Japanese shoka (school songs). Nostalgic tunes, songs of the heart.
From among various shoka (traditional school songs), our studio staff present recommended masterpieces and popular tunes.
This is a nostalgic playlist that sings of the Japanese spirit.
Japanese shōka. Nostalgic songs, songs of the heart (1–10)
Osaka City Streetcar Song
A song with a pleasing seven-five rhythm invites you on a journey through springtime Osaka.
Starting in Umeda, it sings its way through the era’s celebrated spots—Dojima, Shinsaibashi, and on to Tempozan—so vividly that the city’s lively scenes come to life before your eyes.
Don’t you feel the excitement of people swaying along in the streetcars? It’s said this piece was created in 1908 as a PR song for the Osaka Municipal Tramway.
As you listen to its nostalgic melody, you can sense the bustle of the old, beloved “City of Water.”
We Look Up to You with Respect
Published in 1884, it was selected in 2007 for the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” The lyrics express students’ gratitude to their teachers and memories of school life, making it a standard song for graduation ceremonies.
However, because it contains many archaic expressions, the number of schools using it has declined since the Heisei era.
puff
The music was composed by Peter Yarrow and performed as a folk song by Peter, Paul & Mary.
Akiko Furyo’s Japanese translation appears in the third-grade elementary school music textbook.
It’s a song about a gentle monster, pairing a friendly melody with slightly wistful lyrics.
A Hazy Moonlit Night
Since its release in 1914, it has continued to be cherished for a long time.
The first verse depicts the gradual setting of the sun, while the second verse portrays a nighttime scene illuminated by a hazy moon.
Its serene yet beautiful melody is also beloved.
BELIEVE
It is the third ending theme of NHK’s “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (A Journey of Life on Earth), written and composed by Ryuichi Sugimoto.
After its release in 1998, it was arranged as a choral piece and has been sung in elementary and junior high schools.
The gently flowing melody gradually builds up, reaching its climax together with the English lyrics.
Born on this planet
Composed and written by Ryuichi Sugimoto, it was the second ending theme song for the program “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō,” included on a CD in 1996.
With the message “Don’t give up on your dreams,” its grand-scale lyrics and flowing, beautiful melody have made it widely cherished and sung.
Dona Dona
The composition is by the American Sholom Secunda and was written in 1938, but the Japanese version is translated by Kazumi Yasui.
It is a song about a calf being taken to market, and its lyrics, together with the melancholy melody, gently sink into the heart.
It is included in elementary school textbooks.