[For Seniors in Their 80s] Recommended Summer Songs: From Enka and School Songs to Folk Songs

Summer has comesong

Summer has come

Natsu wa Kinu (Summer Has Come) is a long-established song created in 1896.

Poet Nobutsuna Sasaki’s lyrics, which weave together images of summer’s seasonal delights, are set to a calm melody by Sakunosuke Koyama, beautifully evoking early-summer scenes in Japan.

With references to deutzia blossoms, lesser cuckoos, and fireflies, the song conveys a way of life in which Japanese people live in harmony with nature.

Beloved across generations, it was even broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta in 1979.

Listened to with gentle singing, it resonates deeply with those who feel nostalgic for days gone by.

Hawaiian Airlines flightKiyoshi Uzumi

Hawaiian Airlines Flight, Kiyoshi Utsumi

The songs of Kiyoshi Utzumi, which captivated many fans in the late 1940s through the 1950s, are gem-like works that express nostalgia for and longing toward a beautiful southern paradise.

Their gentle melodies and wistful vocals vividly depict the scenery and atmosphere of Hawaii.

Released in 1950, this piece became a beloved classic that tenderly embraced the dreams and hopes of the Japanese people at the time.

Included on the album “Japanese Popular Song Stars (19): Kiyoshi Utzumi,” it continues to be cherished across generations.

Brimming with warm nostalgia, this song is perfect for music activities that foster enjoyable interaction with seniors, creating shared moments of calm and comfort.

a bright red sunHibari Misora

a bright red sun

This song beautifully blends the seasonal feel of love with a passionate rock sound.

Evoking the image of the midsummer sun, its vivid composition richly portrays young love by the seaside in summer, dramatizing the changing emotions of romance as the seasons shift.

The unique world conjured by Hibari Misora’s powerful vocals is captivating.

Released in May 1967 as a track on her 20th anniversary album in show business, “Uta wa Waga Inochi,” it became a massive hit, selling over 1.

4 million copies.

It’s a perfect choice for karaoke at day service centers, offering a heart-lifting melody and a chance to bask in wonderful memories.

Seaside BoundThe Tigers

Seaside Bound

Released on May 5, 1967, The Tigers’ second single “Seaside Bound” is a love song that paints a picture of a bright, joyful summer day by the sea, paired with a rhythmic and catchy melody.

Under blue skies and on white sandy beaches, it expresses the joy of two people freely dancing and singing together.

Selling 400,000 copies, it became a major hit and had a significant impact on youth culture at the time.

It’s a classic brimming with nostalgia yet an undiminished charm that still shines today.

You can enjoy it in many ways—sing it together at karaoke or listen quietly while reminiscing about the past.

Link it with summer memories from the 1960s and savor it.

Beach of MemoriesThe Wild Ones

Omoide No Nagisa

The Wild Ones’ “Omoide no Nagisa” (“Memories of the Shore”).

It’s a song that portrays memories of a summer by the sea and a bittersweet romance.

The lyrics vividly depict scenes like a white ship and long black hair fluttering in the wind, conveying the poignancy of a lost love.

Released as a single in November 1966, it became a massive hit, selling over a million copies, and it continues to be loved across generations today.

Why not listen to it with someone in their 80s who longs for summers past and reminisce about those days together?

A Gift of a Summer Daychorus

[Chorus] A Gift of a Summer Day / With Lyrics [64/200]

A song that lets you look back on many summer memories, “A Gift of a Summer Day.” The lyrics are by Akiko Takagi, a children’s author and lyricist, and the music is by opera singer Kiyotaka Kaga.

Summer overflows with a bright, lively atmosphere, so perhaps many people feel a certain loneliness as the season passes and gives way to autumn.

As the natural scenery changes and summer drifts farther away, this is a piece that makes you want to give thanks for all the fun memories, even while feeling a touch of wistfulness.

Try singing or listening to it as you reminisce about the happy moments from this summer.

seasong

sea

A Showa-era children’s song that evokes nostalgia and comfort.

In lyrics by Yanagiha Hayashi, the grandeur of the sea and a yearning for distant lands are depicted, and the words are sung to a simple melody by Takeshi Inoue.

Since its release in 1941, this classic has been widely cherished across generations.

If everyone joins their voices to sing it together, warm memories are sure to surface and warm the heart.

Let’s cherish this song, which is emblematic of Japanese culture.