[Today's Recommended Nostalgic Songs] Memories from those days come flooding back! A collection of gem-like classics

Fortune-telling for womenMinami Yuji to Furuseiruzu

Yuji Minami and Fullsails: Woman Fortune-telling

Released in 1970 (Showa 45).

When I heard “Onna Uranai” (Woman’s Fortune-telling), I could hardly remember who sang the song, but as soon as I saw the lyrics, it all came back to me.

The delivery is calm and matter-of-fact, but the lyrics are quite unique, and the impact of the opening lines is really striking.

A mole on the chest seems like something anyone could have, doesn’t it?

Swim! Taiyaki-kunShimon Masato

Play and sing “Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun” (perform a self-accompanied rendition)

A children’s song released in 1975 on the TV program “Hirake! Ponkikki.” Above all, it’s famous as the best-selling single CD in Japan’s history, a representative Japanese song whose Oricon sales record has yet to be surpassed.

Woman’s PathMiya Shirō

25 Onna no Michi (Miya Shirō) Miya Shiro

This is one of Shiro Miyako’s signature works, with a wistful vocal delivery and heartrending lyrics that resonate deeply.

Centered on themes of women’s lives and love, the song became a million-seller just one month after its release and ultimately achieved a massive hit with about 1.5 million copies sold.

It won the Best Vocal Performance at the 1972 Japan Record Awards and was also performed on that year’s NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, making it a defining track of the music scene that year.

Its lyrics, depicting women’s inner conflicts and strength, continue to captivate many listeners today.

A classic of the Showa era that those struggling with love or life should hear.

The arrival of springKoyanagi Rumiko

HQ Spring’s Arrival ... Rumiko Koyanagi

It’s a warm, classic song that heralds the arrival of spring.

It delicately portrays scenes where happiness and bittersweetness intertwine: two people walking along the seaside, a girl’s feelings as she invites her boyfriend home for the first time, and conversations with her family.

Released in February 1973 as Rumiko Koyanagi’s seventh single, it was a popular hit that reached No.

4 on the Oricon charts.

The lyrics were written by Michio Yamagami, and the music was composed by Koichi Morita.

It’s recommended for moments when you want to reflect on the promise of new love and the bonds of family while wrapped in the warmth of spring.

Listen to the gentle vocals, and your heart will feel warmer.

Month Month Fire Water Wood Gold GoldKasuga Hachirō

Month Month Fire Water Wood Gold Gold

When it comes to Japanese military songs, “Getsu-Getsu-Ka-Sui-Moku-Kin-Kin” (Monday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Friday) rivals “Warship March,” composed by Tokichi Setoguchi, in name recognition.

The title phrase “Getsu-Getsu-Ka-Sui-Moku-Kin-Kin” is said to have spread from a remark by Yuzo Tsuru, who, observing that the Imperial Japanese Navy trained without taking days off, complained to a colleague, “At this rate, it’s like Monday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Friday,” and it eventually became the basis for the song.

Thereafter, it came to be used among the public as a phrase praising tireless work, reflecting the diligence of the Japanese even back then.

The melody is, of course, martial and spirited, but it also has a bright character—perhaps intentionally, so that ordinary citizens could sing it—and it’s the kind of tune you might even hear on variety shows.

It is especially familiar to the generation of grandparents who lived through the Showa era and the war.

The Old Man’s SeaMuraki Kenkichi

Oyaji no Umi by Muraki Kenkichi

Riding the rhythm of the rowing chants, a clear, soaring singing voice that seemed to cut through even the roughest waves gradually spread in popularity across the country over two years after it first aired on cable radio.

Overcoming many hardships, this previously unknown 47-year-old newcomer won the Cable Radio Grand Prize’s Best New Artist Award.

Ah, in Muntinlupa the night deepensWatanabe Hamako

Ah, the night in Muntinlupa deepens

Released in 1952, this song actually has a deep connection to World War II.

“Muntinlupa” in the title is the name of a place in the Philippines where former Japanese soldiers were being held as war criminals at the time.

After learning about this, singer Hamako Watanabe began corresponding with the soldiers, and one day she received lyrics and a musical score in a letter from a soldier in Muntinlupa.

She turned it into a recording, which became this song.

The lyrics convey the soldiers’ feelings for their families back in Japan and their determination to survive no matter what until they could return home.

Thinking about the harsh reality of that time brings one to tears.

Incidentally, records show that the former Japanese soldiers held in Muntinlupa were released the year after the song was released and were able to return to Japan.

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Hane Keisuke

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