[Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks
Do you remember the songs you sang in elementary school music class or the pieces you played on the recorder?
Songs learned in childhood are deeply engraved in our memories, and sometimes a fragment of the melody pops into your head out of the blue.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs that were featured in elementary school textbooks, as well as pieces that are still included today.
From nostalgic children’s songs to recent J-pop, the genres are diverse.
Of course, you can simply listen and reminisce, but it’s also great to listen with family or friends and let the conversation bloom with memories!
- [Ensemble Pieces for Elementary School Students] A comprehensive introduction from timeless classics to the latest hits!
- [Elementary School Chorus Songs] A comprehensive showcase from moving masterpieces to the latest hit tunes!
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
- What songs are popular among elementary schoolers? Well-known and sing-along favorites! [2026]
- Choral Songs Sung at Elementary School Graduation Ceremonies: A Collection of Moving Song Ideas
- Ranking of Popular Choral Songs [2026]
- [Showa-Era Graduation Songs] Nostalgic? Emotive? A curated selection of timeless classics loved across generations
- [For Upper Grades] Easy-to-sing songs for elementary school students. Popular karaoke hits that get everyone excited
- Songs about schools: a collection of songs that depict school building scenery.
- Memories come flooding back! Graduation songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- Folk Songs of the World | Hometown Songs Passed Down Abroad
- Recommended anime theme songs for children: timeless anime song classics you should listen to at least once.
- [Even If You're Tone-Deaf, No Worries] Recommended for Elementary School Kids! Popular Karaoke Songs That Are Easy to Sing
[Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks (21–30)
We Look Up to You with Respect
These days, it’s becoming mainstream to sing popular artists’ songs as graduation tunes, so I feel like “Aogeba Tōtoshi” doesn’t get performed as often.
Still, the sentiments in this song—gratitude to the teachers who took care of us and memories of our school days when we look back—are timeless and universal.
I think the time will come again when this song is sung at schools everywhere.
That short piano intro is so moving, isn’t it? In 2007, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” Even now, it remains one of the quintessential songs for graduation ceremonies.
Red sky at duskFurēberu Shōnen Gasshōdan
When it comes to sunset songs, many people probably think of this one.
It’s a quintessential Japanese children’s song that many of us heard in school.
It might even be the first sunset song you ever recognized in your life.
The lyrics were written in 1919 by Uko Nakamura, a poet who was then an elementary school teacher, and the music was later composed by Shin Kusakawa.
The word “koyake” is said to have two theories behind it: one suggests it was chosen for its pleasing sound, and another ties it to shifting scenes of the evening glow.
The lyrics depict feelings experienced when returning home and beautiful scenery, offering a gentle companion for the journey back to one’s hometown.
[Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks (31–40)
Summer has come
One of the indispensable songs for summer is “Natsu wa Kinu” (Summer Has Come).
It evocatively describes scenes like rice planting and spotting fireflies, conveying the arrival of summer with rich sentiment.
Some people may have mistakenly thought as children that the title meant “Summer Won’t Come.” In 2007, it was selected as one of the 100 Greatest Japanese Songs, and it’s used as the departure melody at Joetsumyoko Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Since the piece was composed in 1896, the wording of the lyrics feels rather formal, but they beautifully depict summer scenes.
Flowers will bloom.
Released in 2012, Hana wa Saku is a song with lyrics by Shunji Iwai—an audiovisual creator known for a distinctive aesthetic and a devoted fan base through works like Swallowtail and All About Lily Chou-Chou—and music by Yoko Kanno, a globally renowned composer for anime, TV dramas, commercials, and numerous artists.
It is a charity song for the areas and people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which threw Japan into turmoil the previous year, 2011, and was produced as the theme song for NHK’s disaster-relief initiative, the NHK Great East Japan Earthquake Project.
Its positive, warm message that gently embraces the listener is truly wonderful.
Both Iwai and Kanno are from Sendai, and the recording features singers from or connected to Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.
There is also a solo version sung by AKB48’s Karen Iwata—the only participant who was herself a disaster victim—so if you’re interested, please check it out.
Moon over the Ruined Castle
A quintessential choral piece that almost everyone has heard at least once—or perhaps found themselves humming its wistful melody.
“Kojo no Tsuki” (Moon over the Ruined Castle) was released in 1901 (Meiji 34).
It sets a poem by Bansui Doi, a poet and scholar of English literature, to music composed by Rentaro Taki—one of the representative musicians of the Meiji era, who tragically died at the age of 23.
Historically, this song is extremely significant: it is considered the first Western-style art song composed in Japanese music history.
Up until then, Japanese folk songs and children’s songs were typically built on the so-called yonanuki scale.
By introducing Western melodic idioms to a distinctly Japanese shichigocho (7-5 syllabic) poetic structure, the piece broke new ground.
Keeping this historical background in mind as you sing it might lead to new discoveries!
I look up as I walkSakamoto Kyu
This is a song known as one of Kyu Sakamoto’s signature works.
It portrays the feeling of trying to walk forward while holding back tears, set to a gentle melody.
Released in 1961, it became a huge hit not only in Japan but also overseas.
In the United States, it was popularly known under the title “Sukiyaki” and achieved international success, including reaching No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Through depictions of various seasonal scenes, it expresses a determination not to lose hope despite loneliness and sorrow, making it a song that offers comfort to those trying to overcome difficult times.
This work is a heartwarming piece that gives you the courage to keep moving forward.
Aux Champs-Élysées
“Aux Champs-Élysées” is a song inspired by the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris, France.
Its origins go back to a song that was created in the UK in 1968, which later received French lyrics and was released by singer Joe Dassin in 1969 as “Aux Champs-Élysées.” In Japan, it has been covered by artists such as Fubuki Koshiji and The Peanuts.
The song appears not only in elementary and junior high school music textbooks but also in high school textbooks, making it widely known across generations.