Ranking of Popular Folk Songs
That nostalgic melody, passed down through generations—the heart of our hometowns.
We’ve researched a wide range of folk songs from past to present, from East to West! In this article, we’ve selected popular tracks based on reliable feedback from music fans who’ve contributed to our site so far.
Among them, we’ll introduce the most acclaimed ones in a ranked format.
Please take a look.
We also researched children’s songs like nursery rhymes and lullabies, as well as work songs and songs for ceremonies and events.
In recent years, new ways of listening to folk music—championed by acts like Minyo Crusaders and Riyō Sanmyaku—have been attracting a fresh audience.
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Popular Folk Song Rankings (21–30)
Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku29rank/position
Pechka, the Russian fireplace and oven.
Watching the fire burn on a cold winter’s day is truly soothing, isn’t it? Here is a song about that pechka.
It was included in the Manchuria Song Collection published in 1924 and was reportedly composed at the request of the South Manchuria Education Association for people emigrating to Manchuria at the time.
Since the winters in Manchuria were said to be very cold, this song must have suited the setting well.
In its final section, although the piece is in a major key, it employs chords from the parallel minor of the same tonic, creating a distinctive atmosphere.
Dango, dango, they stuck together.30rank/position
Autumn is the season of hearty appetites—so many foods taste great right now, don’t they? The song “Dango, Dango Stuck Together” is a fingerplay tune about delicious dango sticking to your head, shoulders, cheeks, and chin and not coming off easily! You use your hand in a fist to pretend it’s a dango, sticking it to different parts of your body as part of the fingerplay.
It’s a fun song where you can even add your own original lyrics.
When you strain with an “Uuun!” trying to pull the dango off, your whole body can’t help but get moving.
Sing it, and you might just find yourself craving some dango!
Popular Folk Song Rankings (31–40)
Dragonfly, dragonfly.31rank/position
Among the insects often seen in autumn are dragonflies, and this time I’d like to introduce a children’s song about them.
The song is short and easy to remember! You can just sing it, but you can also move your fingers in little circles as if catching a dragonfly, make big circles with your arms, or even spin your whole body around.
There are no set rules for how to play—feel free to express the dragonfly however you like as you sing.
It’s also fun to use props, like singing while flying a dragonfly made from origami, or slipping a ribbon between a pair of chopsticks to flutter in the wind.
Come, firefly32rank/position
A traditional children’s song that conveys the beauty of Japan’s nature to kids.
It expresses the glow of fireflies dancing in the summer night sky with a gentle melody and catchy calls.
The calls are memorable, and it’s a song that can also be enjoyed as a round.
Perfect for singing together during Bon dances or on cool summer evenings.
Why not spend some time feeling the changing seasons and connecting with the heart of Japan through this song? Singing it with family and friends will make for wonderful summer memories.
Tōfun Doi33rank/position
Tōshin Doi weaves a distinctly Okinawan melody with the rhythmic sounds of the sanshin.
This song is a folk tune handed down since ancient times in Okinawa, and it is such a popular Ryukyuan folk piece that people say your body starts dancing the moment it plays.
The rapid-fire sanshin feels exhilarating, and the song is performed as a celebratory finale in Eisa.
Its lyrics rejoice in and celebrate the arrival of Chinese trade ships—Tōshin—from the Tang lands with which Okinawa once traded, depicting the excitement of the local people at the time.
Even today, it remains a traditional number performed at banquets and festive occasions.
School of MedakaSakushi: Chaki Shigeru / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao34rank/position
Spring is the season when living creatures become more active.
With that in mind, how about “Medaka no Gakkō” (“The Medaka’s School”)? Many of you probably sang and enjoyed it as children.
First broadcast on an NHK radio program in 1951, it gradually came to be sung across Japan and, within a few years, became firmly established.
In 2007, it was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Songs.
Listening to it conjures up images of medaka fish swimming in clear water and puts you in a peaceful mood.
It’s perfect for when you want to spend a laid-back, carefree moment.
Donguri Korokorosakushi: Aoki Tsuneyoshi / sakkyoku: Yanagida Tadashi35rank/position
The children’s song “Donguri Korokoro” sings about the grand adventure of acorns that you often see on roads and in parks in autumn.
An acorn rolls along, falls into a pond, meets a loach, and they play together.
As they play, the acorn becomes homesick, and in the end it bursts into tears—this is how the lyrics portray the story.
The lyrics feel like reading a picture book, so the more you listen, the more it may spark your child’s interest.
If you add a hand-play routine to match the lyrics, your child will enjoy listening even more.
