Traditional Japanese Songs
Learn Japanese with Japanese Children's Songs! In this 10-lesson series, you'll listen to famous Japanese children's songs and learn grammar and vocabulary through analyzing the lyrics. You'll also learn the fascinating stories behind the songs themselves!
| Lesson | Title | Topic | Function | Conversation in target language | Cultural Insight | Vocabulary |
| #1 | Furusato | Children's song | Learning the old-style Japanese lyrics | うさぎ追いし かの山 こぶな釣りし かの川 夢はいまも めぐりて 忘れがたき ふるさと いかにいます 父 母 つつがなしや 友がき 雨に風に つけても 思いいずる ふるさと こころざしを はたして いつの日にか 帰らん 山はあおき ふるさと 水は清き ふるさと |
- released in 1914 as a song for elementary school students. - a nostalgic song for people who move far away from their hometown to work or study |
釣る ふるさと がたい 忘れる 夢 川 ふな 山 追う うさぎ めぐる |
| #2 | Edo no Komori Uta | Children's song | Learning Japanese traditional lullaby | ねんねん ころりよ おころりよ ぼうやは 良い子だ ねんねしな ぼうやの おもりは どこへ行った あの山 越えて 里へ行った 里の 土産に 何もろた でんでん太鼓に 笙の笛 |
- originated in the Edo period; | ねんね ぼうや おもり 越える 里 土産 でんでん太鼓 笙の笛 |
| #3 | Fuji no Yama | Children's song | Learning a song about Mt. Fuji | あたまを雲の上に出し 四方の山を見おろして かみなりさまを下にきく ふじは日本一の山 青ぞら高くそびえたち からだに雪のきものきて かすみのすそをとおくひく ふじは日本一の山 |
- the melody of this song playing from the traffic lights for pedestrians in the Shizuoka prefecture - some train stations located near Mt. Fuji that use this song as the melody for when the train departs. |
あたま 雲 四方 見おろす かみなり 青空 そびえたつ かすみ すそ |
| #4 | Musunde Hiraite | Children's song | Learning a traditional song sung in nursery schools or in kindergarten | むすんで ひらいて てをうって むすんで またひらいて てをうって そのてを うえに むすんで ひらいて てをうって むすんで |
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a famous eighteenth-century philosopher, composed the original melody of this song. - it is very popular as a song that kids sing with hand movements at nursery schools or in kindergarten. |
むすぶ ひらく うつ て また |
| #5 | Sakura Sakura | Children's song | Learning the most popular song about sakura. | さくら さくら、 やよいの空(そら)は 見（み）わたす限（かぎ）り かすみか雲（くも）か 匂（にお）いぞ出（い）ずる いざやいざや 見（み）にゆかん |
- the Japanese used this song as a practice song for children learning to play the koto (a thirteen-stringed Japanese instrument) in the Edo Period. - Sakura symbolizes spring in Japan, and it is also called the national flower. |
さくら やよい 見渡す かすみ 匂い いざ |
| #6 | Koinobori | Children's song | Learning the song about koinobori, the carp streamers put out for decoration on the fifth day of May (Children's Day) every year. | 屋根より高い こいのぼり 大きいまごいは お父さん 小さいひごいは 子供たち おもしろそうに 泳いでる |
- Children's Day originally was a day where people celebrated the growth of their sons and prayed for their success in life - In the Edo Period, people decorated their yards with these koinobori, with the wish that their sons would advance in the world with the grace of a carp. | 屋根 真鯉 泳ぐ お父さん 子供達 |
| #7 | Shabondama | Children's song | Learning a Japanese melancholic children song | シャボン玉とんだ 屋根までとんだ 屋根までとんで こわれて消えた シャボン玉消えた 飛ばずに消えた うまれてすぐに こわれて消えた 風 風 吹くな シャボン玉とばそ |
- Ujou Noguchi (lyrics) and Shimpei Nakayama (melody) produced this song, and it was released in 1922. - it is said that the songwriter, Ujou Noguchi, was mourning the death of his daughter when he wrote this song |
シャボン玉 屋根 壊れる 消える うまれる 風 |
| #8 | Mushi no Koe | Children's song | Learning a Japanese song about insects and their beautiful sounds | あれ松虫が 鳴いている ちんちろ ちんちろ ちんちろりん あれ鈴虫も 鳴き出した りんりんりんりん りいんりん 秋の夜長を 鳴き通す ああおもしろい 虫のこえ |
- This song was released in 1922 as a song for elementary school kids to learn. - It's said that Japanese people find the sound of insects comfortable and beautiful. |
松虫 鈴虫 夜長 こおろぎ 鳴く くつわ虫 秋 鳴き出す 鳴き通す |
| #9 | Zui Zui Zukkorobashi | Children's song | Learning a famous song that children can sing while doing hand movements. | ずいずいずっころばしゴマみそずい。 茶つぼに追われてトッピンシャン 抜けたらドンドコショ 俵のネズミが米食ってチュ。チュウチュウチュウ。 おっとさんが呼んでもおっかさんが呼んでも 行きっこなあーしーよ 井戸のまわりでお茶わん欠いたのだあれ |
- This song is related to the historical event of the Edo period - it is said that this song was a warning to kids to stay quiet in the house while the tea parade was passing through. |
茶つぼ 抜ける 俵 井戸 お茶わん 欠く |
| #10 | Tōryanse | Children's song | Learning a song that children sing while playing a game | とおりゃんせとおりゃんせ ここはどこの細道じゃ 天神様の細道じゃ ちょっと通してくだしゃんせ ご用のないもの とおしゃせぬ この子の七つのお祝いに お札をおさめに参ります 行きはよいよい帰りはこわい こわいながらも とおりゃんせとおりゃんせ |
- In the past, turning seven had a very important meaning in the past because many children didn't make it to that age a long time ago. - in many areas, people used to make a talisman right after they had a baby and then return it to a shrine when their child turned seven years old. | 細道 通す ご用 お札 おさめる 参る |
