[February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!

oden (Japanese simmered hot pot dish)

Oden [Hand Play Song] Perfect for winter♪

When you think of a family gathered around the table on a cold winter day, oden instantly comes to mind! Here’s a fingerplay song themed around that heart- and body-warming hot pot.

It shows choosing ingredients to match shapes like circles, triangles, and squares, then putting them into the pot.

Just miming the motions of chopping to the rhythm and simmering and eating makes you feel like you’re playing pretend cooking.

There’s no fixed release date, but it’s a widely loved children’s song that was featured by early childhood education media around July 2020 as a winter activity.

In the second verse, the song shifts to making a big pot, and the actions become more dynamic—that’s part of the fun! It’s the perfect tune for moving and playing with your child when it’s too cold to go outside.

Spring somewhereSakushi: Momota Sōji / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin

Somewhere It's Spring (Children's Song / School Song)

At the end of February, when a trace of winter chill still lingers, don’t you sometimes sense the presence of spring in a fleeting moment? This is the song you’ll find yourself humming at such a change of seasons.

With lyrics by poet Soji Momota and music by composer Shin Kusakawa, this children’s song was published in a magazine around March 1923.

Even if it’s not visible to the eye, the delicate imagery captures spring’s quiet stirring—the melting of ice in distant mountains and the sprouting of buds beneath our feet.

Just picturing the scenes warms the heart, doesn’t it? In 2007, it was selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Japanese Songs,” and it has been sung across generations.

As winter’s severity softens and the sunlight begins to carry a touch of warmth, why not sing it with your child while you search together for the small signs of spring?

Grill the mochi

Toast the Mochikko (hand play song)

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

Mother’s Song | With Lyrics | One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs | Mother stayed up late working at night

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

Ski (♪ The mountains are silver~) by Himawari 🌻 with lyrics [One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs] Ski

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?

Hymn to the Snowy MountainsSakushi: Nishibori Eizaburō

Hymn to the Snowy Mountains — The Dark Ducks

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

Atom Shimojō: Little Raccoon Dog Ponpo

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.