[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 you’ll want to sing in autumn (51–60)
Homesickness on a Journeysakushi: Inudō Kyūkei/ Jon Pī Ōdowei
This song that feels so distinctly Japanese is actually American—did you know? The original is “Dreaming of Home and Mother,” and in Japan it’s known as “Ie to Haha o Yumemite.” The Japanese poet Kyūkei Indō wrote the Japanese lyrics that helped it spread, and in 2007 it was selected as one of the “100 Japanese Songs.” It’s also well known in China under the title “Farewell” (Songbie).
It’s a classic that perfectly suits autumn, evoking the loneliness of dusk and a longing for one’s birthplace.
Give it a listen while gazing up at the crimson evening sky.
autumn field
This is Akino No (Autumn Field) from Hakushu Kitahara’s Six Songs for Children.
The music was composed by Ikuma Dan.
It may be the best-known piece in the set and is often performed.
The lyrics depict “that child” walking along a small ridge between fields, exquisitely expressing the loneliness one feels in autumn.
Many of us have probably felt that same loneliness, haven’t we?
bright red maple leavessaku-shi sakkyoku: Fujimoto Chika
“Bright Red Maple Leaves” evokes the image of crimson-tinted maple leaves fluttering down.
The lyrics include a cute depiction that likens a maple leaf to a baby’s hand.
When the leaves are falling, try expressing the fluttering motion by ringing bells or other instruments, or play by gently tossing up pieces of construction paper cut into maple-leaf shapes.
In the second verse, ginkgo leaves appear, and it sings about comparing a baby’s bottom to a ginkgo leaf.
Enjoy singing while appreciating both autumn colors—maple and ginkgo.
In autumn, the evening is best.Sakushi: Seishonagon / Sakkyoku: M. Sato
Autumn Dusk is an excerpt focusing on the autumn section from Sei Shonagon’s famous essay The Pillow Book.
In sharp contrast to the Heian period’s original atmosphere, it has been arranged as a bright, pop-style mixed chorus piece.
The lyrics sing the autumn passage of The Pillow Book with slight adaptations.
Based on the evening twilight that Sei Shonagon considered the most beautiful scene of autumn, the song portrays the season’s rich sensibilities: crows returning to the mountains in the setting sun, wild geese flying in orderly flocks, and the sounds of insects and wind after night falls.
It expresses the sentiment of finding elegance in all these autumnal scenes.
[Autumn Children's Songs] Autumn songs, school songs, and nursery rhymes. A collection of classic songs you’ll want to sing in autumn (61–70)
Under the big chestnut treeSakushi: Sakata Hiroo/Sakkyoku: Gaikoku Kyoku
This nursery rhyme, which evokes the feeling of autumn, is a familiar song for many older adults.
It sings about the fun times spent with friends under a chestnut tree.
With its simple lyrics and rhythmic melody, it’s easy to sing.
It’s also popular as a hand-play song, so it’s nice to move your body while singing.
Some of you may remember doing hand-play along with the song when you were little, or with your children or grandchildren.
Those happy memories might come back to you.
Why not enjoy a heartwarming moment by singing together and savoring the season?
Kayano-KeyamaSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku
Kayano nuts, which are roasted and eaten, and whose oil—extracted from the nuts—is used for lamps and as hair oil, are one of autumn’s seasonal delights.
The piece “Kaya no Kiyama no” depicts a grandmother roasting these kaya nuts over the irori hearth.
As the weather gradually turns colder in autumn, gathering around the irori to enjoy the flavors of the season is truly charming.
For those who had an irori at their family or grandparents’ home, it may feel nostalgic, and for those who have never seen one, the song may feel fresh and new.
The scenes evoked by the lyrics and melody carry a sense of nostalgia that fits perfectly with the quiet, bittersweet mood of autumn.
autumn leavesSakushi: Takano Tatsuyuki / Sakkyoku: Okano Teiichi
When it comes to quintessential symbols of autumn in Japan, “momiji” (autumn leaves) are the most iconic.
The sight of mountains dyed a vivid red by the fall foliage has long been a spiritual touchstone for the Japanese.
This is a traditional children’s song that celebrates that autumn scene.
There are many songs about autumn in Japan, but this one is among the most famous.
With the melancholy of an autumn dusk and the beauty of the maple leaves, it’s a masterpiece that makes you feel grateful to have been born in Japan.
