[For Seniors] September Song Special: Introducing Nostalgic Classics and Children’s Songs that Evoke Autumn

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?

Midnight GuitarSenga Kahoru

Kaoru Senga - Midnight Guitar

In this arts-filled autumn, Kaoru Chiga’s “Midnight Guitar” is the kind of song that can inspire even older listeners to lend an ear to the sound of the guitar—or even feel like giving it a try.

Released in 1969 as Chiga’s debut single, it has been covered by numerous artists, including Sayuri Ishikawa and UA.

The lyrics depict someone who, after a painful experience, plays the guitar through the night to soothe their sorrow.

Whether you listened to it often in your youth or are hearing it for the first time, why not embrace the spirit of the season with this song?

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SAKI

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Seven-year-old child

Yoko Seri - Seven Children

Nanatsu no Ko is often sung as a lullaby for babies.

With lyrics by Ujo Noguchi and music by Nagayo Motoori, it was released in 1921.

Because crows that are seven years old are not considered young, and crows do not raise seven chicks at once, the meaning of the title “Seven Children” is often discussed.

Many people may also remember it from the parody version on the popular 1980s TV show It’s 8 O’Clock! Everyone Gather! It’s a gentle song that resonates across generations, perfect for listening to while gazing up at the autumn sunset sky.

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sasashina

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The sound of insects

Sounds of Insects | With Lyrics | One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs | Ah, the bell cricket is chirping

Do you know a children’s song that evokes autumn in Japan? There’s a well-known song, familiar to many older adults, that uses onomatopoeia to express the chirping of insects.

With its simple lyrics and rhythmic melody, it’s a classic that has been loved for many years.

It was first published in 1910 as a song by the Ministry of Education.

Centered on the theme of long autumn nights, the piece lets listeners feel the changing seasons through the voices of insects like pine crickets and field crickets.

It’s perfect for singing together with seniors or enjoying with hand claps.

Even those who find it hard to sense the seasons may feel the arrival of autumn through this song.

Please consider using it at events or in everyday life.

The Highland Train GoesOkamoto Atsurō

The Highland Train Is Coming (1954) — Vocals: Atsurō Okamoto — Japan Kayō (Popular Song) Channel

Atsuro Okamoto’s “The Plateau Train Is Coming” is a classic autumn song that evokes both nostalgia and freshness for older adults.

Set to a lively melody, its lyrics depicting plateau scenery and a train journey resonate deeply.

Since its release in 1954, it has continued to be loved by many and is a memorable piece that was also performed on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Humming it together with seniors may bring back fond memories of their younger days.

Why not incorporate it into facility recreation activities or during moon-viewing events?

Donguri KorokoroSakushi:Aoki Zonki/ Sakkyoku:Yanada Tadashi

Japanese Children’s Song – Acorn Rolling – Donguri Korokoro

As a children’s song depicting an autumn scene, it’s a piece that many older adults find familiar and easy to enjoy.

Based on Aoki Son’e’s experiences in his hometown, it portrays acorns falling into a pond and playing.

The lyrics are simple, yet they carry a warmth that makes it easy to empathize with the acorns’ feelings.

Composed in the Taisho era, it became widely known after appearing in postwar school textbooks.

It’s well-known among seniors and perfectly suited for autumn events as a song that evokes the season.

Everyone can have fun singing it together while clapping along or moving their bodies.

A midnight in autumnshouka

1910 (Meiji 43) “Autumn Midnight,” lyrics by Sasaki Nobutsuna

Autumn is also a season for solitary reflection.

Let me introduce a song that captures such a melancholic mood: “Autumn at Midnight.” The lyricist, Nobutsuna Sasaki, was a tanka poet who also wrote several children’s songs and school songs; among them, the song “Natsu wa Kinu” (Summer Has Come) is especially well known.

The melody’s original source is the overture from a German composer Weber’s opera.

The word “kari” (wild geese), migratory birds that appear repeatedly in the lyrics, are associated with autumn because they arrive in Japan during that season, and thus serve as a seasonal word for autumn in haiku and classical poetry.