Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
When we hear the gentle melodies of nostalgic children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes, memories from our early childhood come vividly rushing back, as if we’ve crossed time and space.
Perhaps you, too, have a “song of nostalgia” that has stayed with you since you were young.
In this article, we introduce iconic Japanese children’s songs (shoka), folk songs and nursery rhymes cherished and passed down across the regions, as well as beloved tunes often featured in school performances and recreational activities.
Shall we set off on a heartwarming sonic journey into the world of children’s songs that softly reflect Japan’s seasons, culture, and everyday life?
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- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
- Nursery Rhyme Popular Song Rankings [2025]
- Kyoto’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- Children’s songs of the world: songs passed down and sung by children overseas
- Children’s songs and nursery rhymes about the moon
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
[Nostalgic Children's Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes] The Heart of Japan Passed Down in Song (31–40)
Keep crossing the bridge one after another.
A song with simple lyrics and a rhythmic melody, sprinkled with elements that spark excitement and imagination as a fox appears.
It is included in many nursery rhyme collections, and picture books based on this song have also been published.
This piece is used for group play in kindergartens and nursery schools, where activities like holding hands to pass through a gate or cross a bridge help foster children’s cooperation and sense of rhythm.
Please experience this heartwarming song that you can sing and play together with someone special.
Pretty good.children’s song
This is a delightful piece that rhythmically combines movements of the hands and feet with singing.
If you move your hands and feet to the rhythm created by the call-and-response of “naka” (inside) and “soto” (outside), both body and heart naturally start to bounce.
Playing in a circle fosters children’s cooperation and sense of unity, spreading smiles—one of the work’s key charms.
It has long been loved in nurseries and kindergartens across ages, and in April 2020 it was selected for the “Top 100 Traditional Play Activities” by the Japan National Association of Nursery Teachers.
It’s a highly recommended song for those who want to interact with children and enjoy rhythm play.
Opened, openedchildren’s song
Long beloved as a traditional Japanese children’s song, this piece enchants with lyrics that evoke the arrival of spring.
Children enjoy joining hands to form a circle and act out flowers opening and closing.
Despite its simple words and melody, it embodies Japanese views of nature and impermanence, giving it profound appeal.
It is often sung in kindergartens and nursery schools, contributing to children’s emotional development.
Passed down since the Edo period, this song is recommended for those who want to feel the spring season or experience traditional Japanese culture.
Why not sing it with your child and enjoy the coming of spring together?
The Sparrow School
It’s quite a famous children’s song, but I’m not sure whether kids today know it.
Maybe the number of sparrows has decreased recently—these days I see crows often, but I rarely see sparrows, which I used to spot every time I went out.
That said, the song was written before the war, so it’s become a rather unthinkable song now, with a sparrow teacher holding a whip and educating the chicks.
hazy moonlit night
Both the lyrics and the melody—crafted into a song about a field of rapeseed blossoms spreading out before you and evoking the feeling of spring—make it truly one of the loveliest children’s songs.
The songs I sang long ago are all etched in my mind, lyrics and melody alike, but unfortunately this particular song doesn’t seem very well-known among children today.
Because the lyrics of Japanese nursery songs often use old-fashioned language, they may feel less familiar.
Even so, I hope Japan’s traditions will continue to be passed down.
[Nostalgic Children's Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes] The Heart of Japan Passed Down in Song (41–50)
Mother’s Song
Given the times, this song might not even be sung anymore.
What is “yonabe” (working late into the night)? I think many people probably don’t know what it means, and this is a song about a mother who, despite working nonstop from morning till night and then staying up all night, knitted gloves for her child—gloves you could now get at a 100-yen shop.
Even if the content no longer fits the times, I want to believe a mother’s feelings remain unchanged as the ages pass.
Seagull Sailor
I loved this cute song.
Later, sailor collars and other elements became a huge fashion trend, and they still exist today as sailor-style uniforms.
It was created in 1937, before the war, but this adorable song, which doesn’t evoke the atmosphere of war, was even included in textbooks after the war.