Recommended summer songs for people in their 90s: A collection of Showa-era summer tracks [2025]
As of 2025, those of you in your 90s are people who spent your teenage years during the difficult times of the war and postwar period.
After reaching adulthood, the era of rapid economic growth arrived, and you lived through the turbulent Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras.
So, what songs come to mind when you think of summer? In this article, we’ve researched and compiled songs that 90-year-olds might remember—from children’s songs and choral pieces from their youth to popular tunes and enka they likely enjoyed as adults.
It’s designed to be enjoyable for three generations of a family, so please take this opportunity to have a look.
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Recommended summer songs for people in their 90s. A roundup of Showa-era summer tracks [2025] (21–30)
Soran Bushifolk song
The work songs that Hokkaido fishermen used to sing between tasks are now loved by many as some of Japan’s representative folk songs.
Their powerful calls and lively rhythms are brimming with energy that makes your heart leap, and they have a lasting charm that stays with you.
Over the years, new allure has been added by numerous singers, including Fuyumi Sakamoto, Yoshimi Tendo, and Takio Ito.
Sayuri Ishikawa also presented her own arrangement on her 2019 album “Tami.” These songs are perfect for moments when you can sing along together—chatting with family and friends, or at community events where people gather and connect.
They’re sure to offer a heartwarming time, wrapped in a sense of nostalgia.
Tokyo Ondofolk song
Born in 1933 (Showa 8), this is a classic Bon Odori song that represents Japan.
Its lyrics charmingly sing about Tokyo’s famous spots—like the flowers of Ueno and the willows of Ginza—and its light, friendly melody is very appealing.
The rhythm incorporates the flavor of Kagoshima’s folk song “Ohara-bushi,” making it beloved across generations.
Created by Yaso Saijo and Shinpei Nakayama, it was performed by Katsutaro Kouta and Issei Mishima.
Premiered at a Bon Odori festival held in Hibiya Park, it has long resonated with people as a symbol of Tokyo’s recovery and community revitalization.
Filled with nostalgia and perfect for moving your body with joy, this Bon Odori standard is an ideal choice for summer recreation.
Recommended Summer Songs for People in Their 90s: A Collection of Showa-Era Summer Tracks [2025] (31–40)
Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner's Song)folk song
It is a folk song from the Chikuho region, cherished as a hallmark of summer in Japan.
Born in the Meiji era from songs sung by women during coal sorting at mines, it spread nationwide in the early Showa period through radio broadcasts.
Its familiar melody, depicting coal mine labor and everyday life, remains a staple for Bon Odori dances.
In August 2024, BEGIN released a new arrangement incorporating Brazilian samba rhythms, but the traditional choreography—characterized by movements that mimic mining work—makes it easy to dance together with older adults.
Since 2006, Tagawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture has hosted the Tanko-bushi Festival every summer, and the song continues to be passed down across generations.
Mount Fuji (Fujinoyama)
This is a song of praise for a beautiful mountain beloved as a symbol of Japan, released in July 1910 as a Ministry of Education school song.
With its concise lyrics and distinctive melody, it has continued to be cherished across generations.
It is often sung on July 1, the opening day of the mountain-climbing season, and is a memorable piece that evokes the feeling of summer.
Treasured in school music education and community cultural activities, this work embodies respect for Japanese tradition and nature, and is surely a familiar, nostalgic song for older adults as well.
It’s perfect for a relaxed recreational moment to enjoy singing while reminiscing about the past through a nostalgic school song.
Season of LovePinky and the Killers
This song is distinguished by a bossa nova rhythm that heralds the start of summer.
Riding on a melody that captures the joy of new love, it’s become a classic summer tune brimming with lightness and nostalgia.
The fresh vocals and performance by Pinky & The Killers gently wrap youthful memories in warmth.
Released in July 1968, the song spent 17 consecutive weeks at number one on the Oricon charts.
It was also featured in the 2009 film Evangelion: 2.
0 You Can (Not) Advance, making it beloved across generations.
On a hot summer day, why not hum along with older adults while reminiscing in a cool room? You can also expand the fun by doing light exercises or clapping along to the beat.
Summer MemoriesLyrics: Akiko Ema / Music: Yoshinao Nakata
This is a beloved song that weaves nostalgic memories set in Oze.
Written by Shoko Ema with music by Yoshinao Nakada, it is a beautiful Japanese art song that delicately portrays scenes of nature and brings us the dreams and hopes lost after the war.
Since its first broadcast on NHK Radio in June 1949, its gentle melody and heartwarming lyrics have left a deep impression on many listeners.
It was sung by Ichiro Fujiyama in 1954 and featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1962, making it cherished across generations.
Rooted in Japan’s musical culture for many years, it was selected in 2006 for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Japanese Songs.” Humming its melody, imbued with love for abundant nature, brings nostalgic landscapes to mind.
Shall we bask together in the pleasant memories of summer?
Hawaiian Airlines flightKiyoshi Uzumi
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.