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.
- [Lullabies] Recommended for putting children to sleep! Songs that lull babies to sleep
- [Warabe-uta] Beloved Classic Songs Passed Down Through Generations
- Lullaby Rankings [2026]
- [Lullabies] Gentle songs to help babies sleep — soothing lullabies for your little one
- Music That Soothes a Crying Baby | Recommended Songs to Lull Them into a Comfortable Sleep
- Nursery rhymes to sing to your baby! Recommended songs enjoyable from 0 months
- Japanese Shoka, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless masterpieces that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Lullabies of the World: Beloved and Popular International Songs That Soothe Children
- [For 0-year-olds] Recommended songs for babies: A special feature on bonding play and traditional nursery rhymes
- [Tanabata Children's Songs] Fun hand-play songs and a nostalgic collection of traditional nursery rhymes and folk songs
- Nursery rhymes and play songs to enjoy with your baby. Gentle children's songs.
- Japanese counting songs: nostalgic temari (handball) songs and children’s folk songs
Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic bedtime songs (31–40)
Okazaki Lullaby
This lullaby is sung in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture.
Its lyrics resemble those of the so-called Edo lullaby, and some researchers are studying their common features.
As lullabies are sung over long periods of time, some naturally undergo gradual changes.
Lullabies like this can bring comfort not only to children but to people of all ages.
When you’re tired from work or studying, it might be nice to drift off to sleep while listening to songs like these, returning to the feeling of childhood.
Yoichi Chikuma
It is a lullaby originating in Kamihata-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, which spread to nearby Kyoto, Mie, Aichi, and even to Kyushu.
“Takeuma Yoichi” refers to Mr.
Yoichi of the shop named Takeuma (“stilts”), and it is said that people working there sang it along their peddling routes and passed it on.
Multiple variations of the lyrics have been confirmed.
In this version, the lyrics describe carrying vegetables by boat, crossing the Sanzu River, and warning that there are scary snakes.
However, in the final verse, it’s revealed to be just a joke.
Echigo Lullaby
This Echigo lullaby, a lullaby from the coastal area of the former Kubiki District in Niigata Prefecture, has also been sung by Peggy Hayama and Michiya Mihashi, but it has become less commonly heard in recent years.
From the lyrics, you can almost see the sea of Niigata; it’s that kind of song.
In this way, across Japan, local lullabies—akin to local theme songs—may have been born and then faded away.
They may not fit the times now, but I can’t help wishing they would continue to be sung from parent to child for generations.
Shimbara Lullaby
This is a reworked piece based on a lullaby that Kohei Miyazaki, a writer from Shimabara City in Nagasaki Prefecture, sang while caring for his child alone.
It is said that the original song is the folk tune from Yamanashi Prefecture, “Koshu Enko-bushi.” It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in October 1973.
Takeda Lullaby
This is a lullaby that was passed down in a marginalized (burakumin) community located in what is now Kyoto Prefecture.
Although it was performed by folk groups and singers such as Red Bird, it was banned from broadcast for a long time, and only fairly recently began to be featured on radio and television.
Perhaps for that reason, the song’s lyrics themselves have been significantly altered from the original.
Go to sleep now.
This is a lullaby passed down since old times in Bungo, Oita Prefecture.
It is sung to a baby who wakes up before dawn and has trouble falling back asleep.
The lyrics mean, “Go to sleep; it’s not morning yet… When morning comes, the temple bell will ring.”
Old Man with a BeardSakushi: Fushō / Sakkyoku: Tamayama Hidenobu
Many of you probably remember singing it loudly together while twirling your hands in front of your face to make a beard.
This hand-play song features simple, easy-to-remember melodies and fun hand movements for various characters like Grandpa with a Beard and Hunchbacked Grandpa.
Beloved for many years in kindergartens and nurseries, it even saw multiple recorded versions released by different artists in 2021 and 2022.
It’s a perfect song for parents and children to sing and play together, nurturing finger dexterity and a sense of rhythm.
Banana Parent and ChildSakushi: Seki Kazuo / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako
This heartwarming work by Kazuo Seki and Wakako Fukuda comically portrays the adorable everyday life of the Banana family living on a southern island.
The repeated phrases woven from the sounds of each family member’s name create a catchy rhythm that even small children will naturally hum along to.
First aired in 1982 on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” it has continued to be loved in many households.
It’s also included on the album “Okaasan to Issho Memorial Album,” making it perfect for parents and children to sing together! How about spending a cozy time with everyone while feeling the bonds of family?
Pretty good.warabeuta
This is a delightful piece that rhythmically combines movements of the hands and feet with singing.
If you move your hands and feet to the rhythm created by the call-and-response of “naka” (inside) and “soto” (outside), both body and heart naturally start to bounce.
Playing in a circle fosters children’s cooperation and sense of unity, spreading smiles—one of the work’s key charms.
It has long been loved in nurseries and kindergartens across ages, and in April 2020 it was selected for the “Top 100 Traditional Play Activities” by the Japan National Association of Nursery Teachers.
It’s a highly recommended song for those who want to interact with children and enjoy rhythm play.
Iwaya’s Lullaby
The Lullaby of Iwaya is a lullaby from the former village of Iwaya in Akita Prefecture.
It is known as a traditional lullaby from Iwaya Village, which corresponds to today’s Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture.
The lyrics are heavily inflected with the Akita dialect, making them difficult to translate.
The content is quite sorrowful, typical of lullabies of the time, and carries a tone of lament.
From the lyrics, you can tell it was created by young nursemaids who were sent out to serve in households.
It even expresses the wish to quit this line of work.