[Recommended for people in their 70s] Songs that get everyone excited. Songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke.

Life is full of ups and downs.Shimakura Chiyoko

Life is full of ups and downs.

A gem of a melody that gently sings of the joys and hardships of life.

Its lustrous vocals warmly embrace the strength to live, forged by overcoming struggles and difficulties.

Once you hear it, it resonates in your heart—a work brimming with hope.

Released by Chiyoko Shimakura in 1987, this song became a major springboard for her appearance in the 1988 NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen after achieving 30 consecutive appearances.

This memorable piece also features lyrics that beautifully align with the life experiences of older adults.

Humming it together at events like Respect-for-the-Aged Day gatherings can create a heartwarming moment to share.

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.

O-Shichi and the Night Cherry BlossomsSakamoto Fuyumi

Fuyumi Sakamoto – Yozakura Oshichi (with lyrics)

This song portrays the poignant feelings of heartbreak, with graceful cherry blossoms drifting in a dreamlike dance.

As the petals fall, Fuyumi Sakamoto’s voice tenderly sings of unforgettable memories, resonating deeply in the heart.

Released in February 1994, the piece beautifully expresses a woman’s powerful emotions through the motif of cherry blossoms.

While the protagonist looks back on a past love, she also possesses the strength to move forward.

I hope you’ll listen beneath the cherry trees, with a gentle sense of nostalgia.

Perhaps you, too, have memories that return with the blossoms.

Why not spend a heartwarming moment with Fuyumi Sakamoto in the spring sunshine?

Lingering Snowiruka

Dolphin [Iruka] / Nagori-yuki [Lingering Snow] (Single Version) Official Audio with translation

This is a song whose charm lies in a melody that evokes the arrival of spring and lyrics that touch the heart.

Set on a train platform, it vividly portrays a man and a woman parting ways amid the fleeting snow of early spring.

Beautifully depicting the moment of farewell and a love left unfinished by youth, the piece is filled with the bittersweetness of adolescence and the process of growing up.

Iruka’s rich, resonant vocals carry a warm, heartfelt quality that reaches deep within.

First included on the March 1975 album “Iruka no Sekai,” it was released as a single in November of the same year and reached No.

4 on the Oricon chart.

It’s a beloved, well-known song that many remember; humming along as you recall old memories is sure to make for a delightful moment.

It may also inspire lively conversations among older listeners as they reminisce about those days.

Stars on EarthNakajima Miyuki

Stars on the Ground / Miyuki Nakajima [Official]

This song is imbued with a warm gaze and deep respect for people who usually remain out of the spotlight.

Miyuki Nakajima portrays those who strive to live in places where no one looks, using beautiful metaphors.

It is an ode to unsung heroes who keep making efforts in various places, shining like stars in everyday life.

Released in July 2000, the piece was chosen as the theme song for NHK’s documentary program Project X: Challengers, and together with the program’s moving content, it deeply resonated with many viewers.

It set a record by staying on Oricon’s Weekly Singles Chart for 174 consecutive weeks.

It is a song that gives you a powerful push forward in those moments when the pressures of daily life make you want to stop.