Popular Song Rankings of Monbusho Shoka [2026]

Spring has come.Monbushō shōka15rank/position

Spring Has Come | With Lyrics | One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs | Spring has come, spring has come, where has it come?

Set to the gentle melody of a Ministry of Education song, this piece depicts the calm arrival of spring.

The scene of spring returning to the mountains, villages, and fields spreads through a warm, tender vocal line.

Its tranquil tune vividly conveys the imagery of spring among Japan’s four seasons, imbued with a love for nature and the changing times of year.

Included in 1910 for the third grade of the “Elementary School Songs,” it was created by the renowned duo Tatsuyuki Takano and Teiichi Okano.

Featured in many music textbooks and song collections, it has often been performed at entrance ceremonies and spring events.

This work soothes the heart, making it a piece to enjoy slowly by a window in the warm sunlight.

It is a wonderful song for sharing the joy of spring’s arrival together with older adults.

koinobori (carp streamers)Monbushō shōka16rank/position

Koinobori | With Lyrics | Waves of roof tiles and waves of clouds

Beloved as a Ministry of Education shoka (school song), this piece gracefully expresses both the grandeur of the carp streamers displayed for the Boys’ Festival (Tango no Sekku) and the wish for children’s happy growth.

Included in the 1913 publication “Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka, Grade Five,” the song, set in F major, harmonizes a powerful melody with a refined sense of the season.

It continues to be cherished and sung by contemporary musicians, including arrangements by Kiyoe Yoshioka.

Its cheerful atmosphere and warm, seasonable tone make it perfect for older adults who want to enjoy a pleasant springtime moment.

It can also be a cue to hum along with grandchildren or to fondly recall days gone by.

Morning on the RanchSakushi: Monbushō shōka / Sakkyoku: Funahashi Eikichi17rank/position

Morning on the Ranch — Masako Saito

The song “Bokujō no Asa” (“Morning on the Ranch”) evokes a refreshing summer morning.

It was modeled on a ranch in Fukushima Prefecture and has even become the town song of Kagamiishi, where the ranch is located.

First released in 1932, it was later broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1968.

True to its title, the lyrics depict the morning ranch scenery so vividly that you feel as if you’re standing there yourself.

Even though summer mornings can often be hot, it might be nice to feel a refreshing summer morning through this song.

For children, it can also be a chance to imagine what a ranch is like.

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Octopus SongMonbushō shōka18rank/position

Octopus Song (♪ Kite, kite, fly high ~) by Himawari 🌻 with Lyrics [One Hundred Selected Japanese Songs]

When New Year’s comes around, many of us may remember gazing up at kites soaring high in the sky.

Published in school textbooks in 1910 as a Ministry of Education song, this piece lists neither lyricist nor composer.

In simple, child-friendly language, it depicts a kite catching the wind and rising to the clouds, to the very heavens, as well as the playful scene of guiding it by pulling and loosening the string.

Despite its simple melody, the composition naturally conveys the lively sense of the kite climbing into the sky.

Humming it together at a New Year’s gathering will bring back memories of nostalgic winter days and make for a heartwarming moment.

pigeonMonbushō shōka19rank/position

Pigeons (Hatopoppo) ♪ Coo, coo, coo, pigeons, coo, coo—do you want some beans? Ministry of Education school song – Pigeons

With lyrics so memorable that seeing pigeons in the city makes you want to burst into the “coo-coo-coo” song, this “Hato” is a traditional children’s song first published in 1911 and is still loved across generations today.

Its melody is easy for even small children to sing.

YukiMonbushō shōka20rank/position

Ministry of Education Song: Snow

The history of this song is very old, and some of you may be surprised to learn that it is actually a song from nearly a hundred years ago.

The lyrics of Yuki ya Konko, which make you want to sing along the moment it starts snowing, are especially memorable in this children’s song.

Singing this song makes the winter scenery even more enjoyable.

I found the first starMonbushō shōka21rank/position

Found the First Star by Three Sunflowers 🌻×3 [Chorus] With Lyrics | Ministry of Education Shoka (School Song)

At dusk, everyone has likely had the experience of looking up at the sky to find the first shining star.

Published in 1932 in the Ministry of Education’s elementary school music textbook, this piece simply depicts, from a young child’s perspective, stars glittering above familiar trees such as cedars, willows, and pines.

Its folk-song-like melody is charmingly easy to hum for anyone.

A monument to the song stands at the Akashi Municipal Planetarium, and it continues to be sung today as a work symbolizing the culture of gazing up at the starry sky.

Why not sing it together with someone dear to you while searching for the evening star?