We’re introducing nursery rhymes and children’s songs that have been sung across countries and regions around the world!
From songs found in Japanese textbooks to tunes actually sung overseas and popular songs used in English education, we’ve gathered a selection from various perspectives.
As you’ll see in this article, there are actually many songs people in Japan think are Japanese that are originally from other countries.
If you want to know “famous foreign nursery rhymes in Japan” or you’d like to sing children’s songs in other languages, be sure to check these out and give them a try!
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- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Ministry of Education songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes. The heart of Japan passed down in song.
- Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Let's sing together! A collection of nursery rhymes everyone knows
- [Christmas Songs] Christmas songs to sing with children
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
World Nursery Rhymes: Children's Songs Passed Down Overseas (1–10)
Green Green
It’s a smash hit released in 1963 by the American folk group The New Christy Minstrels.
In Japan, it was broadcast on the program “Minna no Uta” in 1967 and has continued to be cherished as a children’s song to this day.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (The Jolly Farm)
It’s a fun and very popular children’s song that features animal sounds.
It’s often used in English learning materials and is very familiar to many people.
In Japan, there are various parody versions for young children, so it might be fun to listen and compare them.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
It is a parody of the 1806 English poem “The Star” that became widely known as the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” It has been translated into many languages around the world and is still widely loved today.
It was introduced to Japan in the Taisho era and was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1968.
MICKEY MOUSE MARCH
Many people probably know this song.
It’s the theme song of the Disney character Mickey Mouse.
It was used as the theme song for the children’s TV program “The Mickey Mouse Club,” which aired in the United States from 1955 to 1960, and since then it has spread as Mickey Mouse’s theme song.
Michael Row the Boat Ashore
This is a song that was sung as a hymn in the United States in the 1800s.
In the 1960s, a recording by the folk group The Highwaymen reached number one on the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, making it a well-known classic.
It’s a staple often featured on children’s programs and the like.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
It’s an old English nursery rhyme born in the 18th century.
The “Baa baa” at the beginning of the title represents the sound a sheep makes.
In Japanese it’s “mee-mee,” which is a pretty realistic bleat, isn’t it? Some say the song’s underlying meaning refers to the triangular trade between Britain, Africa, and America, or to the plight of poor commoners suffering from the wool tax.
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
The Japanese title is “Senro wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomademo” (“The Railroad Goes On Forever”).
It’s an American folk song.
The original version was a work song sung by Irish immigrant laborers involved in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, which began in 1863.
In 1960, the American TV drama ‘Texas Rangers’ was broadcast in Japan, and as a result, its theme song—this very piece—became popular in Japan.