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)
spring’s dry windIzumiya Shigeru
It’s a memorable song distinguished by its lyrical words and Shigeru Izumiya’s powerful vocals.
Released in 1973 and issued as a single on November 10 of the same year, it was included on the album “Hikari to Kage,” and various versions have been released since.
The lyrics portray a protagonist who struggles to live desperately while being buffeted by society, resonating with many listeners.
It has also inspired covers by other artists such as Keisuke Kuwata and Masaharu Fukuyama.
It’s a track you’ll want to hear when you’re troubled by life and in need of encouragement.
Showcasing Izumiya’s distinctive expressive power to the fullest, it can be called a masterpiece of folk/rock classics.
Lill Returning from ShanghaiTsumura Ken
Sung in 1951, the early postwar Showa era, this song tells the story of a man and woman buffeted by war, and it was later covered by Jinpachi Nezu.
It has a distinctly different flavor from others, evoking its era and making it captivating.
For some reason, many Showa-era pop songs—whether sung by women or men—are set in a harbor tavern where someone is waiting for or searching for someone.
Collection of Showa-era kayō classic hits: A comprehensive introduction to timeless songs loved across generations (101–110)
Words of FarewellKaientai
This is the 16th single by Kaientai.
Known as the theme song for the TV drama “Kinpachi-sensei, Class 3B,” it was covered by FLOW in 2003 and became a hit again.
Even today, it remains a staple song for graduation season.
ambushIshikawa Hitomi
This song, which portrays the feelings of a woman who can’t bring herself to confess her love, captures the unique frustration of unrequited love and the purity of a budding crush.
It’s easy to imagine many male fans getting excited and thinking, “I wish a cute girl like that would lie in wait for me…”
Your NameOrii Shigeko
This is the theme song from a film that was a huge hit about 60 years ago.
The part about leaving things to fate seems to have something in common with the 2016 film Your Name., but it appears there’s no connection at all.
For people above a certain age, when they hear “Your Name,” I imagine this older film is the one that comes to mind.
Maybe PART IIMiki Katsuhiko & Kobayashi Sachiko
“Moshikashite PART II” evokes the mood of a dangerous, adult romance.
Released in 1984, it’s a collaboration between Sachiko Kobayashi and Katsuhiko Miki, who composed the song.
It also serves as an answer song to “Moshikashite,” which had been released about half a year earlier.
The lyrics portray a relationship that deepens as the protagonist blames the alcohol, even while harboring the worry that dating this person might not actually be a good idea.
The melody, which heightens the heart-pounding sense of the two growing closer, is also memorable.
Be sure to listen to it together with “Moshikashite,” the Part 1.
Elegy of SpringShōji Shirō
A classic song, heartfeltly performed by Shiro Shoji, that conveys the atmosphere of early Showa to the present day.
Released in 1934, this piece entrusts its plea to flowers that symbolize lost love and the fleeting nature of spring, even as it surrenders to the tides of the times, and it became a foundation that colored the music scene that followed.
Shoji’s voice tenderly accompanies the lyrics that portray the pain of parting, resulting in a performance that deeply resonates.
Issued by Columbia Records, the song was created by a stellar team: lyrics by Kinya Shimada, music by Yuji Koseki, and arrangement by Yakio Niki.
It carries a certain nostalgia for everyone and is sure to stir the heart.