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

Seagull Sailor

“The Seagull Sailors – Seagull sailors, sailors in a row~” (with hand motions)

It’s a song that explains in a child-friendly way by likening the seagulls seen at the sea to sailors.

It is said that Junko Takeuchi, who wrote the lyrics, composed it after seeing many seagulls when she went to the sea to see off a relative, and that it was later translated into English and other languages during international exchanges.

This road

This Road (Summer Children's Song)

The lyricist of this song, Hakushu Kitahara, set to verse an itinerary from Hokkaido to his mother’s family home in Kumamoto Prefecture.

The scenery of Yanagawa in Kumamoto, where Kitahara grew up, was a place he revisited every time he returned home and held deep affection for.

This song, composed in his later years, overflows with nostalgia as he looks back on memories with his mother.

Sakura, sakura

Sakura, Sakura [Lyrics]—as far as the eye can see, the Yayoi skies

Cherry blossoms are flowers every Japanese person knows, but it’s said that the song is not merely about their beauty; composed in 1941, before the war, it is also seen as glorifying militaristic Japan.

Hidden within it is the idea that soldiers should bloom beautifully like cherry blossoms and then fall honorably for the sake of the nation.

Zuizui Zukkorobashi

♪Zui Zui Zukkorobashi – Zui Zui Zukkorobashi | ♪Zui Zui Zukkorobashi, sesame miso zui [Japanese songs/children’s songs]

It’s a traditional hand game song, but it seems that the background to its creation was to remind children to go inside and stay quiet so they wouldn’t be rude—such as by crossing in front—when a feudal lord’s procession passed by.

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

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.