Recommended love songs for people in their 80s: A collection of classic love songs that colored the Showa era

Love VacationThe Peanuts

Love Vacation – Sung by The Peanuts [With Lyrics] (Including Harmony Chorus)

A refreshing love story unfolding by the summer seaside resonates in the heart with a light, buoyant rhythm.

With a swinging feel that incorporates jazz’s four-beat, it’s a song everyone can enjoy together with handclaps.

Its lovely lyrics and melody bring back nostalgic memories of youth.

The beautiful harmonies of The Peanuts gently wrap the sweet moments by the shore.

Released in April 1963 and performed at that year’s 14th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, the piece was also used as the campaign song for Toray’s summer wear “Vacance Look.” It’s a gentle, singable number, perfect for recreational activities at care facilities.

Since it’s a melody everyone knows, simply clapping along or swaying to the beat is more than enough to enjoy it.

wheat fieldOyonez

Oyonésu - Wheat Field (with lyrics)

It’s a classic song that unfolds a gentle, heartwarming rural landscape.

With approachable lyrics in the Tohoku dialect, it portrays the pure romances of young people in the countryside.

It sold 900,000 copies and reached No.

2 on the Oricon chart.

The melody is characterized by its singable familiarity, and it was also used in a FamilyMart commercial.

As Oyonese’s signature song, it continues to be loved by many.

It evokes nostalgic scenery and can spark lively reminiscences, making it perfect for music recreation activities for seniors.

With its heartwarming lyrics and gentle melody, it is sure to resonate with listeners.

Melancholy TrainMichiya Mihashi

Michiya Mihashi - Melancholy Train

This is a gem of a classic that brilliantly sings of a northern land’s travel-laden scenery and a heartrending love.

A crisp male voice vividly paints sweet memories in a hot-spring post town, along with the encroaching moment of parting.

Michiya Mihashi’s powerful vocals, honed through folk songs, create a warm, gentle phrasing in exquisite balance.

Since its 1956 release, it has become a massive hit with over 2.

5 million copies sold and was adapted into a film the following year, leaving a deep imprint on the history of Japanese enka.

It’s a recommended song when you want to savor nostalgic memories or connect hearts through music.

It also has a friendly, sing-along quality that naturally invites humming in music recreation settings with seniors.

poppy flowerAgnes Chan

Poppy Flower / Agnes Chan (Agnes Chan/Chen Meiling)

This is a famous song that poignantly portrays a young woman’s bittersweet feelings of love as she tells her fortune using a single flower blooming on a hill.

The clear singing voice of Agnes Chan from Hong Kong, combined with her pure image, captured the hearts of many.

Released in November 1972, the song reached No.

5 on the Oricon chart and became a major hit, maintaining a sales record for foreign-born artists for 40 years.

When everyone sings this song of memories together, joyful moments from their youth come flooding back.

We recommend it as a gentle spring song that can be enjoyed while reminiscing and sung happily with older adults, perfect for music activities at day-service centers and care facilities.

Beautiful SpringYuzo Kayama

Beautiful Spring [Yuzo Kayama] - The audio is bad.

This is a classic song that sweetly celebrates the arrival of spring.

Warmly portrayed are pure feelings that make the heart flutter like a first love.

Carried by Yuzo Kayama’s gentle voice, evocative scenes quietly unfold and resonate within.

The lyrics, expressing a fresh young love alongside the springtime nature, evoke kindness and nostalgia in listeners.

Released in April 1968 and included on the album “For You,” it stands alongside contemporary hits like “Oyome ni Oide” and “Kimi to Itsu Made mo” as a song that colors youth.

It’s perfect for sharing fond spring memories or enjoying with handclaps in music therapy settings.

A calm, pleasant work that offers seniors a heartwarming moment.

A hill with a view of the harborAiko Hirano

Hill with a View of the Harbor / Aiko Hirano

A postwar masterpiece that gently sings of a beautiful port town.

With its wistful melody and emotionally rich lyrics, Aiko Hirano superbly conveys the stirrings of love and the ache of parting.

On a hill overlooking the harbor, as cherry blossoms fall, the delicate feelings of someone thinking of a departing lover are vividly depicted, giving the song a universal appeal that anyone can relate to.

Since its release in April 1947, it became Victor’s first hit of the postwar era, selling a total of 450,000 copies.

Many artists, including Naomi Chiaki, Mina Aoe, and Hibari Misora, have covered it.

It’s a perfect song for the season when spring is in the air, offering a heartwarming moment filled with nostalgia.

It is a wonderful piece for seniors to share a calm, reminiscence-filled time together.

Parting at 22wind

Parting at 22 / Kaze (with lyrics)

The debut song by the folk duo Kaze is a heartwarming classic, as gentle as the spring sunshine.

The lyrics vividly portray the pure love and parting of youth, while the tender acoustic guitar melody weaves a beautiful harmony.

Since its release in 1975, it has been covered by many artists and even adapted into a film by director Nobuhiko Obayashi in 2007, remaining beloved across generations.

In NHK’s “SukiUta — Kouhaku Everyone’s Survey,” it ranked 71st for the White Team.

It’s a perfect song for savoring slowly when you want to bask in nostalgic memories, and it could also spark lively conversations among older listeners about their experiences from back in the day.