustrous allure of a sophisticated adult woman she exudes is irresistible to many in the older gentleman crowd! “Kyo no Niwaka Ame,” her fifth single, was released in 1972.

Its lyrics—about coming all the way to Kyoto to look for the person she fell in love with—are the very essence of classic Showa-era kayōkyoku.

The lyrics were written by the esteemed Rei Nakanishi.

My castle townKoyanagi Rumiko13rank/position

My Castle Town / Rumiko Koyanagi (with lyrics)

Although it was her 1971 debut single, this song made her an overnight star, spending a total of 12 weeks at No.

1 on the Oricon chart.

Perhaps due to the image of the song, she pursued a very pure, innocent persona at the time of her debut.

She had a great figure, but there was an incident where Akiko Wada told her, “Rumi-chan, your legs are thick,” which made her burst into tears.

But the Koyanagi of today would probably snap back without missing a beat.

Festival NightKoyanagi Rumiko14rank/position

Festival Night — Rumiko Koyanagi

Released in 1971 as Rumiko Koyanagi’s second single, “Omatsuri no Yoru” (“Festival Night”) reached No.

2 on the Oricon chart and became a major hit following her debut single “Watashi no Jokamachi.” The protagonist goes to a festival with the person she loves, only to be told there that he will be moving to a faraway town.

Unable to bear the lively, dazzling atmosphere of the festival, she runs away and wanders, unable to even return home—a portrayal that is truly heartrending.

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Hamada Takuya

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