We’re introducing nursery rhymes and children’s songs that have been sung across countries and regions around the world!
From songs found in Japanese textbooks to tunes actually sung overseas and popular songs used in English education, we’ve gathered a selection from various perspectives.
As you’ll see in this article, there are actually many songs people in Japan think are Japanese that are originally from other countries.
If you want to know “famous foreign nursery rhymes in Japan” or you’d like to sing children’s songs in other languages, be sure to check these out and give them a try!
- [Surprising!] A children’s song that originated overseas. That familiar nursery rhyme is actually…
- A classic Mother Goose tune. A Mother Goose song that’s popular with children.
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- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
- Lullabies of the World: Beloved and Popular International Songs That Soothe Children
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Japanese Shoka, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless masterpieces that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Let's sing together! A collection of nursery rhymes everyone knows
- [Christmas Songs] Christmas songs to sing with children
World Nursery Rhymes: Children's Songs Passed Down Overseas (1–10)
Green Green
It’s a smash hit released in 1963 by the American folk group The New Christy Minstrels.
In Japan, it was broadcast on the program “Minna no Uta” in 1967 and has continued to be cherished as a children’s song to this day.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (The Jolly Farm)
It’s a fun and very popular children’s song that features animal sounds.
It’s often used in English learning materials and is very familiar to many people.
In Japan, there are various parody versions for young children, so it might be fun to listen and compare them.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
It is a parody song of the 1806 English poem “The Star” that became widely known as the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” It has been translated into many languages around the world and remains widely beloved today.
It was introduced to Japan in the Taisho era and was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1968.
Michael Row the Boat Ashore
This is a song that was sung as a hymn in the United States in the 1800s.
In the 1960s, a recording by the folk group The Highwaymen reached number one on the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, making it a well-known classic.
It’s a staple often featured on children’s programs and the like.
MICKEY MOUSE MARCH
Many people probably know this song.
It’s the theme song of the Disney character Mickey Mouse.
It was used as the theme song for the children’s TV program “The Mickey Mouse Club,” which aired in the United States from 1955 to 1960, and since then it has spread as Mickey Mouse’s theme song.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
It’s an old English nursery rhyme born in the 18th century.
The “Baa baa” at the beginning of the title represents the sound a sheep makes.
In Japanese it’s “mee-mee,” which is a pretty realistic bleat, isn’t it? Some say the song’s underlying meaning refers to the triangular trade between Britain, Africa, and America, or to the plight of poor commoners suffering from the wool tax.
Winter Wonderland
This song, which is also beloved as a Christmas tune in countries in the Northern Hemisphere, was composed by Felix Bernard in 1934 with lyrics by Richard B.
Smith.
The original lyrics describe a winter romance between a man and a woman and a promise of marriage, but in 1947 additional lyrics were added about children playing in the snow.
If you look at the introductory section before the main part—called the verse—you can tell it’s a song about romance.
Many older songs have verses like this, so it’s fun to know about them.
