Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
When we hear the gentle melodies of nostalgic children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes, memories from our early childhood come vividly rushing back, as if we’ve crossed time and space.
Perhaps you, too, have a “song of nostalgia” that has stayed with you since you were young.
In this article, we introduce iconic Japanese children’s songs (shoka), folk songs and nursery rhymes cherished and passed down across the regions, as well as beloved tunes often featured in school performances and recreational activities.
Shall we set off on a heartwarming sonic journey into the world of children’s songs that softly reflect Japan’s seasons, culture, and everyday life?
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[Nostalgic Children's Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes] The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song (21–30)
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.
Zuizui Zukkorobashi
There is also a theory that it recounts events from the Tea Jar Procession, and, as expected of the era of “kirisute-gomen” (the right to cut down and ask no questions), it is a song reflecting a time when even children were shown no mercy.
The procession that presented the year’s first tea to the shogun was called the Tea Jar Procession; people would snap their doors shut and hold their breath, waiting for the line to pass—a song about a life-or-death moment.
It was also often sung when deciding who would be ‘it’ in children’s games.
[Nostalgic Children's Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes] The Heart of Japan Passed Down in Song (31–40)
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!
seaSakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Inoue Takeshi
A well-known school song that conjures up vivid images of the vast blue sea.
It’s also famous that lyricist Ryuha Hayashi and composer Takeshi Inoue both came from Gunma Prefecture, which has no coastline.
Perhaps that’s why the piece overflows with pure awe and longing for a scene they encountered for the first time.
Introduced in a Ministry of Education textbook in 1941, it was later selected in 2007 as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” Many people may find childhood memories of singing it coming back.
It’s a classic that brings gentle moments, inviting parents and children to hum along together.
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
This song is charming for its friendly melody and playful lyrics that use the image of manju buns.
Born from the wisdom of keeping warm, it has been passed down across generations as a game that shares warmth and smiles.
Beyond its value as a play song, it is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, even appearing in haiku as a winter season word.
On a cold winter day, if you sing it while actually doing oshikura manju—huddling and gently pushing each other—children will surely feel not only the warmth of skin, but also the joy of time spent with friends and family.
Sakura, sakura
Though the composer of this piece is unknown, it is one of Japan’s representative songs known internationally.
The lyrics, which sing of mountain cherry blossoms so veiled that one cannot tell whether it is mist or cloud, evoke the beauty of sakura in every Japanese person’s mind.
At Musashi-Koganei Station, the nearest station to Koganei Park famed for its cherry blossoms, the song is even used as the JR departure melody.
Choo-choo train
In the days when hardly any cars were on the road, long-distance travel was by train.
Airplanes existed too—still in the propeller era—but fares were expensive, so trains and ships were the common choices.
Back then, when there were barely any railroad crossings, we would always see locomotives on our way home from school and even count how many cars they had.
Even riding the train was something we did at most once a year, so that buoyant, singable feeling is well reflected in the simple verses of children’s songs from that time.