[Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully selected timeless masterpieces loved across generations!
Japanese shoka—songs everyone has hummed at least once—include classics like “Furusato,” “Haru no Ogawa,” and “Momiji.” The nostalgic melodies we learned in music class or sang with friends in childhood stay with us no matter how much time passes.
These works, which sing of seasonal landscapes and everyday scenes, are filled with the sensibilities of the Japanese people.
In this article, we introduce a selection of shoka that have been sung across generations.
Just seeing the titles will make you want to start singing—be sure to check out these beloved Japanese classics.
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[Japanese Songs] Carefully Selected Masterpieces Loved Across Generations (61–70)
Kantarō the North Wind Kid
The lyrics were written by Takao Ide and the music composed by Wakako Fukuda in 1972.
It was created with the concept of an enka song for children.
With features like the call of “Kantarō~” and onomatopoeic whistling, it’s a song packed with elements that would delight lower-grade elementary school children.
Harvest Moon
I had never thought about the lyrics of this song before, but when I listened closely, I realized it was a sad song.
The way it speaks to the harvest moon about how the mother has passed away and the younger sister has been separated is so sorrowful yet tender.
Is this also a song that reflects its era?
King Kamehameha of the Southern Islands
Lyrics by Akira Ito, music by Koichi Morita.
It’s a cheerful song that warmly portrays the king and the people of a southern island, suitable for lower elementary school children.
It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1976.
The poem’s theme—that everyone on the southern island has the same name—is delightful and makes you sing along with a smile.
foal
It was published in 1910.
The first verse describes a foal carrying a person on its back and moving forward, while the second verse depicts it galloping.
The music is light and cheerful to express that scene.
Similarly, well-known songs that feature horses include “O-Uma” and “O-Uma no Oyako.”
Sing, Bam-Bam!
The song was created as the theme for a TV program broadcast in 1970, with lyrics by Hiroo Sakata and music by Naozumi Yamamoto.
It later spread as it was used in other programs as well.
Because it contains many sounds from the “a” row, it naturally encourages opening your mouth wide, making it a fun song to sing.
It gets even more exciting if you add handclaps to the rhythm while singing.
Choo-choo train
It conveys the joy of a steam locomotive steadily forging ahead in the days before the Shinkansen.
However, I’ve heard that when this piece was first created, it was about seeing off departing soldiers.
The thrill of speed and changing scenery, and a sense of hope.
Later on, the lyrics were changed to peaceful ones.
Urashima Taro
It was published in 1911.
It is a different song from “Urashima Tarō” that appeared in 1900 in Yōnen Shōka.
The lyrics tell the traditional tale of Urashima Tarō.
With its lively, pleasant rhythm, the piece has long been cherished alongside the story.