[Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
We’d like to introduce autumn nursery rhymes, songs, and traditional children’s songs that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.
When you think of autumn, what comes to mind?
Pine cones, acorns, autumn leaves, moon-viewing… The more you think about it, the more images pop up, don’t they?
In this article, we’ve gathered wonderful classics that make autumn scenery unfold right before your eyes.
From gentle, soothing pieces unique to autumn that sink into the heart, to hand-play songs and traditional children’s tunes you can play and sing along with—these are all famous songs that let you experience autumn in many ways.
Be sure to listen together, sing along, and immerse yourselves in “autumn.”
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[Autumn Children's Songs] Autumn songs, school songs, and nursery rhymes. A collection of classic songs to sing in autumn (11–20)
Mountain MusiciansSakushi: Mizuta Shisen
It’s a lively, cheerful piece that depicts animals living in the mountains nimbly playing musical instruments.
A key highlight is the timbre of the instruments each animal holds, along with the light, airy sound when the lyrics are spoken aloud.
While no specific season is mentioned, the animals’ joyful mood evokes autumn, the season of harvest.
Using the original lyrics as a reference, it might also be fun to turn it into a game by coming up with your own combinations of animals and instruments.
Ponpoko tanukiSakushi: Amano Chou / Sakkyoku: Ichinomiya Michiko
When you think of tanuki in stories, the image that comes to mind is often them drumming on their bellies and dancing under the full moon.
Ponpoko Tanuki portrays that joyful scene straightforwardly.
Since the lyrics center on the sound of belly drumming, try to convey the fun of speaking them aloud with a light, rhythmic feel.
It’s also great as a hand-play song, focusing on the belly-drumming motions.
You might even enjoy arranging the lyrics to add actions other than drumming.
Potato Digging SongSakushi: Takasugi Yukiko / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru
This song captures the joy of sweet potato digging, depicting scenes of harvesting one of autumn’s signature flavors, the sweet potato.
It portrays, in a straightforward way, the many emotions that arise during a dig—like not knowing what kind of sweet potato will come out until you try digging.
The call-and-response shouts are also a striking feature, conveying both how hard the harvest can be and the great joy that follows.
It’s a piece packed with the many pleasures of sweet potato digging, such as comparing the potatoes once they’re unearthed.
dragonfly glassesSakushi: Nukaga Seishi / Sakkyoku: Hirai Kōzaburō
Dragonflies that you see all over in autumn.
This song, “Tonbo no Megane” (Dragonfly’s Glasses), sings about the cute glasses of such dragonflies.
The very idea of a dragonfly wearing glasses already conjures up an adorable scene, doesn’t it? The glasses the dragonfly wears might be light blue or red, or even shining—why is that? From that question, a charming world of imagination unfolds.
It’s also fun to sing this song while watching dragonflies in the sky and imagining: What kind of glasses is that dragonfly wearing? How about this one?
Shōjōji’s Raccoon Dog Festival MusicSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei
The lyrics were written by Noguchi Ujō and the music composed by Nakayama Shinpei; it is a Japanese children’s song.
The piece was written based on the legend of the tanuki drumming at Shōjō-ji Temple, which lyricist Noguchi heard when he visited Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture.
Incidentally, the Shōjō-ji tanuki-drumming legend is counted among Japan’s three great tanuki legends, alongside The Lucky Tea Kettle and The Tale of the Eight Hundred Eight Tanuki.
While the pairing of the moon and a rabbit is a classic, the combination of the moon and a tanuki is charming as well.
Autumn MoonSakushi · Sakkyoku: Taki Rentarō
Just as there are events like moon-viewing, autumn has pleasant weather and is a season when you can take your time gazing at the moon.
“Autumn Moon,” composed by Rentarō Taki, is a piece from his song cycle “Four Seasons” that depicts autumn.
It evokes a sense of transience and wistfulness reminiscent of Japan’s traditional, beautiful scenery.
If you want to savor an adult, autumnal mood, we recommend listening to this piece while admiring the full harvest moon.
Let the beautiful moon and the sounds of autumn—such as insects—fill your ears, and enjoy a calm, peaceful moment.
[Autumn Children's Songs] Autumn songs, school songs, and nursery rhymes. A collection of classic songs you’ll want to sing in autumn (21–30)
maple leavesSakushi: Takano Tatsuyuki / Sakkyoku: Okano Teiichi
Representing autumn children’s songs, “Momiji” is a school song released in 1911 (Meiji 44).
It is said that Tatsuyuki Takano wrote the lyrics inspired by the autumn foliage around the Usui Pass on the border between Gunma and Nagano Prefectures.
In this area, when autumn arrives, the fiery leaves are lit by the sun, and their beauty never grows tiresome.
Passed down through generations and included in elementary school music textbooks from the 1950s (Showa 20s), it was selected in 2007 (Heisei 19) by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations of Japan as one of the “100 Best Songs of Japan.”
