[For Seniors] Classic spring songs to sing in April: A heartwarming moment with nostalgic children’s songs and kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs)

cuckooSakushi: Tomoi Kumiko

Cuckoo ♪ [Children’s Song / School Song / Japanese Song] Animal Animation _ Cuckoo, cuckoo, quietly ~ / Japanese kids song

Can’t you almost feel the fresh morning air just from the spring-heralding calls of birds drifting out of the forest? This piece, originally a German folk song with Japanese lyrics by Kumiko Tomoi, evokes the mist-shrouded quiet woods and a mother bird’s gentle care with rich sensitivity.

Included in the sheet music collection “Recital Pieces for Children: Little-Handed Pianists 1,” released in April 2001, it has long been cherished in music education settings.

Its simple melody is perfect for a round; layering voices in playful pursuit is sure to bring out smiles.

It’s a classic that many grandchildren learn in music classes, making it ideal for cross-generational sing-alongs.

Why not spend a peaceful moment wrapped in its nostalgic sound?

Big SongSakushi Sakkyoku: Nakajima Kōichi

The Big Song: A Round

A classic beloved at camps and recreation events, this famous song—written and composed by Koichi Nakajima—features lyrics that sing of the grandeur of nature and of hope, along with a distinctive round style where voices chase one another.

Since it first aired on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in June 1979, it has been included in textbooks and sung widely across generations.

Its worldview, which expands from serene scenes like “mountains” and “sky” to inner realms like “heart” and “dreams,” is sure to resonate deeply with older adults rich in life experience.

The call-and-response format, where participants follow the leader’s voice, makes it easy to sing without strain and is perfect for creating a natural sense of unity.

Why not enjoy the pleasure of blending your voices together to that nostalgic melody?

koinobori (carp streamers)Sakushi: Kondō Miyako

♪ Koinobori – Carp Streamers | Carp Streamers Higher Than the Rooftops; The Big Black Carp Is Father [Japanese Song / Shoka]

This piece depicts the majestic figures of fish swimming grandly through the sky—an essential sight for Tango no Sekku (Children’s Day).

With lyrics by Miyako Kondo, it was included in a songbook published in December 1931.

It’s a classic also selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Songs of Japan,” and its lyrics, featuring a father black carp and children red carp swimming together, evoke the warmth of family bonds.

The key is to sing with a gentle three-beat rhythm, swaying your body from side to side.

If you layer voices in a round so they enter one after another, it creates a sense of unity, as if many fish are swimming across the vast sky.

While sharing nostalgic memories of seasonal festivals, try creating a heartwarming harmony together with older adults.

Lingering Snowiruka

Dolphin [Iruka] / Nagori-yuki [Lingering Snow] (Single Version) Official Audio with translation

This is a song whose charm lies in a melody that evokes the arrival of spring and lyrics that touch the heart.

Set on a train platform, it vividly portrays a man and a woman parting ways amid the fleeting snow of early spring.

Beautifully depicting the moment of farewell and a love left unfinished by youth, the piece is filled with the bittersweetness of adolescence and the process of growing up.

Iruka’s rich, resonant vocals carry a warm, heartfelt quality that reaches deep within.

First included on the March 1975 album “Iruka no Sekai,” it was released as a single in November of the same year and reached No.

4 on the Oricon chart.

It’s a beloved, well-known song that many remember; humming along as you recall old memories is sure to make for a delightful moment.

It may also inspire lively conversations among older listeners as they reminisce about those days.

Song of SpringSakushi: Kishi Kunizō / Sakkyoku: Uchida Gen

Song of Spring

It’s a bright, uplifting song that seems to express the hearts of people within beautiful springtime scenery.

With a light sound that emphasizes the tone of the flute and a buoyant vocal line layered on top, it conveys the exhilaration of the spring season.

The lyrics mention flowers and vegetables lined up in the market, evoking feelings of happiness for the fruits of the warmer months.

From the airy sound, the vocals, and the lyrical content, you can sense the anticipation for spring and an irrepressible sense of joy.

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Green breezesakushi: shimizu katsura / sakkyoku: kusakawa shin

Japanese children's song: Midori no Soyokaze (The Green Breeze)

It’s a piece that seems to capture the happiness felt as the warm season arrives and the landscape is dyed green.

It depicts gentle breezes blowing through beautiful verdant scenery and the lives of people and animals within it, vividly conjuring the scene before your eyes.

The expansive, gentle sound—reminiscent of a choral piece—also feels as if it portrays a grand landscape.

The inclusion of buoyant phrases within the straightforward, soaring vocals that express the scenery is striking, conveying an irrepressible sense of excitement for spring.

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kappamaki

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Spring StreamMonbushō shōka

With Lyrics: “Spring Stream” Ministry of Education Song

When spring comes, the snow melts and living creatures begin to gather at the once-frozen river, don’t they? “Spring Brook” depicts just such a scene.

Since its release in 1912, it has been loved by many.

Try singing it while picturing a gentle spring brook.

By the way, the lyrics have been revised twice so far.

Because of that, the lyrics people remember can differ by generation, and some versions are shorter.

It could be fun to chat about which version each of you knows.

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yamamoto

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