Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Heartwarming Winter Classics: A Cozy Moment with Nostalgic Kayōkyoku and Traditional Songs

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.

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?

[For Seniors] Heartwarming Winter Classics: A Cozy Time with Nostalgic Kayōkyoku and Traditional Songs (31–40)

Ishikari ElegyMirei Kitahara

Ishikari Banka (2006 Remaster)

Ishikari Elegy by Mirei Kitahara

Mirei Kitahara’s “Ishikari Banka” is a moving classic that resonates with nostalgic memories of people who lived in the Showa era, expressing deep emotions rooted in Hokkaido’s history and culture.

The lyrics, reflecting Rei Nakanishi’s childhood experiences and family background, vividly portray the contrast between the bustling prosperity of the past herring fishing days and the desolation of the present.

Released on June 25, 1975, and awarded the Japan Lyricists’ Award for Best Work, the song has been covered by many singers and has become an important piece in Japan’s music history.

It’s a highly recommended song for people in their 80s who long for their hometown.

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A Town Where It SnowsHideo Takashima

A Town Where It Snows

Takao Hideo — In a Snowy Town

A masterpiece that delicately expresses bittersweet emotions and various memories against the backdrop of a town quietly blanketed in snow.

Its beautiful melody and lyrics that resonate in the listener’s heart have the power to appeal to people’s experiences and feelings.

Composed in 1951 as the theme song for an NHK radio drama, it was later released as a single by King Records in 1953.

Sung by Hideo Takahashi, it became a hit and has been loved for many years, frequently broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.” It’s a song with a timeless charm—one you’ll want to listen to on a quiet winter night alone or together with someone special.

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campfiresong

Bonfire – Taki Bi | By the hedge, by the hedge, around the corner—it's a bonfire, it's a bonfire, burning fallen leaves [Japanese Song / Shoka]

Bonfire Song

Takibi (Bonfire) is filled with scenes of people spending winter in their own ways while warming themselves by a fire.

As time flows gently around the flames, memories of the past surface and images of warm moments with family come to mind.

Beloved by many schools after the war and cherished ever since its 1941 debut, its enduring popularity testifies to the universal appeal embedded in its lyrics.

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In conclusion

A collection of classic winter songs that touch the heart precisely because it’s the cold season.

The songs passed down since the Showa era carry the strength of people enduring harsh winters and the warm hearts that cherish loved ones.

By listening to these winter classics together with older adults, fond memories will resurface, and you’ll be able to share a wonderful time where hearts connect across generations.