[Minna no Uta] Beloved Across Generations: Nostalgic Classics and Popular Songs
We’re introducing some nostalgic songs from Minna no Uta, a program that has continued to produce countless classics.
I’m sure each of you has that one song that makes you think, “When it comes to Minna no Uta, it has to be this one!”
The pieces that stick in your memory may vary by generation, but in this article we’ve focused on songs that everyone knows.
They’re all tunes that feel nostalgic to anyone—just seeing the title will have you humming along before you know it.
If you’re thinking, “I want to listen to the classics from Minna no Uta,” be sure to check these out.
Let’s listen to these timeless favorites, loved across generations, with family and friends, and keep passing them down through song.
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- [Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks
- Ranking of Popular Children's Songs [2026]
- Old songs from the Showa to Heisei eras: a collection of timeless classics loved across generations
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
- Popular Songs Ranking for Toddlers
- [Warabe-uta] Beloved Classic Songs Passed Down Through Generations
- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
- Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Timeless classics only! Showa-era hit songs perfect for acoustic sing-alongs
- Songs from Ponkickies: A roundup of nostalgic classics and popular tracks
[Minna no Uta] Beloved Through the Ages: Nostalgic Classics and Popular Songs (21–30)
To the Sun in the Palm of Your HandSakushi: Yanase Takashi / Sakkyoku: Izumi Taku
Created by the duo of Takashi Yanase and Taku Izumi, this children’s song was first broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1962.
Its warm lyrics, which sing about how small creatures like earthworms and water striders are our fellow living beings, leave a lasting impression.
Yanase’s experience of holding his hand up to the sun, feeling the flow of blood, and thus reflecting anew on the preciousness of life is woven into the words.
In 1965, a single by the Boys Jacks was released, and the song was also performed on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
When sung at school functions or community events, it brings a comforting sense that everyone’s hearts naturally come together.
I found a little sign of autumn.
This song is a classic representative of autumn.
Although it’s a children’s song, it’s sung with a wistful melody that captures the season’s melancholy atmosphere.
As the weather turns a bit cooler in autumn, it’s nice to sing this song while searching around your home for small signs of the season.
It’s a piece that lets you keenly feel Japan’s unique four seasons.
[Minna no Uta] Timeless, Beloved Classics and Popular Songs (31–40)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
At first, it’s not scary at all, but the song gradually takes on an eerie atmosphere.
And the ending is so traumatic that it might be too frightening unless you’re a bit older.
The outcome of continuing that dreamy journey of time travel might be scarier than many anime.
It’s even more chilling when it’s sung in a gentle female voice.
King Kamehameha of the Southern Islands
This song features a distinctive tropical-sounding melody.
We don’t often listen through all the lyrics, but in fact, the song says that not only the great king but every resident of this southern island was named Hamehameha! It’s one of those songs that, when you revisit the lyrics of something you casually sang as a child, you discover all sorts of new things.
Kantarō the North Wind Kid
A classic winter song that makes you feel the chill of the season just by listening.
The part where they shout the name is especially memorable! You can sense the cold from the melody’s atmosphere and the lyrics describing the sound of the wind.
When the north wind whooshes in at the start of winter, it’s a song that makes adults and children alike think of Kantarō.
King Kamehameha of the Southern Islandssakushi: itō akira / sakkyoku: morita kōichi
This is a heartwarming song that lightens the spirit, depicting the laid-back daily life of King Hamehameha and his family on a southern island.
The unique premise is that everyone on the island shares the same name, and their relaxed tropical lifestyle is sung over a warm melody.
It was first broadcast in 1976 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” performed by Ado Mizumori and Top Gallant.
The accompanying puppet-show visuals also drew attention, and the song was released that June as a double A-side single.
Sing it with the whole family and you’re sure to enjoy a delightful time!
Let’s go to the zoo.
This is a song that celebrates the charm of the zoo that everyone loves.
I’m sure there were kids who begged their parents to actually take them to the zoo after hearing it.
Even listening to it again now, it’s the kind of song that makes you think, “Maybe I’ll go to the zoo this weekend.” How about heading to the zoo while listening to this nostalgic tune?