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 in Song (41–50)
Keep crossing the bridge one after another.
A song with simple lyrics and a rhythmic melody, sprinkled with elements that spark excitement and imagination as a fox appears.
It is included in many nursery rhyme collections, and picture books based on this song have also been published.
This piece is used for group play in kindergartens and nursery schools, where activities like holding hands to pass through a gate or cross a bridge help foster children’s cooperation and sense of rhythm.
Please experience this heartwarming song that you can sing and play together with someone special.
[Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes] The Heart of Japan Passed Down in Song (51–60)
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.
Opened, openedwarabeuta
Long beloved as a traditional Japanese children’s song, this piece enchants with lyrics that evoke the arrival of spring.
Children enjoy joining hands to form a circle and act out flowers opening and closing.
Despite its simple words and melody, it embodies Japanese views of nature and impermanence, giving it profound appeal.
It is often sung in kindergartens and nursery schools, contributing to children’s emotional development.
Passed down since the Edo period, this song is recommended for those who want to feel the spring season or experience traditional Japanese culture.
Why not sing it with your child and enjoy the coming of spring together?
Mother’s Song
Given the times, this song might not even be sung anymore.
What is “yonabe” (working late into the night)? I think many people probably don’t know what it means, and this is a song about a mother who, despite working nonstop from morning till night and then staying up all night, knitted gloves for her child—gloves you could now get at a 100-yen shop.
Even if the content no longer fits the times, I want to believe a mother’s feelings remain unchanged as the ages pass.
Cute fishmonger
These days you can get anything at the supermarket, but this song is about children imitating real life in their play, and it reminds me how, in the past, vendors would come around selling tofu and fish.
Naturally, there were no issues with reducing waste back then.
Fish was wrapped in newspaper, and everyone brought a pot to buy tofu.
Donguri Korokoro
When I was a child, I didn’t sing it as “donburiko” but as “donguriko.” Since I learned most nursery rhymes just by ear, I didn’t really understand their meanings, but with this song I felt that even acorns had feelings, and that the loaches and squirrels were kind and helped them—a notion that resonated with a child’s heart.
Songs and picture books are important for nurturing emotions in early childhood, aren’t they?
The gentle green breeze
What a nostalgic song.
When spring came, you could feel the rich green of nature with your whole body, and it brings back memories of a time when things like global warming and the aging, shrinking population still felt far away.
I think an attitude like Yuriko Koike’s—of reclaiming the green—is important.
Born during the high-growth era, I used to hum this song every early spring as if it were the most natural thing.