Interesting Japanese songs recommended for men in their 60s

I’m going to Tokyo.Yoshi Ikuzo

Yoshi Ikuzo “I’m Goin’ to Tokyo” [From the video cinema “I’m Goin’ to Tokyo ~Pure Heart Edition~”]

This is one of Ikuzo Yoshi’s signature songs, humorously depicting rural life in the countryside.

Featuring lyrics that skillfully incorporate the Aomori dialect and a distinctive rhythm, it was released in November 1984.

The song also drew attention for its composition, which incorporated innovative Japanese rap for the time.

There’s even an anecdote that, thanks to the lyrics’ promotional effect for LaserDisc, the manufacturer gifted him a player.

It’s a track you can enjoy with nostalgic Showa-era memories while sensing a yearning for the big city.

The Apple Murder CaseGō Hiromi, Kigeki Kirin

Hiromi Go & Kirin Kiki - The Apple Murder Case

This song captivates with its humor-filled lyrics and upbeat melody.

Despite using a murder case as its theme, it entertains listeners with a comical storyline.

The lyrics, which weave in the story of Adam and Eve, skillfully depict the love and hate between men and women.

Released in June 1978, it became a major talking point, spending four consecutive weeks at No.

1 on The Best Ten.

It was also used as an insert song in the drama “Mu Ichizoku,” winning support from a wide audience.

The duet by Hiromi Go and Kiki Kirin is another highlight.

It’s the perfect track for parties and get-togethers when everyone wants to get energized.

Enjoy the unique lyrics and sing along across generations.

Run, Kotaro!Sorutī Shugā

Run, Kotaro!

A masterpiece packed with humor and satire, modeled after a live horse race broadcast.

Released in July 1970, Salty Sugar’s work began as a joke about a chronically late band member and blossomed into superb popular entertainment.

The production weaves in race-style narration, horse names that parody popular buzzwords of the time, and even an impersonation of Governor Minobe, resulting in uproarious comedy.

It was adapted into a Toho-distributed film in February 1971, starring Shunji Fujimura.

The song sold around one million copies and won the New Artist Award at the 12th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a perfect pick to liven up parties and drinking gatherings with friends.

Japanese rice is the best in the world.Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai

Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai “Japanese Rice Is the Best in the World”

This much-talked-about release powerfully sings, over a heavy rock sound, of fervent love and pride for Japan’s staple food: white rice.

Listing indispensable dishes from gyūdon and katsudon to sashimi set meals and yakiniku set meals, it deftly shows how rice plays a starring role in a wide variety of situations.

The track fully showcases Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai’s signature, everyday-life-themed loud rock.

Released as a single in May 2015, it was also included on the mini-album “Mada Mada Shinmai,” released in November of the same year.

The song has earned high social recognition as well, including the band’s appointment by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as “FAN-bassador Rock.” It’s a must-listen not only for fans of donburi and set meals, but for anyone who takes pride in Japan’s food culture.

Guaranteed to get the crowd going at parties and karaoke.

A flawless rock ’n’ rollerarajin

Aladdin – The Flawless Rock ’n’ Roller

It was one of those one-hit-wonder songs that became popular around the time when slightly bad-boy styles like Yokohama Ginbae were in vogue.

But what’s really impressive is that Aladdin’s Takahara Ani later went on to succeed as a composer too, scoring hits with songs like those for Shūchishin.

The Drunkard Has ReturnedZa Fōku Kurusedāzu

The Drunkard Has Returned 2017 REMASTER

After dying in a drunk-driving accident and going to heaven, the protagonist is sent back to Earth following a fantastical exchange with God.

Marked by shrill voices and lively Kansai-dialect banter, this song uses black humor to satirize social issues.

Released in December 1967, it captured the hearts of young people and became a million seller.

Its popularity even led to a film adaptation, making it a work that symbolized a time of societal change.

To this day, it retains an undimmed charm as a song that brings smiles when everyone sings it together at lively banquets and parties.

Song of the Delinquent Big BrotherKamon Tatsuo

Song of the Delinquent Big Brother

This is a signature work by Tatsuo Kamon that humorously portrays the delinquent (yankii) culture of the Showa era.

Its charm lies in a witty, upbeat style that sings about the yankii’s distinctive looks and behavior over a lively melody.

Released in 1983, it won the Newcomer Award at the TBS Cable Music Awards hosted by Can System.

It can be said to be a song that laid the foundation for Kamon’s musical career.

It’s likely to surprise not only the generation familiar with yankii culture but also younger listeners who didn’t experience that era.

If you sing it at cross-generational gatherings like office parties or class reunions, it will surely spark laughter and a sense of shared connection.

Marilyn Monroe No ReturnNozaka Akiyuki

Marilyn Monroe No Return

With a voice tinged with heartbreak and resignation that evokes the end of the world, this classic has been deeply etched into many listeners’ hearts.

Its weighty, socially reflective poetry blends beautifully with a chanson-like, elegant melody line, crafting a singular soundscape.

Interweaving Buddhist imagery and the changing seasons, Nosaka Akiyuki’s vocal performance is breathtaking as it quietly speaks of life’s impermanence and the cycle of rebirth.

Released by Nippon Columbia in 1971 and included on the album “Nosaka Uta Taizen I: Singing Sakurai Jun,” the song was also featured in the 1973 film “Contemporary Gangsters: The Three Blood-Cherry Brothers.” It’s a recommended piece for those seeking to touch a deeper truth of life, or to quietly reflect on their hearts on a still night.

Examinee BluesTakaishi Tomoya

Examinee Blues (Single Version)

A masterful folk song that portrays the agony and inner conflict of exam-takers with humor and irony.

Goro Nakagawa, then a third-year high school student, wrote the lyrics during a remedial class, and Tomoya Takaishi completed the piece by setting them to a lively, country-style melody.

Vividly depicting a day in the life of a student preparing for entrance exams, the song sharply expresses the emptiness of a life consumed by studying.

Released in February 1968, it became a hit with total sales of 900,000 copies.

It still resonates today and is often sung at parties and gatherings with friends.

It can be considered a valuable work that allows people across generations to look back on the exam wars that symbolized Japan’s rapid economic growth era in the Showa period.

Suddenly, SinbadSazan Ōrusutāzu

Suddenly, Sinbad

When the chorus hits, you can’t help but want to shout at the top of your lungs! Released in August 1978 as Southern All Stars’ debut single, this song had a major impact on the Japanese music scene.

With its distinctive lyrics and upbeat rhythm, it portrays young love on a summer seaside.

Although it was reportedly panned at the time for being “nonsensical,” it has since become a beloved karaoke staple for many.

You can really see Keisuke Kuwata’s foresight! The work is packed with various elements, including homages to Kenji Sawada’s ‘Katte ni Shiyagare’ and Pink Lady’s ‘Nagisa no Sindbad.’ How about singing it together and having fun while reminiscing about your summer memories?