Last weekend, since it was cold, we spent the day at my place listening to music.
He said, “Lately, it’s been really sad to see one after another of the singers who were popular and whom I listened to when I was young passing away. There were so many music shows back then, and karaoke didn’t exist yet, but there were a lot of truly talented singers.”
This year alone, we’ve lost Yukihiro Takahashi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Shinji Tanimura, Yoshinori Monta, and now Junko Ohashi—each of them passing away far too young, in their seventies.
He spoke rather wistfully, saying, “It makes me realize that I’m getting older, and the Showa era is gradually fading further into the past. But now we can watch footage on smartphones and computers, so even after the singers are gone, their music will remain forever.”
We watched videos of YMO, Shinji Tanimura, Yoshinori Monta, and Junko Ohashi together. They were all truly incredible singers—not only were their voices outstanding, but their lyrics were wonderful too.
Among the singers from the Showa era, I hope Hiromi Go, Akira Fuse, Hiroshi Itsuki, Masayuki Suzuki, Toshinobu Kubota, Tatsuro Yamashita, Kazumasa Oda, and the others will live much longer and continue singing wonderful songs.
Question:
Are there any male members here who are around the same age as the singers mentioned above were when they were active? If so, do you feel just as deeply moved and nostalgic as my partner does?
👤Asked byGuest👩GenderFemale🎂30s👑Universe female member
They say music can easily transcend generations, in two ways:
1. Great music lives on for future generations.
2. New music is born under its influence.
You should definitely introduce that papa to Hosono Haruomi’s grandson’s band, cho co pa co cho co quin quin.
They’re sure to feel a deep connection to the legacy passed down from Happy End.
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My first lover was a lyricist who wrote those kinds of classic Showa-era songs, so it feels poignant—or rather, remembering him makes me a little lonely.
I wonder what I’d do if the papa I’m seeing now happened to play one of my former lover’s songs and say, “This is a good song, isn’t it?”
I might just let it slip.
But I won’t.
Marika
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I’m not a fan of the assumption that “men born in the Showa era must like Showa-era songs.”
At karaoke, I’ll queue up “Not Fleeting” by SUPER BEAVER and casually plant the phrase, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing underwear,” before I start singing. Then when the chorus goes, “It’s beautiful because it’s fleeting~♪,” it sounds as if it’s beautiful because you’re not wearing underwear. I’m setting up a joke like that, so when someone says, “How can you sing such a new song??” I’m like, No, that’s not the point. I’ll apologize if the joke itself wasn’t funny, but at least fall for the setup. That’s the kind of year-end party season we’re about to enter. How is everyone doing?
There were certainly some great singers and songs back in the Showa era, but they’re pretty heavily romanticized. Men back then used to say Seiko Matsuda couldn’t sing, and that you couldn’t make out the lyrics when Akina Nakamori sang. Now, though, they’re both treated as Showa-era divas. Still, singing with a live band backing you was a uniquely Showa thing, so search YouTube for Machiko Watanabe performing “The Day the Seagull Flew” and give it a listen.
People dying and generations changing is simply inevitable, sooner or later. But as long as they’re still with us, I hope they’ll stay healthy and keep going. And this isn’t limited to singers—the gradual cancellation of shows hosted by people like 80-year-old Hiroshi Sekiguchi and Hitoshi Kusano is quite poignant too. At the same time, I can’t take my eyes off the ongoing battle between 90-year-old Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and 89-year-old Soichiro Tahara to see who can stay active the longest.
Still, I feel like Lady Dewi (83) will be the last one standing. I can easily imagine her doing variety shows with Degawa (59) even after she turns 100.
Taro
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I’m even older than people my own age, in a sense. It’s kind of bittersweet—I still feel young inside, but I do realize I’ve gotten older.
I still feel about twenty at heart, but when I look at the women I’m dating, they’re completely different from the women I went to school with. I have no choice but to accept that difference in myself as well.
It’s not that I feel sad or lonely about it. It’s more like, “Yeah, I guess that’s how it is,” and I’ve come to accept it.
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