[For Seniors] Heartwarming Winter Classics: A Cozy Moment with Nostalgic Kayōkyoku and Traditional Songs
In the season when winter’s chill seeps into our bones, the gentle strains of familiar songs quietly stay close to the heart.
Listening to classic Showa-era hits and nostalgic school songs in the crisp, dignified air has a mysterious power to wrap the heart in warmth.
Winter melodies woven with the cold of the north, the stirrings of love, and feelings for one’s hometown will surely resonate deeply with older adults.
Here, we introduce heartwarming winter classics that you can enjoy together with seniors.
It’s lovely to spend time reminiscing as you chat, and just as lovely to close your eyes and sink into the lyrics.
How about spending a leisurely time with these timeless winter songs?
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[For Seniors] Heartwarming Winter Classics: A Cozy Time with Nostalgic Kayōkyoku and Traditional Songs (21–30)
The Camellia Sasanqua InnEisaku Okawa
A memorable song by Eisaku Okawa, featuring lyrics and a melody that portray a bittersweet love.
Centered on the forbidden theme of an extramarital affair, it poignantly conveys the obsession with an unrequited love and the sorrow of fate.
The feelings of the male and female protagonists are mirrored in the sasanqua flower, which also serves as a symbol of winter’s melancholy in the title.
Released in 1982 as his 32nd single, it became his biggest hit, reaching No.
2 on the Oricon charts in 1983.
It’s a perfect winter classic that anyone who has experienced heartbreak or struggled with love should hear.
North AirportYin Shuying Katsura, Keisuke Hama
This song vividly paints a winter scene.
The heartwarming duet woven by Ginshi Katsura and Keisuke Hama is a piece that gently resonates with older listeners.
Set in a northern airport, its lyrics about the parting of two lovers and a new departure are deeply moving.
Released in November 1987, it has long been a beloved classic in karaoke.
There’s even a monument to the song at New Chitose Airport, and if you press a button, the melody plays.
It’s best enjoyed on a winter night, gazing out the window at a leisurely pace—it’s sure to bring back fond memories.
Nostalgia for Home, JongaraTakashi Hosokawa
It’s a masterpiece that resonates with the chill of winter and a longing for one’s hometown.
The lyrics are steeped in the atmosphere of the Tsugaru region, featuring dialect and the Jonkara-bushi style.
Takashi Hosokawa’s powerful vocals seem to speak for everyone who yearns for home.
Released in August 1985, the song won the Gold Award at the 27th Japan Record Awards and has been performed many times on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Listening while imagining snowy landscapes and the sound of the Tsugaru-shamisen deepens the nostalgia even more.
It’s a song that serves as a source of comfort for those living away from their hometown.
lingering snowKazuo Funaki
Known as one of Kazuo Funaki’s signature songs, this gem of a ballad portrays a fleeting, heartrending love set against a winter backdrop.
Within the harsh nature of the snow country, the delicate lyrics capture the feelings of two people who yearn for each other despite knowing they are not destined to be together.
Released in March 1968, it followed “Kuchinashi no Ballad,” which came out earlier that January.
Blending the beauty of snowy landscapes with the poignancy of love, this is a perfect song for a winter night—one that also invites a nostalgic listen to days gone by.
Has the plum blossomed?
This song is also included on Hibari Misora’s 1958 album “Hibari Misora Hauta Collection.” “Ume wa Saita ka” is an Edo hauta based on the popular Meiji-era street song “Shongaebushi.” It depicts geisha through comparisons to seasonal flowers and gatherings, and today it’s known as an ozashiki song.
The lyrics, which portray the amorous affairs of geisha likened to plum blossoms and cherry blossoms, may drift further from a cheerful spring image the more deeply you delve into them.
Since there are many different lyrical variations, it’s fun to compare different versions.
Hymn to the Snowy MountainsDark Ducks
Snow Mountain Hymn is a classic winter song performed by the Dark Ducks.
Released in 1959, it celebrates both the beauty and harshness of snowy mountains.
For many older listeners, it may be a nostalgic favorite.
The lyrics are filled with the feelings of those who love the mountains, and just listening to it conjures up vivid images of snowy peaks.
As the winter cold deepens, why not gaze out the window and listen to Snow Mountain Hymn? It’s sure to warm your heart.
It’s also great to sing along with seniors and let memories from the past come to life in conversation.
winter scenerysong
At many facilities, Christmas parties include choral singing to help people bond.
That’s where song selection can be tricky.
Ideally, you want songs everyone knows that also evoke the feeling of winter.
One recommendation is “Fuyugeshiki” (“Winter Scenery”).
Many people sang it in elementary school.
It’s widely known, and its beautiful lyrics let you savor the winter atmosphere.
Incidentally, “Fuyugeshiki” is also famous as a practice piece for beginner pianists.
If you have a piano available, give it a try.