Cheering songs recommended for people in their 60s: classic and popular Japanese hits

fast track to successHatakeyama Midori

fast track to success

The 1962 hit song “Shusse Kaidō,” which seemed to cheer on a still male-dominated Japan, became a massive success, with its unusual hakama costume also drawing attention.

Hatakeyama’s singing career went smoothly, and combined with the bubble economy, she became very wealthy.

However, when the bubble burst, she ended up saddled with enormous debt.

Since then, Midori Hatakeyama decided never to turn down any job she was offered, and she has energetically taken on all kinds of work, including variety shows.

Galaxy Express 999Godiego

Godiego ♪Galaxy Express 999♪

The well-known anime’s theme song was used for the movie version, and later it was also adopted as the opening theme for the TV special.

Around this period, Godiego sang about half of their lyrics in English, creating a fresh image even in the anime world.

It’s a song that makes you feel energized, as if your worries were never there, when you listen to it.

Ah, life has its tearsSatomi Kôtarô, Yokouchi Masashi

Ah, life has its tears — including the elusive third verse.

As you know, the theme song of Mito Kōmon—long beloved in living rooms across Japan for its famous lines like “Kakusaan, Sukesaan, that’s enough now”—is, as the title suggests, an anthem that cheers you on in life.

Isn’t it a song of encouragement loved not only by people in their 60s, but also by those in their 70s and 80s?

I’ll sing a cheer song.Hosokawa Takashi

Here comes the cheer song!

Takashi Hosokawa won the Japan Record Award two years in a row in 1982 and 1983 with “Kita Sakaba” and “Yagiri no Watashi,” but it seemed his popularity dipped a bit afterward.

Amid that, this 1991 release was featured in a commercial for Kirin Brewery’s ‘Kirin Draft,’ and it became a hot topic.

It’s a song whose quietly reflective lyrics convey the feel of life.

At the end, the line “Gutto ikō yo, ○○-kun” is typically sung by swapping in someone’s name on the spot for fun.

Take it easy.Maiku Maki

Departure 1971 Mobil Oil commercial

The 1971 commercial song for Mobil Oil has a wonderfully laid-back feel—if you compared it to life, you might call it “at your own pace.” In the ad, the person singing about an unhurried life—like pushing a car instead of rushing—is Maki Mike, and the one giving it that indescribable flavor is the late Hiromitsu Suzuki from the former rock band The Mops.

He certainly wasn’t what you’d call a handsome man, but he seemed like someone whose good nature just shone through.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrowInoue Jun

Jun Inoue Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

This is a song that Junji Inoue, a former member of the GS group The Spiders, released as a solo artist.

He changed his stage name to Jun Inoue to make a fresh start after personally suffering from hemorrhoids and deciding that the character “ji” (痔) was inauspicious.

Released in 1971, the song features a melody anyone can hum and serves as a motivational anthem about looking ahead to tomorrow and moving forward in life, even when times are tough.

Funky Monkey BabyKyaroru

Carol (Funky Monkey Baby)

Eikichi Yazawa—affectionately known as “Eikichi”—forged his current status by sticking to his strong conviction to “be BIG.” That drive stems from his childhood, when he grew up in a single-mother household under severe poverty.

During the Carol era, even though people might listen to the Beatles, rock itself was still a question mark in Japan; their activities lasted only about two and a half years, yet the group left a major impact.

After that, Yazawa went solo, treating “Eikichi Yazawa” as a business brand, overcoming various troubles to get where he is today.

Those of the same generation can truly relate.