Popular Ranking of Ministry of Education Shoka Songs [2025]

YukiMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)15rank/position

Ministry of Education Song: Snow

The history of this song is very old, and some of you may be surprised to learn that it is actually a song from nearly a hundred years ago.

The lyrics of Yuki ya Konko, which make you want to sing along the moment it starts snowing, are especially memorable in this children’s song.

Singing this song makes the winter scenery even more enjoyable.

I found the first starMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)16rank/position

Found the First Star by Three Sunflowers 🌻×3 [Chorus] With Lyrics | Ministry of Education Shoka (School Song)

Let me introduce the Ministry of Education song “Ichibanboshi Mitsuketa” (“I Found the First Star”).

The Ministry of Education songs are a collective term for songs that were taught in Japan’s national schools, which correspond to today’s elementary schools.

How about singing the beloved classic “Ichibanboshi Mitsuketa”? Its simple melody and lyrics make it easy to sing and remember.

It’s a great choice to include in Tanabata gatherings or events as part of games and performances.

It also seems perfect for interactive play with children.

Koi in the pondMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)17rank/position

Children’s song / school song: Carp in the Pond (Ike no Koi) – Ministry of Education Song

This is a Ministry of Education school song that can be enjoyed while picturing the refreshing scenery of the season.

The gentle way it addresses the carp swimming in the pond brings a sense of calm and warmth.

Included in May 1911 in “Elementary School Songs for the First Grade,” this piece has been loved for many years for its bright, friendly melody and soothing lyrics.

It has appeared in music textbooks and has been passed down through school education.

It will surely resonate in your heart along with nostalgic memories.

Singing it with older adults may revive happy memories from the past and naturally spark conversation.

It’s an ideal song for music activities in care facilities.

tea pickingMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)18rank/position

Tea Picking | With Lyrics | 100 Selected Japanese Songs | The 88th Night as Summer Approaches

This is a celebrated song from the Ministry of Education’s school song repertoire, passed down since the Meiji era, beautifully portraying the changing seasons.

It vividly depicts the refreshing early-summer scenery and the peaceful scene of people picking tea.

With images of fresh greenery around the Eighty-Eighth Night, tea-pickers’ work garments, and rural landscapes, it conveys traditional Japanese life along with a gentle melody.

Since its inclusion in 1912 in “Elementary School Songs for the Third Grade (Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka),” it has been widely loved through school education.

This piece is a song everyone can enjoy singing together, often tied to fond memories.

Its charm also lies in incorporating simple hand motions while singing, allowing for a heartwarming time.

Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival / Girls' Day)Monbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)19rank/position

Doll Festival [Ministry of Education Song]

When you see the title written in kanji as “雛祭,” you might think it’s a difficult song, but that’s not the case at all! Unlike the slightly more mature-sounding melody of “Ureshii Hinamatsuri,” this song has a bright tune and introduces the Hina dolls arranged on the tiered stand and the surrounding decorations.

After the introductions, it sings that looking at the neatly arranged dolls and the splendid ornaments is like gazing into a fairy tale or a dream world.

By listening to this song, you can both feel that dreamlike world and learn about the Hina dolls you display and the items you decorate around them!

Winter nightLyrics and composition: Ministry of Education shōka (school song)20rank/position

Winter Night (♫ Near the Lamplight ~) by Sunflower ×4 [Chorus] with Lyrics

Let me introduce a beautiful song that evokes the warmth of family on a cold winter night.

You can just picture the scene: everyone gathered around the sunken hearth, the mother talking about springtime games, and the father telling old tales.

Even if a blizzard rages outside, the home is warm within.

Expressing such family togetherness with a gentle melody, this piece was released in 1912.

It was also featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” and has become beloved by many.

Listening to it in the cold season may bring back nostalgic memories.

How about humming it together with older family members?

rabbitMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)21rank/position

♪Rabbit, Rabbit – Usagi Usagi | ♪Rabbit, rabbit, what do you see as you hop? [Japanese song/children’s song]

A song from the Ministry of Education’s collection that sings of rabbits hopping as they gaze up at the harvest moon.

Since its inclusion in Elementary School Songs, Volume 2 in 1892, it has been cherished by many as a children’s song.

It is characterized by short phrases that convey the atmosphere of moon-viewing culture, and despite its simplicity, it features a melody that lingers in the heart.

This piece is also used as a practice tune for shamisen and koto, and has been recorded in various arrangements, such as King Records’ collection of seasonal school songs and Teichiku’s album “Heart and Mind: The Breeze of Ryukyu Played on the Sanshin.” On long autumn nights, why not line up some dumplings, gaze at the moon, and hum along? The melody is easy to remember, so you can enjoy singing it together with everyone.