Japanese Shoka, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless masterpieces that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations

bonfire

Bonfire – Taki Bi | By the hedge, by the hedge, around the corner—it's a bonfire, it's a bonfire, burning fallen leaves [Japanese Song / Shoka]

This is a song about a bonfire at the end of autumn, when camellias and the like are in bloom.

It isn’t a song from a region with harsh cold; in fact, it’s a song of Tokyo, and the “hedge” that appears in the lyrics evokes the living hedgerows that still remain today.

The “pii-puu” in the lyrics is an amusing expression, and it’s said it may have come from the hymn “Furusato,” which traces back to Iwate Prefecture.

yomogi-jōbu no

Spring children's song / For the April–May seasonal festivals: [Yomogi-Jobu no]. I'd like to play it to coincide with the festival.

A nostalgic children’s song that evokes an early-summer scene filled with the scents of iris and mugwort.

Through a playful game where children tap each other’s bottoms, they can feel the blessings of nature and the changing seasons.

Iris and mugwort are believed to ward off evil, and the song also carries wishes for a bountiful harvest.

Its simple lyrics and rhythm spark children’s creativity and nurture their communication skills.

Perfect for seasonal events from spring to summer and for play in nature.

It’s a piece of traditional Japanese culture that can be enjoyed across generations and deserves to be lovingly passed down.

When I Become a First Grader

When I Become a First Grader | School Entrance Song | Children's Song | With Lyrics | Ichigo Club

I wonder what I’ll be able to do when I become a first grader.

What kinds of things do you want to do with the new friends you’ll meet for the first time at a new, different school? Is this what you want to do? This song expresses the feelings of children who are eagerly waiting for the day they become first graders, their hearts full of expectation.

Seven-year-old child

♪ Seven Little Children – Nanatsu no Ko | ♪ Why does the crow cry? The crow is in the mountains ♪ [Japanese song / shoka]

This is a song that brings back the scene that used to play from schools and the like around the time evening fell, when children were still absorbed in play and it was about time to head home.

In the lyrics, the “seven” has long been debated—whether it refers to seven crows or to age seven—and even today there are various theories about this traditional children’s song.

We Look Up to You with Respect

[Graduation Song] Congratulations on Your Graduation! “Aogeba Tōtoshi” [Soprano Duo]

A song often sung at graduation ceremonies and the like.

When I listen to this piece, I’m filled with a mix of feelings—nostalgia and a touch of loneliness—and it brings back memories of those days.

It doesn’t seem to be sung much at recent graduation ceremonies for younger people, so I’d love for them to go back to the basics and sing it.

SMAP also sang it back in the day.

The Harvest Moon

♪ Full Moon on the Fifteenth Night – 15-ya Otsuki-san | ♪ Full Moon on the Fifteenth Night, how are you, dear Moon? [Japanese Song / Shoka]

The harvest moon looks beautiful because the air is clear, but the song’s content is very sad.

The lyrics tell of a girl who has been separated from her family; as she gazes at the moon and remembers them, she longs for the loved ones she can no longer see.

Perhaps the lyricist, Noguchi Ujō, wrote such words based on experiences from his own childhood.

I found a hint of autumn

I found a little sign of autumn.

The lyrics of “Chiisai Aki” are profoundly sad.

Phrases like the north-facing windowpane, the fogginess, and dissolving milk with vacant eyes layer images of loneliness.

Little by little, the cold sets in, and the song seems to verbalize the coming of autumn as it is felt.