[February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!
February brings Setsubun and the chant “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” In nurseries and kindergartens, there are likely many chances to sing songs related to Setsubun.
But in fact, there are plenty of songs perfect for February beyond just Setsubun tunes! In this article, we introduce songs connected to February and children’s songs that are perfect for the harshly cold season.
Many of them can be sung with hand-play motions, so children are sure to enjoy them.
Please make use of them on days when it’s too cold to play outside or during music time.
- Snow Songs to Enjoy in Winter! Children's Snow Nursery Rhymes & Hand-Play Songs
- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
- [For Seniors] February Songs You’ll Want to Hum: Enjoy Winter with Nostalgic Classics
- [Childcare] Fun Songs for 2-Year-Olds to Sing! Recommended Song Collection
- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [Setsubun Song] Demons out, fortune in! Bean-throwing songs to enjoy on Setsubun
- Timeless songs you’ll want to listen to in February: winter songs and Valentine’s songs.
- Songs for January: Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs we want children to grow familiar with
- March nursery rhymes & hand play songs! Spring songs you can enjoy with your kids
- [Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs
- Nursery rhymes to sing in spring: a collection of classic songs you'll want to sing with your children
- December children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes: fun winter hand-play songs
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
[Songs for February] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs related to Setsubun and winter! (1–10)
Hymn to the Snowy MountainsSakushi: Nishibori Eizaburō
This is a mountain song that powerfully celebrates both the harshness and the beauty of snowy peaks—an essential for winter recreation.
It portrays the hardship of raging blizzards and the exhilarating thrill of swooping down in a spray of bright snow, all set to a rhythmic melody.
The lyrics were written by Eizaburo Nishibori, who later served as the wintering leader of Japan’s first Antarctic Research Expedition.
The vocal performance was by the Dark Ducks, and it was released as a single in June 1959.
That same year, it was featured on NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen, becoming beloved not only by mountaineering enthusiasts but also by households across the country.
The original tune is said to be the American folk song “Clementine.” When sung together with friends, it creates a sense of unity that blows the cold away! How about a lively group sing-along on a chilly day in February?
KodANUKI PonpoSakushi: Suzuki Etsuo / Sakkyoku: Oyama Takateru
With its humorous “ponpoko” sound and slightly bittersweet story, Kodanuki Ponpo leaves a lasting impression.
The lyrics are by Etsuo Suzuki and the music by Takateru Ōyama.
It portrays a young tanuki waiting at a station to return a red glove borrowed from a human child.
There’s a loneliness in waiting and waiting while the other never arrives, yet the cute, charming melody warms the heart.
The song aired on NHK’s Minna no Uta starting in December 1983.
Along with Atom Shimojō’s gently spoken singing voice, it has long been cherished as a winter staple.
It is included on albums such as Kokoro ni Hibiku NHK Minna no Uta Best.
It’s a lovely recommendation for parents and children to listen to together on a cold winter’s day while imagining the story.
It may also be a good prompt to talk about promises and gratitude.
Bean-throwing (Mamemaki)Monbushō shōka
When it comes to Setsubun in February, it’s all about the bean-throwing to drive away demons and invite good fortune! There’s even a song all about bean-throwing, aptly titled “Mamemaki.” The lyrics depict demons fleeing and the god of good fortune being summoned through the act of throwing beans.
Choreography matching the lyrics is available on video sites, so it’s also recommended to dance along to the song while you throw beans! The song portrays playful, pop images like beans scattering and falling, making it easy for young children to get into it.
[Songs for February] Introducing nursery rhymes, folk songs, children’s songs, and hand-play songs related to Setsubun and winter! (11–20)
Grill the mochi
When the weather turns cold, we start craving warm, perfectly toasted mochi, don’t we? This piece playfully imitates the motions of grilling and eating mochi, and it’s a traditional Japanese children’s song that has been loved for generations.
Just sit facing each other, clap hands, and make a flipping gesture—the children’s laughter will follow.
It’s also fun to “season” it differently, pretending to use soy sauce or kinako (roasted soybean flour).
There isn’t a specific release date, but in recent years it has been included in widely shared compilations like NHK’s album “Nihongo de Asobo: Warabe Uta.” Since the early 2010s, many hand-play videos have been posted on video sites, making it hugely popular with modern parents and children as well.
On cold days when you can’t play outside, try this hand game in a warm room and let it warm both your body and your heart!
Mother’s SongSakushi Sakkyoku: Kubota Satoshi
For those living away from home, the harshness of winter can suddenly bring back memories of a warm family house.
This piece by Satoshi Kubota is filled with the tenderness of a mother knitting gloves on a chilly night.
It conjures images of working through the cold and the familiar scent of home, warming the listener’s heart.
The song has been passed down since February 1956 and was also broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” starting in February 1962.
While Peggy Hayama’s rendition is famous, it has been loved across generations, appearing on works such as Yusaku Kiyama’s album “Tsuki: Beautiful Japanese Lyric Songs.” As you think of family you can’t easily see during the cold season, why not take your time and sing it slowly?
skiingSakushi: Shigure Otowa / Sakkyoku: Hirai Koizaburo
It’s a classic winter song that instantly conjures up the image of gliding swiftly down snowy mountains.
The lyrics capture the vast expanse of a silver-white world and the exhilarating sensation of cutting through the wind, paired with a lively, dynamic melody.
The words were written by Otowa Shigure and the music composed by Kozo Hirai; it became widely known after being included in a music textbook in 1943.
An album featuring a recording by Saori Yuki and Sachiko Yasuda was also released in October 2000.
In recent years, it has even been introduced on television alongside scenes from Hokkaido, the authors’ homeland.
Even on days too cold to go outside, humming this piece will whisk your spirits away to a broad snowfield.
Why not sing it together as a family and savor the unique exhilaration of winter?
Kantarō the North Wind KidSakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako
It’s a song that has been broadcast on NHK’s children’s program Minna no Uta since 1974.
The performers at the time were Masakazu Sakai and the Tokyo Broadcasting Children’s Chorus.
Lyricist Takao Ide is said to have written it while thinking about the story of the drama Kogarashi Monjirō and the winter scenery of Nagano Prefecture, where he spent his childhood.
It’s a winter children’s song that has been loved for many years, so even people in the parent generation today probably know it, don’t they? The wind sounds in the lyrics and the animation of multiple Kantaro figures flying in were quite striking, weren’t they?
