[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 Shoka] Carefully Selected Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations (1–10)
Winter night
Since it was published in March 1912 in “Songs for Elementary Schools: For the Third Grade,” this Ministry of Education song has been sung for over a century.
It depicts a warm family gathering around the hearth while a fierce blizzard rages outside.
Listening to their mother’s handiwork and their father’s old tales, the children exude a sense of gentle happiness and close family bonds.
Selected in 2007 as one of the “Hundred Best Japanese Songs,” this piece invites you to hum along during the cold season as you look back on memories with your family.
Rain of the Four Seasons
This is a uniquely Japanese school song that delicately captures the rich expressions of rain in each of the four seasons.
Published in 1914 in the collection Songs for Elementary Schools, Sixth Grade, it has long been cherished as a Ministry of Education song.
From the mist-like rains of spring to the sounds of winter rain that convey the cold, the lyrics—depicting the changing seasons in beautiful Japanese—leave a strong impression.
Its gentle, unhurried triple-meter melody is a classic that brings a deep sense of calm to listeners.
The Clock Song
Since its inclusion in the 1910 textbook “Jinjō Shōgaku Tokuhon Shōka” (Elementary School Reader Songs), this Ministry of Education song has been sung for generations.
Set to a steady onomatopoeic rhythm, it depicts a clock that keeps moving tirelessly from morning till night.
Its recording history is also long: as early as 1932, an SP record by Chiyoko Fumiya and the Nippon Victor Junior Orchestra was released, among other various recordings.
Cherished in NHK educational programs and school teaching materials, it may evoke nostalgic classroom scenes for some listeners.
[Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully Selected Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations! (11–20)
morning glory
This is a Ministry of Education school song that depicts a child’s perspective as they count the flowers that bloom each morning, feeling close to the morning glories that increase day by day—more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today.
It was included in The Common Elementary School Songbook (1), for First Grade, published in 1911 (Meiji 44).
In this piece, which was sung in elementary schools across the country, children count the flowers and naturally learn a sense of time: the big buds will bloom tomorrow, the small buds the day after.
Tied to summer observation diaries, the subject of morning glories evokes a sense of nostalgia that transcends generations.
The Village Blacksmith
This is a children’s song that vividly portrays blacksmiths hard at work.
The pride of the craftsmen who make the farming tools that sustain daily life conveys a noble artisan spirit.
Since it was included in the textbook Elementary School Songs (4), published in December 1912, it has continued to be sung across generations, even as the lyrics have been revised.
In addition to being featured in works by Saori Yuki and Shoko Yasuda, it has also been used as a JR departure melody and in Kikkoman’s “Delicious Sauce” TV commercials.
Why not hum this song, which lets you feel the joy of working, at local gatherings or during family time?
Koi in the pond
This is a Ministry of Education shoka (school song) that has been sung since the Meiji era, depicting fish gathering when you clap your hands as a signal.
It first appeared in May 1911 in the publication “Elementary School Songs for the First Grade.” The lyrics, which rhythmically express the habit of living creatures to respond to sounds or bait, are especially striking.
Its simple melody is easy to remember and irresistibly singable.
This piece evokes a quintessential Japanese scene that remains fresh despite the passage of time.
Why not softly sing it the next time you see carp in a park pond, or when you want to bask in nostalgic memories?
The Four Seasons in the Countryside
This is a Ministry of Education school song that carefully depicts rural scenery and everyday life through the four seasons.
From spring’s barley fields and summer rice planting to autumn harvests and warm winter gatherings, the seasonal rhythms come vividly to mind.
Its refined, Japanese-style melody, reminiscent of koto music, carries a nostalgic resonance.
First included in a textbook published in July 1910, it has been sung for many years since.
Featured as well on NHK’s “Meikyoku Album,” this piece invites you to hum along with a calm heart as you reflect on days spent amid abundant nature.