[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!
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[Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks (41–50)
Spring MeadowSakushi: Sakata Hiroo Sakkyoku: Ichikawa Toshiharu
This is a children’s song by poet-lyricist Hiroo Sakata and composer Toshiharu Ichikawa, a pioneer of educational music, depicting a foal galloping across a pasture.
It sings of a lively young horse running about in the spring breeze, with fresh grasses and flowers sprouting all around.
It has been included for many years in lower-grade music textbooks, featuring a comfortable vocal range and an easy-to-remember melody that thoughtfully draws out children’s natural singing voices.
It is featured in Educational Art Company’s elementary school music textbooks for the 2020 and 2024 school years, with accompanying teacher’s CDs and beginner piano scores available.
Expressing the vibrant feeling of spring through a bright, light rhythm, this piece is perfect for choral singing in early childhood settings as a new season begins, or for family sing-alongs at home.
If your child loves ranches or animals, try singing it together for fun!
I want to become the wind.THE BOOM
A heart-pounding track that blends samba rhythms with Japanese lyrics.
Released by THE BOOM in March 1995, this song grabs listeners’ hearts and never lets go.
The lyrics, simple yet profound, sing of a universal theme: no matter the circumstances, happiness is possible as long as you’re with the one you love.
Combining a refreshing vibe that blows away the summer heat with a message that resonates deeply, this piece is perfect for fun moments like summer drives or barbecues by the beach.
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.
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.
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.
Orchestra of Life
This is a piece by Kensuke Yugeda that straightforwardly conveys the beauty of nature and the preciousness of life.
It’s included in the fourth-grade music textbook published by Kyoiku Geijutsu Sha and is likely a song familiar to many children.
Said to have been inspired by a walk in the forest, the work was released in April 2020.
Its evocative depiction of natural sounds—like birdsong and the rustling of trees—likened to an orchestra is striking and may resonate with listeners.
It’s a perfect choice not only for school music classes but also for moments when you want to feel close to nature.
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!
