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

Koi in the pond

Koi in the Pond — Ministry of Education School Song

This is a Ministry of Education shoka (school song) that has been sung since the Meiji era, depicting fish gathering when you clap your hands as a signal.

It first appeared in May 1911 in the publication “Elementary School Songs for the First Grade.” The lyrics, which rhythmically express the habit of living creatures to respond to sounds or bait, are especially striking.

Its simple melody is easy to remember and irresistibly singable.

This piece evokes a quintessential Japanese scene that remains fresh despite the passage of time.

Why not softly sing it the next time you see carp in a park pond, or when you want to bask in nostalgic memories?

Ushiwakamaru

Ushiwakamaru — Ordinary Elementary School Songbook, “For First Grade”

This is a Ministry of Education school song that celebrates the historic, iconic scene where the mighty Benkei meets a quick-witted boy on Kyoto’s Gojo Bridge.

Included in elementary school textbooks in 1911, it soon became beloved by children across Japan.

The story’s introduction, development, twist, and conclusion are masterfully contained within its three-verse structure, reflecting its high level of completion as an educational song.

The image of a small boy outwitting a giant through cleverness and courage has continued to captivate children’s hearts across generations.

Why not let the nostalgic melody carry your thoughts to Japan’s legends?

Snowball fight

Snowball Fight (Yukigassen) – Ordinary Elementary School Songs, For Fourth Grade

One of the traditional children’s songs about winter play.

It depicts the scene of dividing into East and West teams on a clear morning snowfield and the vivid excitement of throwing snowballs at each other.

Its lively, march-like melody is sure to lift the spirits of children absorbed in play.

Included in the Ministry of Education’s textbooks in 1912, this piece has also been cherished as material for folk dance.

Why not enjoy this old-fashioned song together with children and make the most of snowy days?

hazy moonlit night

Song: Oborozukiyo (Hazy Moonlit Night) — Sung by Yoko Shozan

This is a Ministry of Education song printed in textbooks in June 1914.

It portrays a spring evening— the setting sun over a field of rapeseed blossoms and the moon hanging along the mountain ridge—set to a gentle triple-meter melody.

The lyrics are lovely, conveying not only the visual scene but also the atmosphere of a spring night, with sounds like croaking frogs and distant temple bells.

Sung by many performers, including the sisters Saori Yuki and Shoko Yasuda, it was selected in 2006 as one of the 100 Best Japanese Songs.

As you feel the arrival of spring, try humming it together with someone dear to you.

Horse’s tail, pig’s tail.Sakushi: Abe Hitomi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi

Horse tails, pig tails

Broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta in August 1983, this song is a humorous children’s tune themed around the tails of a horse and a pig.

Written by Hitomi Abe and composed by Naosumi Yamamoto, it was selected as an outstanding piece in NHK’s Children’s Song Lyrics and Composition Contest.

The story charmingly likens a boy’s puppy-love—teasing the girl he likes—to animal tails, sweetly capturing that childish urge to tug on her pigtails.

Sung by Kyu Sakamoto and the NHK Tokyo Children’s Choir, it became well-loved and was rebroadcast in 2010 and 2015.

There are also covers by various artists, including Seiji Tanaka, and it is widely sung in kindergarten and nursery school choirs.

Its lively melody and catchy refrain make it perfect for parents and children to sing together.

Foal’s Rhythm PlayMonbushō shōka

A nursery teacher plays the piano for the rhythm activity “Little Foal”! Sheet music included

This children’s song, which depicts a lively foal moving forward to the chant “Hai-shii, hai-shii,” was included in the Ministry of Education’s Shoka for the Elementary School Reader, edited in July 1910 (Meiji 43).

Its hallmark is the way it expresses the foal’s hoofbeats—pressing on along mountain paths and up steep slopes—through an even beat and rhythm.

Today it is used in early childhood education and eurhythmics as a “rhythm play” activity, ideal for children to walk, run, and stop in time with the piano.

Because changes in pitch and tempo can be expressed through body movement, it’s perfect for group movement play and parent–child bonding time.

By imitating a horse’s gait, it offers a fun way to foster a sense of rhythm.

Adorable foalSakushi: Satō Hachirō / Sakkyoku: Niki Takio

Adorable Foal - Children's Song - Showa-era Song - Radio Kayō / National Kayō - With Lyrics

This song warmly portrays the life of a foal and a child, while carrying a curious, poignant sense of the times quietly creeping in.

You dry the foal’s wet mane, run together, and eventually part ways.

Such scenes unfold alongside rhythmic calls and responses.

The lyricist, Hachirō Satō, was active across a wide range from children’s songs to popular music, and the composer, Takio Niki, was a seasoned talent also known for film scores.

The work was released in December 1940 and broadcast nationwide the following January 1941 on NHK’s “National Songs.” It is closely connected to the film “Uma” (Horse), and has long been loved, later even featured in animated films.

Singing it as a family invites reflections on life in earlier times, and in early childhood settings it can be enjoyed as a play activity by imitating a foal’s movements.