Ministry of Education songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes. The heart of Japan passed down in song.

Choo-choo train

Children’s song “Kisha Poppo”

It’s a cheerful song that sings about the scenery flowing by on both sides while riding a train, but it was created in 1937, before the war, and was released at the time under the title “The Soldiers’ Train.” It is said to have been a song for seeing off soldiers riding a steam locomotive as they headed to the battlefield.

Horsetail shoots are poking up.

Nursery rhyme: Tsukushi wa tsun-tsun

A masterpiece of children’s song that lets you feel the breath of nature.

Within its simple wordplay, it deftly weaves in the moment when plants sprout, offering the delight of a stroll through spring fields and hills.

More than lofty musical artistry, it’s the easy singability that has kept it beloved for many years.

It’s also enjoyed with hand motions and is widely used in early childhood education settings.

This work beautifully expresses the Japanese sense of the seasons and a heartfelt reverence for nature, making it enjoyable across generations, from children to adults.

Why not sing it together with family and friends, feeling the arrival of a nature-rich spring?

The Harvest Moon

Nursery Rhyme / The Full Moon on the Night of the Fifteenth {Nursery Rhyme Singer Yasuko Ukishima}

The harvest moon looks beautiful because the air is clear, but the song’s content is very sad.

The lyrics tell of a girl who has been separated from her family; as she gazes at the moon and remembers them, she longs for the loved ones she can no longer see.

Perhaps the lyricist, Noguchi Ujō, wrote such words based on experiences from his own childhood.

rainfall

Amefuri [with vocals], children's song

It’s a cheerful song about a mother coming to pick up her child, who is waiting in the rain after forgetting their umbrella.

“Janome” refers to a janome-gasa, a type of umbrella that has been used since the Edo period; the fact that the song was released in the Taisho era shows that this kind of umbrella was still in use at the time.

Where are you from?

Where Are You From? children's song with lyrics

A peaceful scene of children playing with a bouncing ball while telling their friends about their homes.

In the countryside of Kumamoto.

A song that brings to mind mountain landscapes.

With a slow tempo, it’s a song that suits everyone—from older adults to small children.

Rabbit, rabbit

Japanese nursery rhyme ~ Mid-Autumn Festival (Night of the 15th) “Rabbit”

This is a children’s song themed around rabbits and the moon, depicting rabbits hopping as they gaze at the full harvest moon.

The connection between rabbits and the moon is said to trace back to the Buddhist Jataka tale, Sasa Jataka.

It’s a nostalgic song I listened to in childhood while enjoying sweet dumplings.

The Hare and the Tortoise

Bunny and Turtle – Usagi To Kame | Hello, hello, Turtle, dear Mr. Turtle [Japanese Song / Shoka]

The hare and the tortoise—at first glance, you can tell who will win.

But when you listen to the end, the overconfident hare lets his guard down.

Even without much ability, the tortoise, who works steadily and earnestly, ends up winning or succeeding in the end.

That’s the lesson sung in this song.