Songs from Ponkickies: A roundup of nostalgic classics and popular tracks
Don’t you ever find yourself humming the songs that played on the “Ponkikki/ Ponkikkids” series even now? Spanning from the 1970s to the 2010s, the music from the Ponkikki series has been beloved for decades—children’s songs that still leave a deep impression on adults’ hearts.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of tracks from “Ponkikkids” that are sure to stir up a wave of nostalgia.
Be sure to find your new favorite tune!
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Songs from Ponkickies: A collection of nostalgic classics and popular tracks (11–20)
This road, on and onnokoinoko
Doesn’t your heart start to race when you hear the cheerful singing of Gachapin and Mukku? Released in August 1988, this song was broadcast on “Hirake! Ponkikki” and became a classic that sparked children’s sense of adventure.
Composed and arranged by Takanori Arisawa, its march-like rhythm carries the imagination from southern islands all the way to the Arctic.
And the style—Noco Inoco’s clear vocals joined by lively back-and-forth from the familiar characters—is quintessential “Hirake! Ponkikki.” Even listening to it as an adult, you’re sure to feel uplifted, thinking, “Where shall we go next?”
Catch a cold and go night-night.Kashima Hideya
Have you ever felt lonely under the covers on a day you caught a cold and had to miss school? This song, sung by Hideya Kashima, gently wraps you in those childhood memories.
It aired on the show “Hirake! Ponkikki” and was released in 1980.
The lyrics are by Toyohisa Araki and the music by Goya Kashima.
It portrays the anxiety and longing for comfort when you’re bedridden with a fever, set to a slightly wistful melody.
Listening to it as an adult will likely bring back those days and make your taut heart soften for a moment.
A Bath Counting SongChikura Hito
Some of you may have grown up being told to count to ten before getting out of the bath.
This song features the numbers one through ten set to a techno-like beat.
Its distinctive, mysterious melody makes it surprisingly catchy after just one listen.
With characters that look like little steam ghosts and playful, humorous counting, humming this tune in the bath is sure to warm you up nicely.
Now, an adventure!Wada Akiko
With lyrics by Chisato Moritaka and composition by Tatsuya Ishii of Kome Kome Club, this song was created by a star-studded team.
When you hear the word “adventure,” you might imagine something grand, but this track mainly portrays everyday scenes.
It seems to tell us that even small, ordinary moments can become the greatest adventures when they lead to new encounters.
The song evokes childhood, a time brimming with new discoveries, and conveys a sense of hope and anticipation for the future.
Hone Hone RockShimon Masato
It’s one of the signature songs from the era of “Hirake! Ponkikki.” As a single, it was included as the B-side to “Pata Pata Mama.” Although it has a unique worldview in which various bones start dancing to the beat of drums, it’s a song that feels fun.
It features many eerie words, yet the tone of the electric guitar and the overall sound keep it from feeling scary—another charm of the piece.
It also feels like a song that calls on everyone to have fun together, regardless of species.
Even with just one, it’s a carrot.nagira kenichi
This is a well-known song, also famous for being included on the B-side of the smash hit “Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun.” It follows the traditional style of a counting song with wordplay, incorporating familiar and easy-to-understand items in the lyrics, making it easy for children to memorize.
It’s not just a song for learning numbers—the words that appear all require different counters, so children can learn how to count various things along with the numbers.
With its relaxed feel, it’s perfect for helping kids gain a solid understanding of numbers.
Ponkickies songs: A roundup of nostalgic classics and popular tracks (21–30)
Circle, Triangle, Squarenokoinoko
The song “Maru Sankaku Shikaku” is sure to make anyone who was a kid back then say, “So nostalgic!” It’s about stars shaped like circles, triangles, and squares, with aliens of matching shapes living on each star, singing humorously about their lives.
Even now, the melody doesn’t feel dated.
The chorus is so catchy you can’t help but hum along, and even kids who’ve never heard it before will probably start singing it right away.
Be sure to sing it together with your kids!