[Showa-Era Classics] A carefully selected collection of uplifting anthems that empower people across generations
Even after all this time, the classic songs of the Showa era still resonate with many people and give us strength, don’t they?
In this article, we’ll introduce uplifting songs from among the many beloved Showa hits!
We’ve gathered a variety of anthems: songs with powerful messages that fire you up, gentle tunes that give you a soft “you can do it” push, and tracks that fill you with energy and smiles.
Whether you lived through the Showa era or belong to a generation that didn’t, you’re sure to find at least one song that speaks to you!
Be sure to add one of these to your personal collection of motivational songs.
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[Showa-era Classics] A carefully selected set of uplifting anthems that empower people across generations (21–30)
For me to be myselfOzaki Yutaka
Yutaka Ozaki was a legendary singer-songwriter who sped through his era as a “charismatic teen” and passed away at the young age of 26.
His songs have been covered by many later artists, and they continue to be rediscovered by young music fans free of preconceptions.
Among his many masterpieces, let’s introduce Bokuga Boku de Aru Tame ni (“To Be Myself”), a perfect fit for the theme of an anthem.
It’s a popular track that is usually included on best-of and other compilation albums, and it became one of Ozaki’s early signature songs when it was chosen as the theme for the 1997 drama Bokuga Boku de Aru Tame ni, famous for featuring all five members of SMAP.
The song itself appears on his 1983 debut album, Seventeen’s Map, and was not released as a single.
Ozaki, who was a teenager at the time, didn’t just capture the feelings of youth in his lyrics; he sang about timeless, universal themes—what we need in order to walk through life—which is why the song continues to inspire listeners even now in the Reiwa era.
With one liter of loveVaundy
Vaundy, who handles everything from songwriting and composition to video production, delivers genre-defying music.
The track in question, included on the acclaimed album “replica” released in November 2023, quietly stays by your side on days when you feel emotionally empty.
Its light flow and simple band sound seem to affirm the sense of lack and loneliness in everyday life.
It encourages you to accept those unfulfilled feelings as your honest emotions, giving you the push to take the next step.
The album “replica,” which features this song, reached No.
2 overall on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.
It’s a stylish, gentle pep song that can fill you up on mornings when you’re just not feeling it.
Battotai (Army Marching Song)Charles Leroux
A masterpiece created by a wartime military band modeled after Western-style marches.
Woven by the French composer Charles Leroux beginning in 1877, the work features a bold structure that incorporates the latest style of the time—a 2/4 meter with modulations—and a powerful melody that boosts soldiers’ morale.
By 1886 it had earned such high acclaim that it was dedicated to Emperor Meiji, and in 1912 it took on its present form, becoming a beloved classic widely performed by military bands across the country.
The prayer for soldiers and the spirit of requiem sung over its valiant march remain deeply etched in the hearts of generations who experienced war.
It is a piece to listen to alongside those who remember that era, with prayers for peace in our hearts.
IdeaHoshino Gen
This is a masterpiece by Gen Hoshino that I especially want you to listen to when you’re feeling a bit low.
Released in August 2018, the song was used as the theme for the NHK morning drama series “Half, Blue.” Its structure is captivating, unfolding from a buoyant, marimba-based intro into a gentle first verse.
His warm voice gives you a soft push forward.
The positive worldview—one that seems to turn even the sound of rain into song—will surely lighten your heart, whether on your commute to work or school, or as you stand before an important challenge.
SOMEDAYSano Motoharu
At the 73rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen held on New Year’s Eve 2022, a song born from featuring veteran giants of Japan’s music scene centered around Keisuke Kuwata—“Jidaiokure no Rock’n’Roll Band”—was performed.
Many people were likely captivated by Motoharu Sano’s cool, mature rock’n’roller presence, sharply suited in a black rider’s jacket.
One of Sano’s early hits and signature songs, “SOMEDAY,” was originally released as a single in 1981, but it didn’t receive much response at the time.
The following year, when his third album of the same name was released in 1982 and became a hit, the song was reevaluated.
It was later used in a commercial tie-in in 1989, and when it was re-released as a single in 1990, many people may have discovered it then.
As Sano himself has said in later years, “SOMEDAY” is not a song aimed at a particular generation; because it resonates as a personal “someday, for sure” for each generation, it has remained beloved for many years as an anthem of encouragement.
It’s a masterpiece I’d love for you—who are about to make a fresh start—to listen to.