The Day My Wife and I Recorded Showa Era Songs on YouTube

Today, my wife and I went to the karaoke bar "Rainbow" in Seika Town.

We arrived at 10:00 AM and before we knew it, it was past 3:00 PM. We only intended to sing a little, but ended up staying for over five hours.

When we were younger, we might have called this "going out for fun." But now that I am 76, this is a proper day's event.

Using our voices, choosing songs, remembering the past, getting a little tired, and feeling a little energized. Karaoke uses more of your body and mind than you might think.

Today, my wife sang songs like Mirei Kitahara's "Ishikari Banka" and Michiya Mihashi's "Kojo."

"Ishikari Banka" certainly has a powerful presence.

It is not just a cheerful song. The scent of the sea, the breath of the workers, and a kind of lonely feminine passion lie deep within the song.

I was a little surprised when my wife chose that song.

Even after living together for a long time, a person's choice of songs reveals a side you didn't know.

It might be a bit arrogant to think that because we are a married couple, we know everything about each other. Through the songs, I felt like I was shown a different time within my wife.

We also sang Michiya Mihashi's "Kojo." This is a song that makes you straighten your back.

Rather than building up excitement, you sing it quietly and deeply, imagining the scenery.

The scenery of old castle ruins and the loneliness of a bygone era seem to seep into the voice.

Songs you heard when you were young feel different when you sing them now.

I sang Kunie Kuni's "Casbah no Onna." This song also has that rich world characteristic of Showa era popular music.

It has a scent of a distant town, the atmosphere of the night, and a slightly dangerous vibe that you don't find much in today's songs. While singing, I momentarily forgot that I was in a karaoke box.

Of course, in reality, we were in a room at a karaoke shop in Seika Town. There was a screen in front of us, a remote control to the side, and drinks.

Even so, when the song starts, your feelings go somewhere else for a little while.

Humans are convenient creatures; you can go on a journey with just a microphone.

And the final big event of the day was that we both sang Keiko Fuji's "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku."

And it wasn't just singing.

The two of us made 'Uta Suki' videos and uploaded them to our respective YouTube channels.

For me, this is a small event.

At 76, singing karaoke with my wife, turning it into a video, and uploading it to YouTube. This is something I never would have imagined in the past. Songs used to just disappear in the moment.

But now, we can preserve the time we spent singing as a video. And we can even have someone watch it.

Of course, we are not professional singers. Our voices aren't perfect either.

What matters isn't just whether we are good or bad. Today, the two of us sang together.

We made videos together. We each uploaded them to YouTube. That fact itself becomes a record of today.

'Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku' is not a cheerful song. However, it has a mysterious power. Within its darkness, there is human honesty.

It captures not just the beautiful parts of life, but also the unavoidable loneliness, resignation, and the feeling of living on regardless.

Singing this song at 76 has a different resonance than it did when I was young.

The night in the lyrics is not just any night. It is the night we have passed through many times in our lives.

Singing that with my wife is what stayed in my heart most today.

Inside a karaoke parlor, there are many small rooms. In each one, someone is singing their own life.

People singing Enka. People singing Showa era songs. People trying out recent hits. People worrying about their scores. People just wanting to sing loudly.

From the outside, it's just a karaoke parlor. But once you go inside, there are many small theaters.

Today, in one of those rooms, my wife and I became the leads.

From 10 o'clock until past 3. We sang a lot. Honestly, I'm a little tired. My voice is a bit raspy, too.

But by the time we headed home, my heart felt lighter. We don't need to travel far. We don't need a special feast.

My wife and I went to a nearby karaoke bar to sing Showa-era songs together. And then, we recorded those songs for YouTube.

That alone was enough to make today a truly interesting day.

What we need in the second half of our lives isn't just big challenges. However, it's better to have small ones.

For us today, that meant karaoke, Uta-Suki videos, and uploading to YouTube.

The five hours we spent at Karaoke Rainbow in Seika Town,
and the song we sang together, 'Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku'.

Our voices were a little raspy.

But this afternoon, we certainly felt a little younger.

Masahiro | Kururin Free Spirit