[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! (81–90)
teru teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to wish for good weather)Hirayama Miyoko, Nakayama Kajiko, Omura Masako
I used to sing it when I was little, and I thought it was a cute wish song that says “I’ll give you this and that, just please make it sunny,” but when I got to the third verse, I was shocked.
Hearing the legend surprised me even more.
If it had ended at the second verse with straightforward wishes, I think it would have felt warm and gentle.
Raja MaharajaTogawa Jun
The lyrics were written by Mitsuko Fukuda and the music composed by Yoichiro Yoshikawa, and it was first broadcast on Minna no Uta in 1985.
The song features an Indian maharaja as the protagonist, humorously depicting the luxurious and extravagant life of the maharaja set to a lively, exotic melody.
Tsutomu from the Yamaguchi FamilySaitō Kozue
The song was written and composed by Ranbou Minami and introduced on “Minna no Uta” in 1976, becoming a huge hit and selling 1.5 million records.
There are versions sung by various artists, but the one performed by Kozue Saito is the most famous.
The lyrics are very endearing.
I want to become the wind.Sapporo Kitano Shounen Shoujo Gasshoudan
Lyrics and music by Kazufumi Miyazawa, the vocalist of THE BOOM.
Crafted with a Latin flavor using a samba whistle and many percussion instruments.
It spread widely as it was often featured on television—used as a movie theme song and in commercials—and it even came to be included in high school music textbooks.
Sakura, sakuraSuginami Jidō Gasshōdan
While they bloom magnificently across the entire sky, perhaps thanks to the children’s chorus, there’s also a sense of simple beauty.
The charm of cherry blossoms—the kind that somehow makes you want to go see them, whether they’re the ones in your neighborhood or the famous spots—was clearly conveyed.
I often hear it performed on the koto, but apparently there are electric guitar arrangements as well, which is another idea unique to cherry blossoms.