[Warabe-uta] Beloved Classic Songs Passed Down Through Generations

Bamboo shoots are sprouting.children’s song

[KBS Children's Songs] The Bamboo Shoot Sprouted

A traditional Japanese play song that evokes the arrival of spring.

The choreography lets children use their whole bodies: bringing both hands together above the head to show a sprout pushing up from the ground, or spreading their arms wide to mimic a flower in bloom.

It’s also interesting that the way it’s played varies slightly by region.

As children move their hands and bodies to the rhythm, smiles naturally appear—making this familiar warabe-uta a comforting song that eases the anxieties of kids facing new environments.

It’s a perfect piece for nurturing healthy growth and rich emotional development.

lazyboneschildren’s song

Hamamatsu City: Introducing April's nursery rhymes for rhythmics (Eurhythmics)

The children’s song passed down in Saga Prefecture features horsetail shoots as a theme, heralding the arrival of spring.

The lyrics, which sound as if they’re calling out to the horsetail peeking out from the soil, leave a strong impression.

There are many ways to enjoy it, such as swaying together as a parent and child or playing with cloth.

Reflecting the region’s culture, it’s a precious tradition that has been handed down across generations.

It also encourages contact with springtime nature and may help foster a sense of rhythm and language development.

It’s a lovely nursery rhyme that expresses the wish for children’s healthy growth.

one bamboo shootchildren’s song

One whole bamboo shoot

Perfect for the spring season, this song is a traditional children’s rhyme that has been loved for generations.

Its simple lyrics and the playful format—dividing into an ogre role and a bamboo shoot role—are especially appealing.

Because you move your body while singing, it’s great for developing a sense of rhythm and cooperation.

It’s also used in early childhood education settings, and videos explaining how to play are available.

Sing and play energetically outdoors with family and friends, and you’re sure to enjoy the springtime mood even more.

Why not raise your voices together and feel the arrival of spring?

fig carrot

Fig Carrot Children's Song / Counting Song Kyoko Ogawa

One of Japan’s traditional children’s songs, widely loved as a counting song.

Its hallmark is a format that matches numbers with the names of ingredients or plants, and part of its charm is that the lyrics and melody vary by region.

Because children can learn words and numbers while having fun, it has long been used in educational settings.

It’s also popular as a hand-play song, helping to develop a sense of rhythm and fine motor skills.

Passed down through generations, this song is recommended both for adults who feel nostalgic and for children who can enjoy it with fresh excitement.

One crow

Japanese nursery rhyme 'One Crow' (Warabe-uta 'Ichi wa no karasu ga')

It is a traditional Japanese children’s song that is also known as a jump-rope rhyme.

Characterized by a simple melody and lyrics that incorporate animal sounds, it is popular in children’s play and educational settings.

By singing while jumping rope, this work also has an educational aspect that helps children enjoyably learn rhythm and the concept of numbers.

In addition to being fun for families, it is a song highly valued in early childhood education and will likely continue to be loved for a long time to come.

Seven Herb Songchildren’s song

[Nanakusa Bayashi / Nanakusa Nazuna / Children's Song] Nanakusa nazuna, good health free from illness, seven-herb porridge.

This is a children’s song about nanakusa-gayu, the rice porridge traditionally eaten around the beginning of spring (Risshun).

The “bird from Tang” mentioned in the lyrics seems to refer to the onidori, a bird said to be an omen of misfortune if it fell on a house where people lived.

It also shows that, for people in the past, birds were seen as harmful creatures that ravaged their fields.

black kiteLyrics by Shigeru Kuzuhara / Music by Tei Yanada

Black Kite [With Vocals] - Children's Song/Nursery Rhyme/Folk Song

When you catch sight of birds tracing circles in the high autumn sky as if they’re feeling wonderful, doesn’t your heart feel at ease? This song, with lyrics by Shigeru Kuzuhara and music by Tadashi Yanada, is a very free-spirited children’s song that depicts birds dancing through such a sky.

The playful phrases that imitate birdsong are striking, conveying the creators’ gentle wish for children to sing out joyfully.

First published in May 1918 in the song collection Taishō Shōnen Shōka, the piece can still be heard today on albums such as Let’s Sing Together: Best of Japanese Children’s Songs.

On a clear autumn day, spreading your arms like wings and singing it together as parent and child makes it even more fun.