[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 masterpieces you’ll want to sing in autumn (41–50)
Shichi-Go-San (the traditional Japanese celebration for children aged 3, 5, and 7)Sakushi: Kobayashi Jun’ichi / Sakkyoku: Isobe Osamu
Shichi-Go-San is a ceremony in which children, at the traditional ages of seven, five, and three (counted by the old Japanese method), report their growth to the gods.
Even the sight of children fidgeting in unfamiliar kimonos feels like a seasonal hallmark that evokes autumn.
The children’s song “Shichi-Go-San” clearly portrays the autumn scenery in which the celebration takes place and the children themselves.
It vividly depicts not only the children heading to the shrine under clear autumn skies, but also the surrounding plants, conjuring an image of their adorable, restless glances all around.
[Autumn Children's Songs] Autumn songs, school songs, and nursery rhymes. A collection of classic songs you’ll want to sing in autumn (51–60)
sports dayNoritake Akihiko
When it comes to big events in autumn, the sports day immediately comes to mind! While some people love it and many find it challenging, the song “Undōkai” portrays children looking forward to the event.
The lyrics cheer on the kids doing their best in each event, and depict the teachers and parents watching over and encouraging them.
Knowing that everyone is rooting for you can make you feel like, “I’ll do my best!” even if you’re not good at sports.
Whether you’re excited about sports day or not, this is a song that makes both feelings bubble with anticipation.
Harvest MoonSakushi: Noguchi Ujo / Sakkyoku: Motoori Nagayo
Looking up at the Harvest Moon and feeling a swell of poignant loneliness—that is the essence of “Jūgoya Otsukisan.” The protagonist has no mother, the grandmother who raised them has left their side, and even their younger sister has been married off.
Alone, the protagonist gazes at the beautiful harvest moon and sees their mother’s figure reflected in it, and the loneliness wells up.
If you, too, find yourself viewing the Harvest Moon alone for whatever reason, why not listen to this song and project the person you long to see onto the moon?
Cee-lo (Chinchirorin)
Let’s play a children’s circle game with cute cricket sound imitations.
First, gather three or more people and form a circle, then choose one person to be “it.” The person who is “it” stands in the center, and everyone else forms a ring around them, holding hands.
As you sing, the circle spins around.
When the song ends, the person standing behind “it” imitates a cricket’s chirp and speaks to them in a cricket voice, and “it” has to guess who made the sound.
Another way to play is to pass a bell to the next person while singing; at the end of the song, the person holding the bell rings it, and “it” points to where the sound came from and tries to guess correctly.
Enjoy playing along to this pleasant song that evokes autumn through insect chirps and bell sounds.
World of StarsSakushi: Kawaji Ryūko / Sakkyoku: Konvāsu
In autumn, when the air turns dry and the sky grows clearer, the stars in the night sky look even more beautiful than in summer.
This sense of romance in autumn’s starry skies is captured in “Hoshi no Sekai” (“The World of Stars”).
Originally a hymn composed by Converse, it has various lyric versions in Japan, including the wedding standard “Itsukushimi Fukaki” (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”) and “Hoshi no Yo” with lyrics by Sugitani Daisui.
This “Hoshi no Sekai” is often included in music classes, so many people may already know it.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to quietly while gazing at the stars.
My Humble CottageSakushi: Satomi Gi / Sakkyoku: Henrī Rōrī Bishopu
On a wistful autumn day, “An Old Cottage” evokes the peaceful scenery of one’s hometown.
Originally an English folk song titled “Home, Sweet Home,” it was sung in the 1823 opera Clari, or the Maid of Milan.
The song expresses the sentiment that, no matter how glittering and luxurious a house may be, one’s home in the old hometown—though it may feel a bit humble—is the very best.
Your own home, your family home, is the place where you feel most at ease, isn’t it? This autumn, why not let this song inspire you to make a trip back and rediscover the charms of your hometown and the comfort of your own home?
Plover on the BeachSakushi: Kashima Naruaki / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryūtarō
The children’s song “Hamachidori” was released in 1919.
It is said that the lyricist, Naoaki Kashima, visited a friend’s home in Kashiwazaki, took a walk along the Bangami Coast, saw the little shorebirds, and was inspired to write the poem.
The moon, the sea, and the birds… What a moving scene full of charm.
