A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
Songs released in the Showa era—what we call Showa kayokyoku—are truly full of timeless masterpieces!
If you’re an adult born in the Showa period, you probably know just how wildly popular Showa kayokyoku was with the entire nation back then.
Meanwhile, even for younger people born in the Heisei era and later, there are still plenty of Showa kayokyoku songs you hear all the time today, and I’m sure many of you can sing quite a few of them without looking at the lyrics.
In this article, we’ll introduce a whole lineup of Showa kayokyoku classics that have continued to be loved across generations.
Take this opportunity to listen again with fresh ears and immerse yourself fully in the world of kayokyoku.
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Compilation of classic Showa-era kayōkyoku hits: a comprehensive showcase of timeless songs loved across generations (91–100)
I won’t forget.Okazaki Yuki
It was released in October 1972 and was a somewhat minor song, but it’s one I still remember even after decades.
It wasn’t a particularly big hit, yet the phrases from the opening “Kitaguni no” up to the chorus are especially memorable.
The lyrics seem to be about a broken heart, but I liked it because the melody was straightforward and easy to follow.
Lullaby of the MadonnasIwasaki Hiromi
This song, which expresses a profound, enlightened love that seems to have reached the dimension of maternal affection, offers a glimpse of a perspective unique to a mature woman who can show tenderness even toward a man’s vulnerabilities.
I’m in awe of Hiromi Iwasaki’s expressive power in so masterfully conveying such a difficult theme.
At the end of loveFuse Akira
Akira Fuse is an outstanding singer, but apparently, long ago, Masayuki Hirao once called him tone-deaf.
So why did he become such a good singer? It’s hard to explain, but there seem to be two types of tone-deafness: if you tend to sing higher than the correct pitch, it’s hard to fix; if you tend to sing lower, it can be corrected.
He reportedly fell into the latter category.
Fuse’s songs often reward careful, attentive listening—they’re really great.
The last spring breakMatsutōya Yumi
A poignant classic that heralds the arrival of spring.
Included on Yumi Matsutoya’s seventh album, “OLIVE,” this song delicately portrays the emotions of a girl on the brink of the season of farewells.
Released in July 1979, it was later adapted into a TBS drama, “Rouge no Dengon,” in 1991.
As graduation approaches, the sadness of knowing it will no longer be easy to meet is gently conveyed through a relaxed, unhurried melody.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who wants to bask in the spring sunshine and reminisce about days gone by.
Among the seasonsMatsuyama Chiharu
This was Chiharu Matsuyama’s first song to reach number one.
At the time, it was also used in a TV commercial, and since that chocolate ad featured Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura—who were a hot topic back then—it stuck in my mind like their theme song.
In the corner of a caféMatsushima Utako
Although Utako Matsushima is not someone who often appears in nostalgic music programs, her song “In the Shade of the Chestnut Trees” was a major hit in 1937 (Showa 12).
“In a Corner of the Café” was released in 1955 (Showa 30), and she enjoyed a long career.
Born in Yanai City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, she was also the first Honorary Citizen of Yanai.
In the city, there is a stylish Western-style building with a townscape museum on the first floor and the Utako Matsushima Memorial Museum on the second.
Admission is free.
Even though it’s springKashiwabara Yoshie
This is a 1983 hit song by Yoshie Kashiwabara, who was at the peak of her idol career at the time.
The lyrics and music are by Miyuki Nakajima.
It’s a song about graduation that portrays a bittersweet maiden’s heart, and I’m drawn to the unique beauty of her melody.
She also self-covered it on her 1989 album Kaikinetu (Return Heat).