Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
The many classic songs born from “Okaasan to Issho” have become precious memories for parents and children.
From bright and cheerful tunes to heartwarming, gentle melodies and energetic songs, a wide variety of favorites enrich children’s hearts.
Here, we’ll introduce popular songs you can enjoy with your child.
From nostalgic pieces often sung in nursery schools and kindergartens to the latest hits everyone’s talking about, this collection is full of music that makes family time even more fun.
Find your favorite song and enjoy a joyful moment filled with smiles!
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- [Childcare] Fun Songs for 2-Year-Olds to Sing! Recommended Song Collection
- [Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Popular Songs Ranking for Toddlers
- Choral songs that captivate 4-year-olds! A collection of heartfelt song ideas for junior kindergarten recitals
- I want to sing it at the senior class recital! A choral piece that 5-year-olds can sing with all their heart
- [Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
- Kids will love it! A collection of dance song ideas with easy-to-follow rhythms
- Fun to dance! A roundup of recommended dance songs for young children, perfect for daycare and sports days
- Complete List of Ending Themes from “Okaasan to Issho” (All-Time)
- Nursery rhymes to sing to your baby! Recommended songs enjoyable from 0 months
- Songs we want to sing at the graduation ceremony! A special feature on moving, heart-touching preschool graduation songs
Get excited with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of classics everyone wants to sing together (251–260)
The whale is listening.Hanada Yuuichirou, Nagata Maya
https://www.tiktok.com/@okaitsu0936/video/7367962907637796104A gentle ballad that feels very soothing, NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” Song of May 2024, “Kujira ga Kiiteiru” (The Whale Is Listening), is written and composed by Beautiful Hummingbird.
Beautiful Hummingbird is a duo consisting of vocalist Mitsuko Koike and guitarist Nobuaki Tabata.
With lyrics that depict the way sounds of nature connect—such as “the whale, the frog, and the wind are listening”—and a tender melody, the song gives a sense that everyone is connected.
The animation is by picture-book and animation artist Osamu Sakai, whose warm, picture-book-like visuals further enhance the song’s world.
It will be sunny tomorrow.Hanada Yuuichirou, Ono Atsuko
In 1999, during the month when Kentarō Hayami and Ayumi Shigemori graduated as the singing big brother and big sister on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” the song “Ashita wa Hareru” was performed.
As the graduation song for a hugely popular duo, it’s perfect for farewells and new beginnings.
Its message—that graduation isn’t a sad goodbye, and that you can always remember us—really strikes a chord.
It’s also an ideal, moving song to tell children stepping onto a new path, “You’re not alone.
It’ll be okay.”
Dangling AlienYokoyama Daisuke / Mitani Takumi
When I listen to this song, I can’t help but want to move my body along, going “burabura~.” What kind of moves does the Burabura Alien make, anyway? Try moving your body with your child while listening to the song and become a “Burabura Alien” together!
Bunbun SwingYokoyama Daisuke / Mitani Takumi
It’s a song from September 2013 during the Takumi Mitani & Daisuke Yokoyama era.
The lyrics are by Inko Saito, and the music is by Akihiro Yūki.
With the swing—something everyone played on as a child—as its theme, the song charmingly yet powerfully portrays the image of swinging ever higher and ever farther.
Gacha-gocha-gumbo!Yokoyama Daisuke / Mitani Takumi
It sings that when you put various things together and mix them, all kinds of soups are created.
They throw in anything—food, emotions, you name it.
But each time, the flavor changes, teaching the children about many wonderful tastes.
It’s a song you’ll want to sing while cooking.
Panda, rabbit, koalaSakata Osamu, Kanzaki Yūko
How about “Panda, Bunny, Koala,” a hand-play song that became widely popular thanks to NHK’s educational program Okaasan to Issho? The song is known for having lyrics by Hiroo Takada, and it’s fun because you imitate the movements of the panda, bunny, and koala that appear in the lyrics.
Its appeal also lies in the built-in variety and game-like elements, such as the tempo gradually getting faster.
You might enjoy it even more if you add brief explanations between sections of the song—for example, “Let’s line them up and try it.”
Copycat PoonHayashi Akira, Mori Miyuki
The ending theme of the puppet show “Niko Niko Pun,” which featured Jajamaru, Pikkoro, and Porori, is “Manekko Pun.” It was introduced in 1982 and aired for two years until it was replaced in 1984.
The song was mainly performed by Akira Hayashi, the 6th “Uta no Onii-san,” and Miyuki Mori, the 15th “Uta no Onee-san.” Partway through, the tempo changes dramatically, and it becomes a fun number that incorporates a physical play segment where you imitate Jajamaru, Pikkoro, and Porori.
