[2025] Recommended Karaoke Songs for Women in Their 70s: From Enka to Showa-Era Kayōkyoku

TouchHiromi Iwasaki

Touch / Yoshimi Iwasaki / Full-size / With lyrics

An anime theme song that captures the bittersweetness of youth was released in March 1985.

It’s a wonderful track featuring Yoshimi Iwasaki’s clear, transparent vocals and a melody that resonates deeply.

The lyrics convey the feelings of a girl in love with her childhood friend, leaving a lasting impression with its sweet, heartrending portrayal of adolescence.

The song drew major attention as the opening theme for the anime Touch and reached No.

12 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

It has also become widely used as a cheer song for high school baseball, a staple performed in the stands.

With a melody everyone can hum along to, it’s a perfect choice for karaoke with friends.

My castle townRumiko Koyanagi

Rumiko Koyanagi – My Castle Town (1971)

It’s the debut song of Rumiko Koyanagi, often described as “Wakon Yōsai,” where the refinement of Western music is blended with Japanese sentiment.

She sings tenderly of scenes that bring back memories—an old castle town at dusk, the nostalgic view through lattice doors, and a faint, hidden love stirring in the heart.

Released in April 1971, the song won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist and found widespread affection in step with the national railway’s “Discover Japan” campaign.

It is also included on the album “My Twelve Songs – A Collection of Japanese Lyric Songs.” It’s the perfect piece for those moments when you want to drift back to days gone by and savor a song at an unhurried pace.

Its gentle melody is sure to be comfortable to sing.

A Doll's HouseMieko Hirota

A Doll's House

Known as a classic that colored the Showa era, this song beautifully portrays the sorrow of a woman who lived for love and her lost love, likening it to a dust-covered doll.

Mieko Hirota’s powerful voice and vocal skill exquisitely convey the heartache and emptiness.

Released in October 1969, it reached No.

1 on the Oricon chart and won the Vocal Performance Award at the 11th Japan Record Awards.

It has been featured in many popular manga and anime, and is loved by a wide range of generations.

It’s a perfect song for seniors to hum while reminiscing about the past.

Sing it together with peers at karaoke, and it will surely spark a flood of memories.

My Pure LadyAmi Ozaki

My Pure Lady / Ami OzakiOfficial Lyric Video

This is a memorable track with a refreshing bossa nova-style melody that evokes the arrival of spring.

Its gentle, soft atmosphere, which tenderly wraps around feelings of a faint crush and affection for someone, will warm your heart before you know it.

Ami Ozaki’s clear, translucent vocals blend beautifully with lyrics that depict the small joys of everyday life.

Released in February 1977, the song was also used in a Shiseido cosmetics commercial and reached No.

4 on the Oricon charts.

The arrangement by Masataka Matsutoya and the performance by members of Tin Pan Alley are among its many charms.

It’s a lovely piece you’ll want to listen to with the windows open, feeling the pleasant breeze under the calm spring sunlight.

Dotonbori SentimentYoshimi Tendo

[MV] Yoshimi Tendo / Dotonbori (Tonbori) Ninjō (Full Ver.)

Yoshimi Tendo’s “Dotonbori Ninjō” retains a timeless charm even after many years since its release.

Since it came out in 1985, its pleasant melody and lyrics have captured the hearts of many listeners, and with sales exceeding 800,000 copies, the song truly stands as a masterpiece of enka.

It’s perfect for karaoke—while evoking the nostalgic atmosphere of the Showa era, it resonates with those around you and gets the conversation flowing.

For women in their seventies in particular, it may well be a song of their youth.

The lyrics, richly reflecting Osaka’s scenery, make you feel as if you can sense the winds of the era.

Anemone flaccida (nirinsō; literally “two-flowered anemone”)Miyuki Kawanaka

Nirinso / Miyuki Kawanaka with Lyrics

This is a warm song about the bond between husband and wife, with Miyuki Kawanaka’s emotionally rich vocals resonating deeply.

Using as its motif a plant where two flowers bloom side by side, it sings of the importance of caring for and supporting each other through life.

Combined with her gently enveloping voice, the piece is heartwarming, conveying deep love and connection.

Released in 1998, it became a major hit, with shipments surpassing one million copies.

At the 40th Japan Record Awards, it won both the Excellence Award and the Arrangement Award.

Featured five times on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, this song has long been cherished in karaoke as a memorable tune for couples who have spent many years together.

Dad is my boyfriendMomoe Yamaguchi

Momoe Yamaguchi - Papa Is My Boyfriend

This gem of a song, sung with a gentle voice that expresses love for a father, carefully portrays the warm bond between father and daughter.

Momoe Yamaguchi’s clear, transparent vocals blend beautifully with the emotionally rich accompaniment.

The calm, melodic ballad evokes cherished moments that deepen the father–daughter connection.

Released in 1973 as the theme song for the TBS drama “Kao de Waratte” (“Smile with Your Face”), it is also known as a duet with Ken Utsui.

It’s a piece that lets you share nostalgic memories and spark conversations about family.

In music activities at adult day services and other senior facilities, it can serve as a catalyst for communication among participants.

It’s also an excellent choice to include in a Father’s Day program.