Ranking of Popular Folk Songs
That nostalgic melody, passed down through generations—the heart of our hometowns.
We’ve researched a wide range of folk songs from past to present, from East to West! In this article, we’ve selected popular tracks based on reliable feedback from music fans who’ve contributed to our site so far.
Among them, we’ll introduce the most acclaimed ones in a ranked format.
Please take a look.
We also researched children’s songs like nursery rhymes and lullabies, as well as work songs and songs for ceremonies and events.
In recent years, new ways of listening to folk music—championed by acts like Minyo Crusaders and Riyō Sanmyaku—have been attracting a fresh audience.
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Popular Folk Song Rankings (31–40)
Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)Composer: Kosaku Yamada36rank/position
Pechka, the Russian fireplace and oven.
Watching the fire burn on a cold winter’s day is truly soothing, isn’t it? Here is a song about that pechka.
It was included in the Manchuria Song Collection published in 1924 and was reportedly composed at the request of the South Manchuria Education Association for people emigrating to Manchuria at the time.
Since the winters in Manchuria were said to be very cold, this song must have suited the setting well.
In its final section, although the piece is in a major key, it employs chords from the parallel minor of the same tonic, creating a distinctive atmosphere.
Fruit Train37rank/position
“The Fruit Train” is a song about various fruits riding on a train.
Kids love both trains and fruit, don’t they? The lyrics include not only fruit but also a variety of autumn delicacies, making it a lot of fun to imitate and sing along.
It seems the train runs on fallen leaves as fuel.
It’s a fun way to learn about foods that are in season in autumn!
butterfly38rank/position
We’d like to introduce “Chōchō,” a hand-play song with delightfully gentle, floating hand movements.
Based on a Spanish folk tune and arranged by Akiashi Nomura, this song has long been beloved by many children.
The lyrics depict a butterfly fluttering about, moving from flower to flower.
Matching the words, you form a butterfly shape with both hands to express it dancing.
The mesmerizing motions and soothing melody are sure to comfort babies.
Meat buns and sweet bean paste buns39rank/position
A hand-clapping song themed around nikuman and anman, classics of the cold season.
Like the widely used standard hand game song “Gu Choki Paa de Nani Tsukurou,” it is based on the French folk song “Frère Jacques,” making it easy and familiar for both children and nursery teachers to learn.
Because you shape various foods in time with the song, it’s more accessible for younger children compared to “Gu Choki Paa de Nani Tsukurou,” which requires you to come up with ideas yourself.
It’s a simple hand-clapping song that’s perfect for chilly November.
Tōfun Doi40rank/position
Tōshin Doi weaves a distinctly Okinawan melody with the rhythmic sounds of the sanshin.
This song is a folk tune handed down since ancient times in Okinawa, and it is such a popular Ryukyuan folk piece that people say your body starts dancing the moment it plays.
The rapid-fire sanshin feels exhilarating, and the song is performed as a celebratory finale in Eisa.
Its lyrics rejoice in and celebrate the arrival of Chinese trade ships—Tōshin—from the Tang lands with which Okinawa once traded, depicting the excitement of the local people at the time.
Even today, it remains a traditional number performed at banquets and festive occasions.
Popular Folk Song Rankings (41–50)
Ho! Ho! Ho!Lyrics: Akira Ito / Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe41rank/position
You sometimes hear this song on NHK programs for young children.
The oldest known recording dates back to 1972, sung by Kurumi Kobato—a children’s singer who also starred as the lead voice actor in the popular volleyball anime Attack No.
1.
Since then, it has been passed down through shows like Okaasan to Issho (With Mother).
The unique lyrics in the chorus are sure to delight little kids.
Why not try singing it yourselves toward the blue summer sky?
coconutLyrics by: Toson Shimazaki / Music by: Toraji Onaka42rank/position
Yashi no Mi (Coconut), a song set to a Meiji-era poem by the great writer Shimazaki Tōson—famed for masterpieces like The Broken Commandment and Spring—was born from an episode in which folklorist Yanagita Kunio found a washed-up coconut on Koijigahama Beach in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture.
Even if you don’t grasp every word’s meaning, the poem somehow stirs a sense of homesickness.
It’s a classic that perfectly suits the summer season, though it may be difficult for young children to sing; if you sing it to them like a lullaby, it seems likely to bring on a peaceful sleep.