Karaoke songs you’ll want to sing for men in their 70s: Enka and nostalgic Showa-era pop

Winter LightningAlice

Winter Lightning - Alice

This masterpiece, featuring a powerful and emotionally rich vocal performance, was released as a single in November 1977.

Showcasing Alice’s full appeal, the song masterfully fuses folk and rock.

While painting a refreshing winter scene, it warmly sings of the subtle emotions everyone experiences.

A classic that reached No.

2 on the Oricon charts, it was also used as an insert song in TV dramas and films, and is known as one of Alice’s signature works.

Its enduring charm remains undimmed, evoking memories of time spent with loved ones and nostalgic landscapes.

It’s a perfect choice to request when you’re taking it easy at karaoke with friends.

Northern SpringMasao Sen

Northern Spring

This is one of Masao Sen’s signature songs, whose emotionally rich lyrics and beautiful melody resonate deeply.

Released in April 1977, it became a massive hit with total sales exceeding three million copies.

It was performed many times on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, making it one of the most frequently featured songs on the program in the 20th century.

Depicting the nostalgia of someone who has left their hometown, the piece delicately portrays the protagonist’s feelings as the arrival of spring brings memories of home.

With numerous covers in Chinese and Thai, the song is widely loved across Asia.

Why not sing it together, holding close the nostalgic scenery of your hometown and memories of your loved ones?

Becoming a Thousand WindsMasafumi Akikawa

Masafumi Akikawa “A Thousand Winds” Music Video

As a masterpiece of beautiful Japanese ballads, Masafumi Akikawa’s singing voice has left a deep impression on many hearts.

With the powerful, soaring tone characteristic of a tenor, this gem of a song gently conveys the preciousness of life and feelings for loved ones.

Released in May 2006, it became an extraordinary hit for a classical singer, creating a major buzz that included Akikawa serving as the closing performer for the White Team at the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen the following year.

In 2007, it was also selected as the theme song for a Fuji TV documentary drama.

Singing about the feelings one has for someone dear, this work continues to be cherished across generations as a song that resonates in many moments of life.

Always keep your dreamsYukio Hashi, Sayuri Yoshinaga

Yukio Hashi & Sayuri Yoshinaga / Itsudemo Yume o (Always Dream)

When it comes to duet songs that colored the youth of the Showa era, many people probably think of “Itsudemo Yume wo” sung by Yukio Hashi and Sayuri Yoshinaga.

Released in 1962, this song carries a positive message: keep a dream in your heart no matter what.

Its gently conversational melody warms the heart even in the cold season.

The song won the Japan Record Award the same year, and the following year it was chosen as the entrance march for the National High School Baseball Championship.

It was memorably featured in the 2013 NHK morning drama Amachan, and it continues to be loved across generations.

At New Year’s parties, if a man and woman pair up to sing it as a duet, smiles naturally spread.

Add some handclaps and sing it with hope for the year ahead.

America BridgeYutaka Yamakawa

Set against Tokyo’s Ebisu Minami Bridge, this gem of a song poignantly portrays the heartache of lovers who have parted amid the hustle and bustle of the city.

Yutaka Yamakawa’s powerful yet emotive vocals resonate deeply with listeners.

While quietly observing the lives of city dwellers, his moving performance captivates and stirs the heart.

Released in February 1998, the song was chosen as the theme for the fifth season of the TBS drama “Inochi no Genba Kara,” and it won the Grand Prize at the 31st Japan Lyricist Awards.

He also appeared on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen that year and the following year.

It’s a wonderful piece that can be sung at an easy, relaxed pace, evoking fond memories.

Please enjoy a peaceful moment accompanied by Yutaka Yamakawa’s warm, heartfelt voice.

The City of Love, SapporoYujiro Ishihara

Sapporo, City of Love: Yujiro Ishihara

This gem of a love song, which tells a romance beginning at Sapporo’s iconic Clock Tower, is cherished by many as one of Yujiro Ishihara’s signature numbers.

Released as a single in May 1972, it drew attention as a groundbreaking work told from a woman’s perspective and went on to sell a total of 650,000 copies.

Coinciding with the Sapporo Winter Olympics held that year, the song also helped convey Sapporo’s allure to listeners across Japan.

Wrapped in Ishihara’s deep, gentle vocals, the feelings of a woman who discovered love beneath a tender sky are tenderly sung, evoking vivid scenes in which memories of love deepen with the changing seasons.

A duet version with Miyuki Kawanaka was later produced, and this piece remains a beloved classic that beautifully weaves together Sapporo’s scenery and the memories of love—an unforgettable song that lingers in the heart.

The two are young.Dick Mine

The two are young.

This work gently depicts the radiant romance of the early Showa era.

Through call-and-response exchanges between a man and a woman that echo like a mountain yodel, it conveys the fresh feelings of young lovers.

It subtly portrays the couple’s relationship and the delicate nuances of their emotions, conjuring a refreshing scene and making for a superb song.

Released in 1935, it features a captivating, well-synchronized duet by Dick Mine and Reiko Hoshi.

Sing it together at karaoke, and nostalgic memories will naturally come flooding back.

With its soft atmosphere that brings calm, this heartwarming melody evokes blue skies and a gentle breeze, making it a lovely tune that can put a smile on anyone’s face.