Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic songs for putting children to sleep.
Lullabies have existed since ancient times in every country—they’re songs for soothing children.
I’ve put together a list of many lullabies, from the kind you might have heard on NHK’s educational channel to arrangements of foreign folk songs.
I’m sure there are songs in here that you sang together with friends when you were a child.
If you listen again now with the mindset of returning to childhood, you might discover something new.
If you “struggle every time to put your child to sleep,” please try listening—and singing—these songs to them at least once.
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Lullabies: nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Nostalgic bedtime songs (1–10)
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Speaking of children’s songs with a star motif that you want to sing at night, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is well known.
It’s a piece that gently sings about the beautiful stars floating in the sky with a tender melody.
It’s also taught for performance in schools on instruments like the melodica and recorder, so it’s nice to have children sing it a lot and learn the melody.
Originally, it was a chanson popular in France, and the title “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a parody version.
The original song’s Japanese title would be something like “Hey, Mother,” and its lyrics are also deeply evocative—why not give them a read?
Nenyamoya
This song with the curious title is a lullaby often sung in the Tsugaru region, and the representative lyrics are said to be from the Hirosaki area.
It is also believed that the title means something like, “Where has the child’s caretaker gone?” In the past, there was a practice called komori-boko, where children who worked as babysitters were hired by farming households and were allowed to return home during Obon or New Year’s.
This fascinating lullaby, which reflects the social background of Japan in earlier times, also has historical value.
May these orally transmitted lullabies be recorded and passed down to future generations.
Mom’s lullabyMayumiinu
This is a lullaby themed around an elephant parent and child, set to a gentle melody.
In the first half, it softly tells a story like a read-aloud, then the intro begins and it moves into the singing part.
As a lullaby, its appeal lies in the very calm, warm melody that evokes the tender gaze of a mother watching over her child.
It’s a piece you can use to gently stroke the body or rock like a cradle in time with the relaxed tempo.
Like the elephant parent and child, it seems sure to lead to a happy, peaceful sleep.
Lullabies: Children's Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes. Nostalgic Bedtime Songs (11–20)
red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku
When it comes to Japanese evening songs, I think many people immediately think of Akatonbo (Red Dragonfly).
It’s a dusk song loved across generations and regions.
Listening to it brings back fond memories of childhood, when I felt I had to go home for dinner.
It’s a song we definitely want to keep passing down to our children.
Above all, its gentle melody and lyrics that unfold such rich imagery make it perfect as a lullaby.
It’s also great for nap time.
Potapon’s LullabyTokyo Haiji
Potapon’s Lullaby is a lullaby created by Tokyo Heidi, a sister creator duo known for their illustrations and animations.
It features Potapon, a tiny flapjack octopus living under the sea, as the main character.
Above all, its gentle melody and the dreamy, spacious sound are captivating.
Listening to it is so soothing that even mothers might drift off before they know it, wrapping you in a tender, cradle-like embrace.
Sleepy kitty, don’t butt in.
This lullaby, said to be an old one from Okayama Prefecture, is best known in the arranged version by Kósçak Yamada.
From the lyrics, it appears to be sung by a young girl working as a nursemaid.
Much like “Itsuki no Komoriuta,” it vividly conveys the feelings of a caregiver who struggles when the child won’t fall asleep.
Japanese lullabies are in duple meter, reflecting a history of gently patting the child on the downbeat to help them sleep.
It’s also enjoyable to notice how their groove differs from Western lullabies.
Try listening to lullabies from various countries.
Lullaby of Negoro
The lullaby “Negoro no Komori-uta,” which spread centered around Negoro-ji Temple in Wakayama Prefecture.
In the Muromachi period, Negoro-ji in Kii (Wakayama) boasted more than 2,700 temple buildings, but they were destroyed in warfare.
This is a lullaby sung in remembrance of that Negoro-ji.
As a Wakayama lullaby, the lyrics are notable for the Wakayama dialect ending in “-yo,” giving rise to distinctive turns of phrase.
Above all, it’s one of Japan’s traditional lullabies now fading from everyday life—a piece with a unique pathos that lulls you into a slow, pleasant drowsiness.