Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song

Close It, Open ItMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)

[Children’s song] Musunde Hiraite / Daisuke Yokoyama

This is a nursery rhyme that’s very popular in childcare settings and children’s programs.

Many of you may remember singing it while doing hand motions when you were little.

Because it’s fun to sing while moving your fingers, it’s now often sung not only as a recreation activity in preschools and kindergartens, but also in day service programs for the elderly.

Mother in the EveningLyrics by Hachirō Satō / Music by Yoshinao Nakata

Evening Mother (♬ The kanakana cicadas chirped in the distance) by Himawari 🌻 with lyrics | Children's song | Evening mom |

Another classic autumn song by lyricist Hachiro Sato and composer Yoshinao Nakada, the creators of “Kawaii Kakurenbo” (Cute Hide-and-Seek) and “Chiisai Aki Mitsuketa” (I Found Little Autumn).

This piece portrays the somewhat lonely scenery of an autumn evening and the warmth of a mother felt within it.

With the gentle, heart-penetrating melodies so characteristic of Yoshinao Nakada, it resonates deeply with listeners.

The work spread through radio and other media in the 1950s, and can be heard on albums such as “Yoshinao Nakada: Selected Children’s Songs – Kawaii Kakurenbo / Medaka no Gakko.” There is a touching anecdote that at Hachiro Sato’s funeral in 1973, all the attendees sang the song accompanied by Nakada himself on piano—an episode that conveys the depth of their bond and the special power of this song.

It is a tender, embracing piece, perfect for moments of thinking about family on an autumn evening.

Ongo

Ongoku ~Bon Song~ Osaka Children's Song III

It’s a nostalgic children’s song that conjures up the scene of kids parading in a line through the streets of Osaka on a summer evening.

An anonymous traditional song, it was preserved in a valuable recording on the album Folk Songs of Osaka, published by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education in 1990.

Beyond the bustling image of the “nation’s kitchen,” you may discover another side of Osaka in the voices of children that once echoed through its back alleys.

It’s a song that evokes the warm spirit of a bygone hometown.

The scenery of the whole world

Hifu-mi-yo (the scenery of the four directions)

A play song long cherished in Osaka, it carries a warmth you can feel as you listen.

It celebrates the arrival of spring, conjuring a serene scene of watching a bush warbler chirp on a plum branch.

The wordplay that links the warbler’s call with the Lotus Sutra also shines with the refined wit unique to people of the past.

Listening to this piece, you can almost hear the innocent voices of children echoing through the town long ago.

oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)

[Children's Song] Oshikura Manju

This song is charming for its friendly melody and playful lyrics that use the image of manju buns.

Born from the wisdom of keeping warm, it has been passed down across generations as a game that shares warmth and smiles.

Beyond its value as a play song, it is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, even appearing in haiku as a winter season word.

On a cold winter day, if you sing it while actually doing oshikura manju—huddling and gently pushing each other—children will surely feel not only the warmth of skin, but also the joy of time spent with friends and family.

TulipLyrics by Miyako Kondo / Music by Takeshi Inoue

Nursery rhyme: Tulips (sung by Matsunomi Children's Association)

This is one of Japan’s most beloved children’s songs, depicting a beautiful spring scene of red, white, and yellow tulips blooming in a row.

Miyako Kondo’s lyrics carry a warm message that recognizes diversity—“every flower has its own beauty”—and, together with Takeshi Inoue’s friendly melody, make it a tune that people of all ages can hum naturally.

Widely cherished in kindergarten and elementary school music classes, it was selected in 2006 for the list of 100 Best Japanese Songs.

It’s the perfect piece for when you want to feel the arrival of spring or enjoy singing with children!

Zuizui Zukkorobashi

(Nursery Rhyme) Zuizuizukkorobashi

There is also a theory that it recounts events from the Tea Jar Procession, and, as expected of the era of “kirisute-gomen” (the right to cut down and ask no questions), it is a song reflecting a time when even children were shown no mercy.

The procession that presented the year’s first tea to the shogun was called the Tea Jar Procession; people would snap their doors shut and hold their breath, waiting for the line to pass—a song about a life-or-death moment.

It was also often sung when deciding who would be ‘it’ in children’s games.