Japanese Shoka, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless masterpieces that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations
Do you ever recall the nursery rhymes and children’s songs you sang with family and friends when you were little? The nostalgic songs—including the Monbushō shōka (Ministry of Education songs)—are treasures of Japan that have been passed down across generations.
Still, there are times when you remember a title but can’t recall the lyrics, or you know the melody but can’t remember the title.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of shōka, nursery rhymes, and traditional children’s songs that everyone has heard at least once.
As you listen to those nostalgic voices, try humming along with someone dear to you.
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Japanese Shoka, Children’s Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless Masterpieces That Resonate Across Generations (11–20)
pine coneSakushi: Hirota Takao / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae
This is an autumn children’s song that depicts a cute scene of a pine cone tumbling down a tall mountain and a little monkey picking it up and eating it.
It was completed in 1936 when Tadao Hirota, then a first-grader, wrote the poem and Tsudae Kobayashi, a music teacher, set it to music.
With just a single simple, easy-to-remember verse, it’s loved as a seasonal song in nursery schools and kindergartens.
Adding choreography to enjoy it as a hand-play song is also recommended! Singing while moving your body will bring back fond memories of playing in autumn nature from your childhood.
One, two, three, four, two, five
This is a traditional children’s song that has been loved across generations.
It’s played in a simple way: you sing rhythmic phrases using numbers while raising and bending your fingers.
It was featured on NHK’s children’s program “Nihongo de Asobo” and is also popular on video-sharing sites.
The piece has been carried forward in new forms by contemporary artists, such as dmg’s “Ichi, Ni, San, Shi” and Gen Hoshino’s “Ichini-san.” It’s a fun song that parents and kids—or friends—can enjoy together while developing dexterity and a sense of rhythm.
The Bento Box Song
When it comes to classic nursery songs that parents and children can enjoy together, “Obentōbako no Uta” (The Lunchbox Song) is a top choice, isn’t it? It’s fun to learn and dance the moves with your child that match the side dishes in a lunchbox.
It might even spark their interest in food or help reduce picky eating.
You could also try packing the same side dishes mentioned in the song’s lyrics into an actual bento.
Opened, opened
This work, long beloved as a traditional Japanese children’s song, features lyrics that evoke the arrival of spring.
It’s delightful to see children join hands in a circle to act out flowers opening and closing.
Despite its simple lyrics and melody, it embodies Japanese views of nature and impermanence, giving it a profound appeal.
It is often sung in kindergartens and preschools and is helpful for emotional development.
Passed down since the Edo period, this song is recommended for those who want to feel the spring season or experience traditional Japanese culture.
Song of the Spool Winder
It’s a hand-play song.
You wind the thread to make gloves, sow seeds to build a little dwarf’s house.
Isn’t it the perfect song for children who are just starting to help out? I thought it was a cute hand-play tune, but did you know the dwarf falls into a pit, gets made into soup… and that shocking ending?
We are children of the sea.
A celebrated song that eloquently portrays people living in harmony with nature.
Released by the Ministry of Education in 1910, it has been beloved by the Japanese for over a century.
In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs,” and it continues to be cherished by many today.
The lyrics evoke the sea’s scenery, scents, and sounds, vividly painting scenes in the listener’s mind.
It would be lovely to hum it when you go to the seaside with your family.
Japanese shoka, children's songs, and warabe-uta | Timeless classics that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations (21–30)
Which child is a good child?warabeuta
When children get together to play, do you ever wonder how to decide who’s “it” or who goes next? That’s exactly when this traditional children’s rhyme comes in handy.
You point to each child in turn in time with the rhythm, and the one chosen at the end becomes the next role—or gets a big hug—so everyone can enjoy both the thrill and the comfort it brings! It was also included on the album “NHK Nihongo de Asobo: Warabe-uta,” released in February 2007, and became widely known after being featured in segments of an educational TV program.
In dazzlingly green May, try forming a circle at a park on your walk or indoors, and enjoy the pleasant rhythm together with friends or as a parent and child.