Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic songs for putting children to sleep.
Lullabies have existed since ancient times in every country—they’re songs for soothing children.
I’ve put together a list of many lullabies, from the kind you might have heard on NHK’s educational channel to arrangements of foreign folk songs.
I’m sure there are songs in here that you sang together with friends when you were a child.
If you listen again now with the mindset of returning to childhood, you might discover something new.
If you “struggle every time to put your child to sleep,” please try listening—and singing—these songs to them at least once.
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Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic bedtime songs (21–30)
Shimbara Lullaby
This is a reworked piece based on a lullaby that Kohei Miyazaki, a writer from Shimabara City in Nagasaki Prefecture, sang while caring for his child alone.
It is said that the original song is the folk tune from Yamanashi Prefecture, “Koshu Enko-bushi.” It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in October 1973.
Lullaby of the Hunter
The lullaby “Hunter’s Lullaby” has been passed down in Shibi, Miyazaki Prefecture.
It’s a very short piece, but am I the only one who finds the combination of a hunter and a lullaby a bit dramatic? It’s a calm song, perfect for soothing a baby, and it might even make the singer feel sleepy.
The lyrics carry a Miyazaki dialect, giving it a strong regional flavor, and feature a cat, a cow, and a hunter.
Perhaps it’s a song of a hunter soothing his child; it evokes the natural setting of Shibi, a mountainous area of Miyazaki.
Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic bedtime songs (31–40)
a round egg
“Maarui Tamago” is a hand-play song themed around eggs, and the hand movements that match the onomatopoeia and mimetic words give a delightfully fun impression.
First, you put your hands together to represent a round egg.
Then you act out the egg cracking and a chick emerging from inside.
Since it features many onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions that children tend to love, it’s likely to capture their interest even more.
Another fun point is that sometimes a creature that doesn’t exist in real life hatches from the egg.
When one barks
Here is a lullaby passed down in Iwate Prefecture.
The lyrics vary slightly depending on the region, but the content is largely the same.
You don’t see stray or feral dogs in cities today, but in the past there were many, and they might have been a bit scary for children.
The lyrics are unusual for a lullaby, which in turn makes the song uniquely appealing.
There are recordings by artists like Michiya Mihashi, but I’ve heard it’s hardly sung anymore.
It’s sad to see Japan’s fine songs fading away.
Lullaby of Narada
Narayuda Lullaby is not a song from Nara, but a lullaby from Hayakawa Town in Minamikoma District, Yamanashi Prefecture.
Place names appear in the lyrics, suggesting a deep connection with this region.
The song’s lyrics are quite amusing and, unlike many lullabies from that era, they don’t convey a dark worldview.
In the first half, an elderly woman who loves grilled rice cakes (yakimochi) eats a lot of mochi.
Apparently, in the latter half, someone rides a horse and drops one of those rice cakes.
Seeing it this way, the lyrics are indeed quite unique!
Okazaki Lullaby
This lullaby is sung in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture.
Its lyrics resemble those of the so-called Edo lullaby, and some researchers are studying their common features.
As lullabies are sung over long periods of time, some naturally undergo gradual changes.
Lullabies like this can bring comfort not only to children but to people of all ages.
When you’re tired from work or studying, it might be nice to drift off to sleep while listening to songs like these, returning to the feeling of childhood.
Yoichi Chikuma
It is a lullaby originating in Kamihata-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, which spread to nearby Kyoto, Mie, Aichi, and even to Kyushu.
“Takeuma Yoichi” refers to Mr.
Yoichi of the shop named Takeuma (“stilts”), and it is said that people working there sang it along their peddling routes and passed it on.
Multiple variations of the lyrics have been confirmed.
In this version, the lyrics describe carrying vegetables by boat, crossing the Sanzu River, and warning that there are scary snakes.
However, in the final verse, it’s revealed to be just a joke.