Let's sing together! A collection of nursery rhymes everyone knows
Nursery songs that many people have sung in day-care centers, kindergartens, and schools.
These children’s songs, passed down through generations, are still sung today in childcare settings, schools, and even senior facilities.
That said, fewer people are singing them nowadays, and some children can be found who don’t know nursery songs at all.
In this article, we’ll introduce nursery songs that everyone—young and old—will recognize.
If you’re not very familiar with nursery songs, start by listening to the ones we introduce here.
Try singing nursery songs together with your child, your friends, or your grandparents, and have fun!
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[Let’s Sing Together!] A Collection of Well-Known Children’s Songs (21–30)
All mothersamerika min’yō
This is a song arranged for Japanese audiences from a folk tune that originated in 19th-century America.
Tomoko Nakayama’s Japanese lyrics pose questions like why a horse goes clip-clop as it runs and why a piglet’s tail curls—“no one knows why.” Easy-to-remember onomatopoeia is repeated to the rhythm, making it appealing and well-suited for creating parody verses.
Sung on NHK’s children’s programs, this piece has reached many homes and childcare settings through performances by Yuko Kanzaki and Osamu Sakata.
Combined with fingerplay or marching movements, it’s a perfect nursery song for parents and children to enjoy together.
horse (childish/affectionate term)Sakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Matsushima Tsune
This piece portrays a foal walking clip-clop alongside its mother, set to a gentle rhythm.
Lyricist Yanaha Hayashi is said to have written the words based on the scene of a mare and foal he saw at the Imperial Stock Farm in Chiba, weaving the affection between animal mother and child in simple language.
Composer Tsune Matsushima aimed for a vocal range and phrasing that are easy for lower elementary grades to sing, and created accompaniment that is easy to play on keyboard or harmonica.
After being included in the February 1941 national school textbook “Uta no Hon, Upper,” it continued to be adopted in textbooks by various publishers after the war, and in 2007 it was selected for the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” It fits naturally into kindergarten and preschool choruses, and it’s easy to incorporate into fingerplay or instrumental ensembles.
If parents and children sing it together, they can have fun imitating the sound of hoofbeats.
Goat MailSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
A very unique children’s song featuring the absent-minded White Goat and Black Goat.
The lyrics are by Michio Mado, who also wrote “Zō-san,” and the music is by Ikuma Dan.
Its charm lies in the heartwarming world where you can’t help but laugh at the endless loop of the two writing letters back and forth without ever conveying their messages.
First broadcast on NHK Radio in 1953, the song has long been beloved on programs like NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” Try singing it together as a parent and child, smiling at the thought that it would be quicker if they just met and talked in person.
Picnic Marchsakushi: Ide Takao / sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
A lively, energetic march that makes you look forward to walks and picnics! This piece, created by the golden duo of lyricist Takao Ide and composer Nobuyoshi Koshibe, is a beloved classic from NHK’s puppet show “Nikoniko, Pun.” The lyrics gently speak to your own feet, turning simple walking time into a special adventure that sparks children’s imaginations.
When you hear the buoyant marching rhythm, it feels like you’re parading across a field with everyone, doesn’t it? It’s the perfect track for pre-outing background music or for parent-child playtime.
Ten thousand feet in the Alps
When it comes to hand-clapping songs played face-to-face by two people, this is probably the one everyone thinks of.
Its melody originates from the American marching song “Yankee Doodle,” but the snappy Japanese lyrics give it a unique charm.
The “Koyari” mentioned in the lyrics refers to a rocky peak near the summit of Mount Yarigatake in the Japanese Alps, at an elevation of around 3,000 meters.
The song paints a grand scene of dancing in such a place.
It spread nationwide after being featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in August 1962.
It’s perfect for livening up a hand-clapping game by changing the tempo, and if you sing it while hiking or camping, the landscape will overlap with the world of the lyrics, making for unforgettable memories!
Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min’yō
An endearing, picture book-like piece in which the animals of the forest become musicians and hold a concert.
In this song, mountain friends like squirrels and little birds appear one after another, each showing off their favorite instrument.
With a structure that layers on words imitating the timbre of the instruments, it carries a lively joy that makes your body start moving all on its own.
It became widely known in Japan after being featured in April 1964 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” sung by Dark Ducks.
Since then, it has been sung for many years on educational programs and the like.
Part of its charm is that you can enjoy it with gestures and hand motions, too.
Ho! Ho! Ho!Sakushi: Itō Akira / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
A piece marked by cheerful chants that make you want to join in without thinking.
The swaying, rocking rhythm is so much fun, isn’t it? This song has become a beloved staple of NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” with a recorded vocal version by Kurumi Kobato in August 1999.
It was also included on the album released in December of the same year, “NHK ‘Okaasan to Issho: 40 Years, 300 Songs.’” It’s a playful song that values the sound of the words more than their meaning.
Be sure to move your bodies together as a parent and child!