[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 Masterpieces Loved Across Generations (41–50)
COSMOS
Lyrics and music by Mimas.
In 2000, an arrangement for three-part mixed chorus by Yutaka Tomizawa spread through schools.
Hearing only the title “Cosmos,” one might think of the flower, but it refers to the “universe.” The piece features a beautiful melodic line that flows with a grand sense of motion.
The Bell of Peace
The song was written and composed by singer-songwriter Yukihiro Nakazato and was released in 2000.
That same year, it was featured at the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit and drew attention.
Today, it is widely sung from elementary through high school.
The lyrics focus on the theme of war in Okinawa.
Tomorrow
Composed and written by Ryuichi Sugimoto, it was released in 1992 as the ending theme for NHK’s “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (A Journey Through the Living Earth).
Because the lyrics include many keywords such as “departure,” “wings,” “tomorrow,” and “bird,” it is often chosen as a graduation song in schools.
There’s no such thing as ghosts.
With lyrics by Minori Maki and music by Akira Mine, this charming song for lower elementary school children was released in 1966.
It depicts the feelings of a child who, while pretending to be brave by saying “There’s no such thing as ghosts,” is still a little scared.
In 2015, Kaela Kimura also covered the song.
My Ballad
This was the debut work of Takao Matsui, a popular composer and arranger of choral pieces for students, published in 1987.
It is notable for its sustained triplets at the climax, and is often used in junior high school choral competitions.
Although the continuous notes make it challenging to sing in tight unison, both the lyrics and the melody are very appealing.
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.
young fox (kit)
The original song is a German children’s song, and the version with Japanese lyrics was released in 1947.
The original lyrics are somewhat menacing, threatening a fox that stole a goose.
In the Japanese version, the lyrics describe an adorable little fox.