[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)
To the future
Lyrics and composition by Chiharu Tamashiro.
The second single by the female duo Kiroro, released in 1998.
It was also a hit in several Southeast Asian countries.
With a gentle tempo, it sings about moving forward into the future.
Today, it is sung in junior high and high school classes, choir competitions, and graduation ceremonies, and some elementary schools also include it in their programs.
[Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully selected timeless classics loved across generations! (51–60)
rabbit
It was published in 1982.
At the time, in school education, nursery rhymes were considered an inferior form of music, but this song is a nursery rhyme that was recognized as a Ministry of Education school song.
It is a short piece with only the first verse, and its easy-to-remember melody and lyrics have made it popular.
Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri/Girls’ Day)
It was released in 1933.
The song that starts with the line we often hear these days, “Let’s light the lanterns,” is titled “Ureshii Hinamatsuri,” and it is a different song from this one.
The lyrics, which describe the splendid display of Hina dolls, are set to a beautiful melody, making it a piece well-suited for Hinamatsuri.
winter scenery
It was published in 1913.
In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” The lyricist and composer are both unknown.
The first verse depicts a morning scene by the water, the second verse a daytime scene of spreading fields, and the third verse a sunset over a rural landscape.
Lyrics portraying Japan’s beautiful winter scenery are set to a melody in 3/4 time.
Evening Glow (Yuyake Koyake)
The lyrics, published in 1919, were set to music in 1923.
The words, which describe the beauty of a rural sunset, carry a certain loneliness, and the unhurried melody enhances that feeling.
In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.”
the Hinomaru flag
It was published in 1911.
The lyrics were revised in 1941 and 1947.
The first verse describes the Hinomaru, Japan’s national flag, and the second verse contains lyrics about raising that flag against the blue sky.
It seems to be sung less frequently nowadays.
sea
It was published in 1913, but the lyricist and composer are unknown.
It shares the same title as the children’s song “Umi” released in 1941, but they are different songs.
The first verse describes the sea in the daytime, and the second verse depicts the sea at night.
Its expansive melody is as beautiful and free-flowing as the vast ocean.