[Songs for Wednesday] A collection of Japanese tracks themed around the week’s halfway point

Wednesday’s appointmentŌta Hiromi

Wednesday’s Promise — Hiromi Ohta ⟪ Subtitles C ⟫

This is the B-side track of the single “Yūyake” released before “Cotton Handkerchief” became a big hit in 1975.

It’s a heartbreak song about someone who promised to go see a movie with their lover on Wednesday, knows they’ll be stood up, and still keeps waiting.

Back then, women like this were seen as devoted and endearing.

In today’s era… it might just come off as creepy.

Rainy WednesdayOhtaki Eiichi

Eiichi Ohtaki - A Rainy Wednesday

It’s a cover song, but the fact that it’s covered by Keisuke Kuwata and Koji Tamaki gives it a different and appealing vibe.

This track was cut from the album “A LONG VACATION” and released as a single in 1982.

I’ve always been a hardcore music lover, and there was a time in high school when I lived in a boarding house; I spent all my tuition money on records and ended up dropping out after a year.

My influences back then included Western music like Elvis Presley and The Beach Boys, of course, but for some reason I’ve also said that Hitoshi Ueki’s “Sudara-bushi” had a big impact on me.

“Ame no Wednesday” conveys a man’s lingering affection, and it’s a song I want to listen to quietly.

Small SundayIshikawa Seri

Little Sunday Seri Ishikawa

In her 1972 debut song, with Seri Ishikawa’s crisp voice and lively rhythm, when the two young people first appeared I felt it might be a cute love song, but it turned out to have a rather shocking ending.

Perhaps it’s a song that could only have been made precisely because she wasn’t aiming for an idol-like image.

No Girls No FunGEM

Bullet Train Drive On Week Men's Festival

Currently active with 10 members, GEM is not aiming for songs with high-difficulty choreography or ones that encourage audience calls, according to the general producer.

Indeed, their songs require quite hard dancing and a complex groove—deceptively simple but actually very difficult.

Wednesday movies are Ladies’ Day, so dress up in your own style; it’s a perfect, hype track for a teen girls’ night out.

A Wednesday the color of persimmonsfuki no tō

Butterbur sprouts / A Wednesday the color of persimmon fruit (1979) 2024 No.16

They were one of the leading groups of the folk-song era, noted for their beautiful harmonies.

They’re often described as a group whose hits live on more in memory than on the record books, and indeed, for those from the folk-song era, many of their songs vividly bring back their youth.

“Kaki-no-mi Iro” (Persimmon Color) is themed around autumn and is a song in which the singer expresses the feelings he couldn’t put into words to the girlfriend he parted with.

Sunday on WednesdayKenkino Kayura / Hikasa Yoko

Hayate the Combat Butler! Cuties Character Song - Wednesday’s Sunday - Kayura Tsurugino starri

It’s the ending theme for episode 11 of the TV anime “Hayate the Combat Butler! Cuties,” and the title is “Wednesday’s Sunday.” Is that because the manga is serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday? Judging from the lyrics, it does seem like a love song, but it also sounds like the feelings of someone eagerly waiting for the next chapter of a serialized manga.

Ash WednedayKawashima Naomi

Naomi Kawashima Ash Wednesday 001

Even while she was still a student at Aoyama Gakuin University, Naomi Kawashima began working as a radio DJ and appeared on numerous quiz shows, making her a pioneer among female college student celebrities.

Because her image was so closely tied to campus life, she went through a period when her appearances declined and she had to endure a lull.

Later, however, she made a comeback, including starring in the TV drama “Shitsurakuen” (Lost Paradise).

Just as she was active again, a tumor was discovered in 2013, and in September 2015 she sadly passed away.

Her songs from her bright, energetic days seem almost prophetic, as if she were singing for her husband, the pâtissier Mr.

Yorozuka.