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

Tokyo CachitoFrank Nagai

Tokyo Cachito — Frank Nagai

It’s a classic of mood kayō that has continued to be loved as a Showa-era masterpiece.

Set against the backdrop of nights in Akasaka, the song portrays the bittersweetness of adult love with an urban sensibility.

Frank Nagai’s alluring low voice richly conveys the feelings of a man troubled by love.

Released in October 1960, the single featured “Arcade Blues” on the B-side.

As a leading presence in the mood kayō boom of the time, it was cherished by many.

It’s a song I’d recommend as a fun karaoke pick to sing with friends, along with fond memories.

IzakayaHiroshi Itsuki

Izakaya – Hiroshi Itsuki x Nana Kinomi [1982] #Izakaya #HiroshiItsuki #NanaKinomi

Set in an izakaya, this song delicately portrays the subtle emotions of lonely men and women.

Yu Aku’s woven lyrics and Katsuo Ono’s soul-stirring melody blend beautifully, evoking a mature worldview steeped in the atmosphere of the Showa era.

The distinctive voices of Hiroshi Itsuki and Nana Kinomi gently envelop a scene where loneliness and warmth intertwine.

Released in October 1982, this work has continued to be loved as one of Hiroshi Itsuki’s signature songs.

A new duet version with Fuyumi Sakamoto was produced in October 2017.

With lyrics that touch on the nuances of life and a familiar, accessible melody, it’s a wonderful choice for everyone to enjoy singing at karaoke.

Please go ahead as you are.Keiko Maruyama

Please go ahead as you are.

A bossa nova-style masterpiece by Keiko Maruyama that sings of everlasting, unchanging love.

Its delicately drawn emotional expression, woven with metaphors, is deeply moving.

Included on the album “Tasogare Memory,” released in July 1976, the song reached No.

5 on the Oricon weekly chart and became a major hit, selling over 800,000 copies.

With its relaxed tempo and easy-to-remember melody, it’s a joy to sing while savoring a romantic atmosphere.

The Splendor of the PrairieAgnes Chan

The Shine of the Grasslands / Agnes Chan (with lyrics)

Amidst nature’s rich scenery, a name echoes and the wind’s sound brings tears.

While listening to the babbling of a brook, this moving song by Agnes Chan celebrates moments spent in a meadow scented with lotus blossoms.

As wild strawberries are picked, pure thoughts of a dearly loved one far away blend beautifully with her clear, translucent voice.

Released in 1973, the song became a major hit with sales exceeding one million copies, and it was chosen as the entrance march for the spring National High School Baseball Invitational in 1974.

As a springtime song that evokes the beauty of nature and the season of new journeys, it’s a perfect nostalgic tune to hum together with older listeners.

Lingering Snowdolphin

Dolphin [Iruka] / Nagori-yuki [Lingering Snow] (Single Version) Official Audio with translation

This is a song whose charm lies in a melody that evokes the arrival of spring and lyrics that touch the heart.

Set on a train platform, it vividly portrays a man and a woman parting ways amid the fleeting snow of early spring.

Beautifully depicting the moment of farewell and a love left unfinished by youth, the piece is filled with the bittersweetness of adolescence and the process of growing up.

Iruka’s rich, resonant vocals carry a warm, heartfelt quality that reaches deep within.

First included on the March 1975 album “Iruka no Sekai,” it was released as a single in November of the same year and reached No.

4 on the Oricon chart.

It’s a beloved, well-known song that many remember; humming along as you recall old memories is sure to make for a delightful moment.

It may also inspire lively conversations among older listeners as they reminisce about those days.

O-Shichi and the Night Cherry BlossomsFuyumi Sakamoto

Fuyumi Sakamoto – Yozakura Oshichi (with lyrics)

This song portrays the poignant feelings of heartbreak, with graceful cherry blossoms drifting in a dreamlike dance.

As the petals fall, Fuyumi Sakamoto’s voice tenderly sings of unforgettable memories, resonating deeply in the heart.

Released in February 1994, the piece beautifully expresses a woman’s powerful emotions through the motif of cherry blossoms.

While the protagonist looks back on a past love, she also possesses the strength to move forward.

I hope you’ll listen beneath the cherry trees, with a gentle sense of nostalgia.

Perhaps you, too, have memories that return with the blossoms.

Why not spend a heartwarming moment with Fuyumi Sakamoto in the spring sunshine?

Izakaya “Showa”Aki Yashiro

Aki Yashiro – Izakaya “Showa”

Aki Yashiro’s classic “Izakaya ‘Showa’” leaves a strikingly somber impression.

Yashiro is renowned for her ‘men’s songs,’ and among them, this piece is exceptionally rugged and refined.

True to enka style, there are solid kobushi (ornamental turns), but most of them shift only one or two scale degrees, so it shouldn’t feel difficult.

Rather than a clean vocal tone, this song benefits from a weathered, husky quality, so it’s recommended to sing it when your voice feels a bit worn.