![[Spring Songs Born in the Showa Era] Carefully Selected: Hit Tunes That Colored Their Times and Timeless Masterpieces Still Sung Today](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/my4b9A0mjLc/maxresdefault.webp)
Spring, the season of meetings and farewells.
With the long, cold winter finally over, and flowers blooming in full glory, this calm and beautiful season is surely many people’s favorite time of year.
In this article, we’re picking out spring-themed songs born in the Showa era!
From nostalgic Showa-era pop that will resonate with those who remember the time, to timeless classics still sung today, we’ll introduce a wide range of tracks.
Enjoy noting how perceptions and expressions of spring differ from those of the Reiwa era.
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- Youth songs you want to listen to in spring. Classic and popular spring songs.
- You'll surely remember your youth. Spring songs recommended for people in their 40s.
- [For Seniors] Popular Spring Songs: A Collection of Nursery Rhymes and Kayōkyoku Also Recommended for Music Therapy
- Time-travel back to your memories just by listening! Spring songs recommended for people in their 50s
- [Spring Songs] Masterpieces to Listen to in April: Classic Tracks that Color the Month
- Spring song medley. The best classic tunes to listen to in spring.
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- Moving songs to listen to in spring. Classic and popular spring tracks.
[Spring Songs Born in the Showa Era] Carefully Selected Hits That Defined the Times and Timeless Classics Still Sung Today (1–10)
tricolor violetSakurada Junko
This is a song by Junko Sakurada, released in February 1974, that entrusts the tender feelings of first love to tricolor violets.
Singing of a fleeting romance, the track reached No.
10 on the Oricon chart and sold approximately 186,000 copies.
The fusion of Akuyu’s delicate lyrics and Taiji Nakamura’s evocative melody beautifully captures the aching innocence of a young girl’s love.
The work depicts the emotions of adolescence—where hope and anxiety intertwine—with elegance, while Sakurada’s clear, translucent voice adds depth to the story.
It is a gentle companion for anyone who holds close the longing of waiting and the poignancy of an unfulfilled love.
Spring sceneryMinamino Yoko
This gem of a love song by Yoko Minamino portrays the bittersweet feelings of a young woman entering university and her boyfriend who has become a ronin student after failing his entrance exams, set in the spring of graduation.
Initially included on the April 1986 album “Gelato” and later featured as the B-side of “Kanashimi Monument” in July of the same year, the song delicately captures the subtleties of youth against the backdrop of Kobe.
Amid warm sunlight and fluttering cherry blossoms, the couple’s confusion about their changing circumstances resonates with a nostalgic melody.
Celebrated as a classic idol song, it continues to be loved as a piece that stays close to the heart at life’s milestones—love, parting, and setting out on new journeys.
Azusa No. 2karyūdō
This is a classic song from 1977 that portrays love and parting in the city, heralding the arrival of spring.
It vividly conveys the protagonist’s state of mind as they, exhausted by urban life, decide to set off on a journey.
The Hunters’ striking harmonies blend beautifully with the powerful yet wistful melody composed by Shunichi Tokura and the delicate lyrics by Machiko Ryu.
After its release in March 1977, it reached No.
4 on the Oricon weekly chart and No.
15 on the year-end chart.
It also won the New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards that same year, and has continued to be cherished as one of The Hunters’ signature songs.
It resonates deeply with those taking a new step forward or parting from someone dear.
Why not listen to it on a morning train, accompanied by the gentle scenery of spring?
You are more beautiful than a rose.Fuse Akira
Akira Fuse’s signature song, which over the years has become a classic everyone can hum.
It vividly portrays a man’s emotions as he’s astonished by how a woman he hasn’t seen in a long time has changed, yet is captivated by her beauty.
The sophisticated sound crafted by Godiego’s Mickey Yoshino blends perfectly with Fuse’s powerful yet delicate vocals to create a superb track.
Released in January 1979, it was used in a Kanebo Cosmetics commercial.
It reached No.
8 on the Oricon weekly chart at the time and led to four appearances on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
This gem of a love song is recommended for those who want to feel the joy of a heart-stirring reunion with the arrival of spring, or who wish to bask in memories with someone special.
Smiling Backkyandīzu
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.
Song of Seeing Spring OffNoguchi Goro
A poignant ballad that delicately portrays the moment spring slips away.
Goro Noguchi’s soaring vocals beautifully capture the bittersweetness of youth and the resolve to set out on a new journey.
Released in December 1978, the song reached No.
14 on the Oricon chart and No.
8 on The Best Ten, and it ranked 46th on the 1979 year-end chart.
Created by the duo of Yū Aku and Kyōhei Tsutsumi, it tells a story of a man and a woman set on a rainy spring day.
With Noguchi’s tender, empathetic singing, this track deeply moves listeners with its portrayal of a heartrending relationship.
When the violets bloomTakarazuka Shōjo Kageki Tsukigumi
“When the Violets Bloom,” known as a signature song symbolizing the Takarazuka Revue, is truly a classic spring piece that captures the spirit of early Showa.
In fact, the original song is a 1928 German piece titled “When the White Lilacs Bloom Again.” It’s memorable that, when the song came to Japan, the flower was changed to the familiar “sumire” (violet) for Japanese audiences.
With that historical background in mind, it’s fascinating to compare and listen for the differences between the original and the Japanese version.
