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Shinpei Nakayama Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
Shinpei Nakayama composed roughly 1,700 pieces from the Meiji through the Showa era.
His representative works include the children’s song “Soap Bubbles” (Shabondama) and the popular song “Tokyo March.” In this article, we’ll introduce his songs in a ranked list, including those pieces as well!
Shinpei Nakayama’s Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (1–10)
teru teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to wish for good weather)Sakushi: Asahara Kyōson / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei1rank/position
It’s a simple, endearing children’s song in which one sings to a little doll made from a white cloth on a rainy day, wishing for clear skies.
Akihito Asahara’s lyrics express a child’s pure feelings directly, charmingly depicting the innocent, forthright emotions that move from promising a golden bell as thanks to even threatening to cut off its head if the wish isn’t granted.
First published in 1921 in the magazine “Shōjo no Tomo” and officially released the following year, the piece has been loved by many thanks to Shinpei Nakayama’s friendly melody.
It’s the perfect song for when you’re eagerly awaiting the end of the rain or want to bask in nostalgic feelings.
soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei2rank/position
Here’s a beloved children’s song that never fails to capture kids’ hearts! You can almost picture soap bubbles floating gently up into the sky in time with the melody.
This classic was created through the collaboration of Ujo Noguchi and Shinpei Nakayama, with the poem published in 1922.
The lyrics convey the beauty and fragility of fleeting life.
It’s a wonderful song for teaching children the value of life through the simple play of blowing bubbles.
It’s perfect not only for singing in nurseries and kindergartens, but also for enjoying together as a family.
Cherished across generations, this piece brings warm, heartwarming moments.
Height comparisonSakushi: Umino Atsushi / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei3rank/position
As Children’s Day approaches, many people may find themselves recalling the marks on the pillar.
This children’s song, written by Atsushi Unno with his younger brother in mind—seventeen years his junior—depicts a warm scene where the older brother measures his little brother’s height.
It is said that the lyrics also capture the loneliness of not having met the previous year, preserved as a two-year record.
With music composed by Shinpei Nakayama, it was published as a collection of sheet music in May 1923.
The song has continued to be sung for many years and was selected in 2007 as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” As you feel the May breeze, why not look back on nostalgic memories with your siblings and family? Enjoy this seasonal song with a bright, uplifting spirit, as if gazing up at the majestic Mount Fuji.
rainfallsakushi: kitahara hakushū / sakkyoku: nakayama shinpei4rank/position
A children’s song created with lyrics by the poet Hakushu Kitahara and music by composer Shinpei Nakayama, who produced numerous popular songs.
It was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Songs, and many people likely remember its lively melody that evokes the innocence described in the lyrics.
In fact, there is an urban legend that it depicts a child waiting for a sick mother, and it is said that uttering the lyrics from the third verse onward—there are five in total—will bring a curse.
There is even an anecdote that singing all the verses is prohibited at schools.
Despite its bright image, this nursery rhyme carries rumors that are hard to imagine.
Shōjōji’s Raccoon Dog Festival MusicSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei5rank/position
Composed in 1924, this song may seem like a cheerful tune that brings to mind a raccoon dog drumming away on its belly with a pon-poko beat.
However, it turns out that the lyricist, Ujō Noguchi, actually based the lyrics on a ghost story called “Tanuki Bayashi.” They say you can hear festival music from nowhere in particular, and even if you walk toward the direction of the sound, you can’t identify its source.
While searching for where the sound is coming from, before you know it, you find yourself in an unfamiliar place—that’s the tale of Tanuki Bayashi.
It’s a lively, upbeat melody that you’d never guess was inspired by such a frightening ghost story.
Rabbit DanceSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei6rank/position
It’s a lively, bouncy tune.
It was published in May 1924 in the magazine Kodomo no Kuni.
The lyrics were written by Ujō Noguchi, known for songs like “Seven Baby Crows” and “Soap Bubbles,” and the music was composed by Shinpei Nakayama, who created many children’s songs such as “Teru Teru Bozu” and “Back-to-Back.” The song depicts rabbits dancing lightly, with the onomatopoeic “taratta, ratta” echoing pleasantly.
As Shinpei Nakayama himself indicated with the performance note “with bounce and extremely briskly,” it’s best sung brightly and energetically.
It’s also nice to sing it together with friends at a facility, enjoying handclaps and swaying your bodies.
On a calm autumn afternoon, why not hum it and feel like a child again?
soap bubbleNakayama Shimpei7rank/position
If you’re looking for a well-known song that seems easy to play, how about this one? Although it was published as a children’s song in 1923, there’s no way to confirm it now that the author has passed away, but it’s said that the lyricist, Ujō Noguchi, wrote it with a requiem-like intention for the child he lost.
Thinking of it that way, you realize that even this song, which feels cheerful, has unexpected depth.
The clear tone of the recorder suits the song’s fragility very well.
Rainy MoonSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei8rank/position
With its beautifully nostalgic melody, just reading the lyrics conjures vivid scenes—“Amefuri Otsukisan” truly sings the heart of Japan.
It first appeared in the Taishō era in the children’s magazine Kodomo no Kuni, under the original title “Amefuri Otsuki.” Later, when it was recorded, it was combined with “Kumo no Kage,” a piece introduced in the same magazine as a sequel, and thus reborn as “Amefuri Otsukisan.” While the melody is easy to remember, the words used in the lyrics can be difficult for young children to understand, so it might be nice for mothers or fathers to sing it together with their children on a rainy summer night.
Tanuki-bayashi of Shojoji (The Raccoon Dogs’ Festival Drumming at Shojoji Temple)Sakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei9rank/position
This is a children’s song written by Ujo Noguchi and composed by Shinpei Nakayama, based on the raccoon dog festival legend handed down in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture.
You can just picture the lively scene of tanuki drumming their bellies “ponpoko” and dancing at the temple on a moonlit night.
Since it was introduced in a children’s magazine in 1925, it has been loved by people of all ages.
It was even used with new lyrics for the NHK radio program “English Conversation,” so some listeners may find it familiar.
Its many repeated phrases make it easy to sing.
On a long autumn night, why not hum it while moon-viewing? If seniors gather together, try moving your bodies for fun—pat your bellies or beckon with your hands in time with the lyrics.
shoulder tapsakushi: saijou hachi / sakkyoku: nakayama shinpei10rank/position
Mother’s Day, when we express gratitude to our mothers and acknowledge their daily efforts, is an important event in May.
Thinking about how to show appreciation and choosing something that will make her happy is part of the fun of this occasion.
The song “Katatataki” is a classic piece that depicts the act of caring for one’s mother.
It portrays a child patting their mother’s shoulders and the various scenes that unfold around them, conveying a joyful feeling.
The sound made while patting the shoulders is also an important element, lightly expressing kindness and gratitude toward the mother.
