Lovely senior life

Recommended summer songs for people in their 90s: A collection of Showa-era summer tracks [2025]

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.

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.

Recommended summer songs for people in their 90s. A roundup of Showa-era summer tunes [2025] (41–50)

coconutsong

Coconut (from the serial TV drama “Chimudondon”) [Official Lyric Video]

Coconut Song

Yashi no Mi (Coconut) is a beloved song that gently embraces the feelings of those who have left their hometown.

With poetry by Toson Shimazaki set to music by Toraji Onaka, it expresses longing for home through the image of a coconut drifting ashore from a distant island.

Rocked by the waves and carrying the melancholy of a journey, the singer wishes someday to return home.

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It’s a bittersweet sentiment many can surely relate to.

This song was selected in 2007 as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” Why not hum it together with older family members and reminisce about the past? It’s sure to bring a heartwarming moment.

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Song of the Seashoresong

Song of the Seashore (Summer Children’s Song)

Song of Singing by the Beach

A Showa-era classic that will surely be sung forever, “Hamabe no Uta” (Song of the Seashore).

Composed by Tamezou Narita with lyrics by Kokei Hayashi, this piece was born in the Taisho period.

Its beautiful melody evokes the quiet scenery of a beach, perfectly matched with lyrics that touch the heart.

It skillfully expresses the beauty of Japan’s nature and human emotion, and as you listen, nostalgic memories may come flooding back.

Many people likely sang it in junior high school music class.

If you hum it together with older adults, you’ll probably share a warm, lovely moment.

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The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms BloomMasako Kawada

The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms Bloom

Masako Kawada, The Hill Where Mandarin Blossoms

Masako Kawada’s “Mikan no Hana Saku Oka” (“The Hill Where Mandarin Blossoms Bloom”) is a classic that evokes summers in the Showa era.

Its gentle lyrics, depicting the blue sea, islands, and memories with one’s mother, resonate deeply with listeners.

As a work symbolic of postwar Japan, it has long been cherished by many.

The song remains beloved across generations—ranking 6th on NHK’s “Songs of Japan You Choose: Hometown Songs,” among other honors.

For older listeners, it’s a piece that tenderly brings back fond memories.

With its relaxed tempo, it’s also perfect for humming along together.

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fireworksnursery rhyme

Fireworks (Summer Children's Song / Shoka)

Fireworks Nursery Rhyme

The classic Showa-era song “Hanabi” is a children’s song that vividly colors summer memories and beautifully portrays the splendor of fireworks spreading across the sky.

Composed in 1941, it celebrates the feel of the season and traditional summer scenes in Japan through images of summer festivals and fireworks displays.

It has long been cherished in educational settings and is often sung during summer events.

Singing it together with older adults may bring back nostalgic memories of summers past.

How about joining voices and singing it to feel the essence of summer?

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Crimson SunHibari Misora

Crimson Sun

Bright Red Sun Hibari Misora

Hibari Misora’s “Makkana Taiyo” (Deep Red Sun) is a classic that represents summers of the Showa era.

It expresses a love that burns like the sun through a wistful voice.

Promises exchanged by the seaside, and the sense of parting layered over the sound of the waves—its lyrics intertwine the beginning and end of love with summer scenes, stirring the heart.

Released in 1967, the song has been covered by many artists and continues to be loved across generations.

How about humming it together as you look back on summer memories? It’s sure to be a song that resonates in your heart.

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Memories of a Summer DayTeruko Hino

Memories of a Summer Day / Teruko Hino

Memories of a Summer Day Teruko Hino

Teruko Hino’s “Memories of a Summer Day” is a heartwarming song released in 1965.

Its lyrics, portraying a woman recalling a summer romance amid winter’s chill, resonate deeply when paired with Hino’s clear, pure vocals.

Originally the B-side to “One Rainy Night in Tokyo,” the song gained popularity, was reissued as the A-side, and went on to become a million-seller.

For many older listeners, it may be a nostalgic tune that evokes sweet memories of their youth.

It’s recommended for moments when you want to spend a peaceful time, reminiscing about the summer that has passed by the quiet winter seaside.

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In conclusion

We’ve put together a roundup of summer songs we’d love people in their 90s to listen to again.

We focused mainly on classic Showa-era hits, so we’re sure many of you will recognize these tunes.

Take this opportunity to revisit these nostalgic summer songs and let them help you get into the spirit of the season.