[For Seniors] Recommended Spring Songs for People in Their 70s: A Collection of Nostalgic Spring Tunes

Farewell in MayInoue Yosui

May Farewell

As we welcome this refreshing season, we’d like to introduce a work in which Yosui Inoue’s lyrical melodies resonate in the heart.

Its gentle tune and lyrics interwoven with landscapes carry a clear, breezy feeling—almost like breathing in the air of May—and are perfect for the fresh green season.

Delicately portraying the transition from spring to early summer, the song’s tender vocals evoke nostalgic memories, from wedding scenes to stars in the night sky.

Released in March 1993, it was also included on the album “UNDER THE SUN,” which came out the same year.

Used in a Kirin Beer commercial, it became a memorable song for many.

Why not enjoy reminiscing together with older adults through music while feeling the calm flow of time? It’s a wonderful piece that promises a heartwarming moment.

Song of MayYakushi: Aoyagi Zengo / Sakkyoku: Mōtsuaruto

Song of May | Japanese lyrics | German lied | Joyful is May, the grasses and trees are budding

Set to a famous piece composed by Mozart, this song features richly expressive Japanese lyrics by the poet Zengo Aoyagi—perfect for the fresh, verdant season of early summer.

Included in an elementary school music textbook in 1947, it has long been loved by many.

The work gently portrays the beauty of spring and the feelings of delight it inspires.

Along with its pleasant melody, it evokes springtime joys sensed through all five senses: the murmur of a brook, the scent of violets, and young leaves swaying in a soft breeze—wrapping listeners in a warm, cheerful mood.

How about singing it together with older adults during a music recreation session? As nostalgic memories blossom into conversation, everyone can savor the arrival of spring to their heart’s content.

A Ballad Dedicated to My MotherKaientai

A Ballad Dedicated to My Mother

This is a song whose warm vocals seep into the heart, evoking memories of one’s mother.

Many listeners will relate to how the members of Kaientai weave gentle words to express gratitude to their parents.

The quietly conversational singing style blends beautifully with the heartwarming melody.

Released in December 1973 and reaching No.

10 on the Oricon chart, the song also appeared on the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen the following year.

It was included on the album “Bōkyō-hen” and won the Planning Award at the Japan Record Awards.

It’s an ideal piece for music recreation in care facilities.

Humming along with older adults can create a lovely time to share each person’s cherished memories.

On a calm May day, we hope everyone will enjoy this song together.

The last spring breakMatsutōya Yumi

The Last Spring Break / Saigo No Haru Yasumi (2022 Ｍix)

A beautiful ballad by Yumi Matsutoya that gently embraces the transience of the season when spring arrives and the milestone of graduation.

With tender emotion, it portrays the feelings of saying goodbye to student life while carrying a faint crush and lingering attachment, set against quiet scenes of the school.

Included on the album “OLIVE” and released in July 1979, this piece features Matsutoya’s delicate vocals and soft piano melody that resonate deeply.

It gently depicts moments that evoke nostalgic memories—such as classrooms bathed in spring sunlight and the sound of footsteps along long corridors—and is a song that, when listened to with older adults, can spark lively reminiscences of each person’s youthful days.

Across this wide fieldMoriyama Ryoko

This Wide, Open Field – Ryoko Moriyama

The classic song that celebrates love and freedom spreading across the great outdoors is a folk tune released by Ryoko Moriyama in January 1967.

Her clear, pleasant voice and gentle melody deliver a refreshing sense of liberation, like clouds floating in the sky or wind sweeping through.

The piece is said to have been completed in just 30 minutes, based on a poem found in a Ginza art gallery.

After it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1974, it became a children’s song passed down throughout Japan.

Singing it with older adults can blossom into warm conversations filled with nostalgia and create a wonderful time naturally full of smiles.

poppy flowerAgunesu Chan

Poppy Flower / Agnes Chan (Agnes Chan/Chen Meiling)

This was Agnes Chan’s Japanese debut single, depicting the pure feelings of a girl who tells her fortune in love using poppies blooming on a hill.

Her clear, gentle voice weaves together her thoughts, worries, and loneliness for a lover who has gone off to a distant city.

Released in November 1972, the song became a major hit, reaching No.

5 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

She also performed it at the 24th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1973, which helped ignite her popularity.

It remains beloved by many today as a heartwarming song that evokes the arrival of spring and is perfect for reminiscing about bittersweet memories of first love.

Smiling Backkyandīzu

Live footage released from Ran Ito's concert tour 2020 “Hohoemigaeshi”! Blu-ray & DVD on sale March 17!

This is a supreme song by Candies that delicately sings of a woman’s bittersweet feelings before parting with someone dear, carried on a melody as fresh as a spring breeze.

Released in February 1978, it reached number one on the Oricon charts and sold over one million copies in total.

Depicting a couple’s breakup through a moving-day scene, it shows the protagonist looking back on their memories, her smile concealing complex emotions beneath.

It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have experienced parting with someone important in the springtime.