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

Doll with Blue Eyes

Nursery rhyme “The Blue-eyed Doll” (nursery rhyme singer, Yumiko Uchida)

In today’s borderless world, dolls made in America are nothing unusual, and you can actually meet blue-eyed foreigners.

However, in old Japan there were people who had only ever seen foreigners as dolls, and this song evokes how Japanese people of that time felt about Americans.

yomogi-jōbu nochildren’s song

Spring children's song / For the April–May seasonal festivals: [Yomogi-Jobu no]. I'd like to play it to coincide with the festival.

A nostalgic children’s song that evokes an early-summer scene filled with the scents of iris and mugwort.

Through a playful game where children tap each other’s bottoms, they can feel the blessings of nature and the changing seasons.

Iris and mugwort are believed to ward off evil, and the song also carries wishes for a bountiful harvest.

Its simple lyrics and rhythm spark children’s creativity and nurture their communication skills.

Perfect for seasonal events from spring to summer and for play in nature.

It’s a piece of traditional Japanese culture that can be enjoyed across generations and deserves to be lovingly passed down.

spring breezeLyrics: Yoshikiyo Kato / Music: Foster

Spring Breeze — Yoshikiyo Katō / Foster

A work that beautifully fuses Japanese tradition with Western music.

Its lyrics, depicting the gentle scenery of spring, and its pleasant melody tenderly accompany the listener’s heart.

Ever since it was included in the “Certified Song Collection” in 1926, this piece has been cherished for many years.

Scenes that evoke the arrival of spring—willow branches, kites, and the wind blowing through the garden—come vividly to mind.

It’s a perfect song for the start of a new school term or the kindergarten/elementary school entrance season.

Singing it with children will deepen the joy of spring, and adults, too, will enjoy it along with fond memories.

Happy HinamatsuriJunko Kawamura

[Song Anime] Happy Hinamatsuri (Sung by: Icchi & Naru)

As we celebrate the Peach Festival, Junko Kawamura’s singing depicts charming scenes: the Emperor and Empress dolls sitting on the tiered platform watching over the children, and a child sweetly offering sweets to the dolls.

Featured on the albums “Junko Kawamura: A Journey Through Children’s Songs I” and “Junko Kawamura: A Journey Through Children’s Songs II,” this song has been cherished since its 1936 release as a classic that evokes the arrival of spring.

It reminds us of the importance of family bonds and honoring tradition.

Come Hinamatsuri season, it’s a tune that people of all ages find themselves humming.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to feel a warm glow as spring arrives.

Song of the Spool Winder

Itomaki (Fingerplay Song) [Anywhere Jamboree!] Children's Song

It’s a hand-play song.

You wind thread to make gloves, sow seeds to build a little gnome’s house.

It might be a song that makes kindergarteners start becoming aware of helping out.

I thought it was a cute hand-play song, but then the little gnome falls into a pitfall, gets made into soup… In the end, it turned out to be a shocking song.

Happy Hinamatsuri

Happy Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival) ~ Satoko Yamano & Morinoki Children's Chorus

The Doll Festival in March is an important event that celebrates girls’ growth.

Being able to decorate the hina dolls that your parents prepared by yourself is a sign that you’ve grown a little.

This is a song for the Doll Festival that celebrates health while enjoying treats like hishi-mochi and amazake (sweet white sake).

Seagull Sailor

Seagull Sailor (Summer Children's Song)

It’s a song that explains things to children in an easy-to-understand way by imagining the seagulls at sea as sailors.

It is said that Junko Takeuchi, who wrote the lyrics, composed it after seeing many seagulls when she went to the sea to see off a relative, and that it was later translated into English and other languages during international exchanges.