Nihon no Uta Hyakusen


Nihon no Uta Hyakusen is a selection of songs and nursery rhymes widely beloved in Japan, sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Nippon PTA. A poll was held in 2006 choosing the songs from a list of 895. The results were announced in 2007. Although it is called a compilation of 100 songs, the list actually includes 101 songs.
The idea for the compilation came from famed psychologist and agency chief Hayao Kawai, with an aim to prevent juvenile delinquency and to combat the "weakening" of Japan's shared cultural heritage. The agency released a CD and a songbook with printed melodies for all 101 songs to be used in public schools. The Asahi Shimbun used this list to compile a list of 15 most endangered children's songs.
The composer and lyricist for several songs published by the Japanese Ministry of Education in the early 1900s are unknown.
The songs are numbered by the Japanese syllabary in gojūon ordering.
No.Japanese titleEnglish title DateLyricist/translatorComposerNotes
1仰げば尊しAogeba tōtoshi1884Fumihiko Ōtsuki, Satomi Tadashi, Kabe IwaoH.N.D.
2:ja:赤い靴|赤い靴Akai Kutsu1922
3:ja:赤とんぼ |赤とんぼAkatombo1927
4:ja:朝はどこから|朝はどこからAsa wa doko kara1946
5:ja:あの町この町|あの町この町Ano machi kono machi1924
6:ja:あめふり|あめふりAmefuri1925
7:ja:雨降りお月さん|雨降りお月さんAmefuri otsukisan1925
8:ja:あめふりくまのこ|あめふりくまのこAmefuri kuma no ko1962
9:ja:いい日旅立ち|いい日旅立ちIi Hi Tabidachi1978
10:ja:いつでも夢を|いつでも夢をItsudemo yume o1962
11:ja:犬のおまわりさん|犬のおまわりさんInu no omawarisan1960Yoshimi Satō Megumi Ōnaka
12上を向いて歩こうUe o muite arukō1961also known as "Sukiyaki" originally sung by Kyu Sakamoto
13:ja:海 |海Umi1941
14:ja:うれしいひなまつり|うれしいひなまつりUreshii hinamatsuri1935Hachirō Satō
15江戸子守唄Edo LullabyEdo periodtraditional; lyricist and composer unknown
16:ja:おうま|おうまOuma1941
17:ja:大きな栗の木の下で|大きな栗の木の下でŌkina kurinoki no shita demelody "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree", traditional English folk song
lyricist unknown
Jaromír Weinberger composed an orchestral work based on the tune in 1939.
18大きな古時計Ōkina furudokei1940 after Henry Clay Workmelody "My Grandfather's Clock", American popular song
19おかあさんOkaasan1954
20:ja:お正月 |お正月Oshōgatsu1901
21おはなしゆびさんOhanashiyubisan1962Yoshiko Kōyama
22:ja:朧月夜 |朧月夜Oborozuki yo1914
23:ja:おもいでのアルバム|思い出のアルバムOmoide no album1981
24:ja:おもちゃのチャチャチャ|おもちゃのチャチャチャOmocha no chachacha1962, Osamu Yoshioka
25:ja:かあさんの歌|かあさんの歌Kaasan no uta1954
26風Kaze1921 after Christina Rossetti
27:ja:肩たたき|肩たたきKata tataki1923
28:ja:かもめの水兵さん|かもめの水兵さんKamome no Suihei-san1937
29:ja:からたちの花|からたちの花Karatachi no hana1925
30川の流れのようにKawa no Nagare no Yō ni1989
31:ja:汽車 |汽車Kisha1912Ministry of EducationAira Ōwada
32:ja:汽車ポッポ|汽車ポッポKisha poppo1938
33:ja:今日の日はさようなら|今日の日はさようならKyō no hi wa sayōnara1966
34:ja:靴が鳴る|靴が鳴るKutsu ga naru1919
35こいのぼりKoinobori1931 composer unknown
36:ja:高校三年生 |高校三年生Koko sannensei1963
37荒城の月Kōjō no tsuki1901
38:ja:秋桜 |秋桜Cosmos1977sung by Momoe Yamaguchi
39:ja:この道|この道Kono michi1927
40:ja:こんにちは赤ちゃん|こんにちは赤ちゃんKonnichiwa akachan1963
41さくら貝の歌Sakurakai no uta1949
42さくらさくらSakura Sakura1888traditional; lyricist and composer unknown
43サッちゃんSatchan1959 Megumi Ōnaka
44:ja:里の秋|里の秋Sato no aki1945
45幸せなら手をたたこうShiawase nara te o tatakō1964 melody "If You're Happy and You Know It", traditional Spanish folk song
46叱られてShikararete1972
47:ja:四季の歌|四季の歌Shiki no uta1970?
48時代Jidai1975
49シャボン玉Shabondama1922
50:ja:ずいずいずっころばし|ずいずいずっころばしZuizui zukkorobashiWarabe uta; lyricist and composer unknown
51スキーSukī 1942
52:ja:背くらべ|背くらべSeikurabe1923
53:ja:世界に一つだけの花|世界に一つだけの花Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana2003
54:ja:まど・みちお#作品|ぞうさんZō-san1953
55:ja:早春賦|早春賦Sōshunfu1913
56:ja:たきび|たきびTakibi1941
57:ja:ちいさい秋みつけた|ちいさい秋みつけたChiisai Aki Mitsuketa1955Hachirō Satō
58:ja:茶摘み|茶摘みChatsumi1912Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education
59チューリップChuurippu 1932
60:ja:月の沙漠|月の沙漠Tsuki no sabaku1923
61:ja:翼をください|翼をくださいTsubasa o Kudasai1971
62:ja:手のひらを太陽に|手のひらを太陽にTe no hira o taiyō ni1961
63通りゃんせTōryanseEdo periodWarabe uta; lyricist and composer unknown
64どこかで春がDoko ka de haru ka1923
65ドレミのうたDo-Re-Mi1959 after Oscar Hammerstein IIRichard Rodgersfrom the musical The Sound of Music
66:ja:どんぐりころころ|どんぐりころころDonguri korokoroTaishō period
67:ja:とんぼのめがね|とんぼのめがねTonbo no megane1949
68ないしょ話Naisho hanashi1939
69涙そうそうNada Sōsō1998BEGINoriginal Okinawan language lyrics by BEGIN
70:ja:夏の思い出|夏の思い出Natsu no omoide1949
71:ja:夏は来ぬ|夏は来ぬNatsu wa kinu1896
72七つの子Nanatsu no Ko1921
73:ja:花〜すべての人の心に花を〜|花〜すべての人の心に花を〜1980
74:ja:花 |花Hana1900
75:ja:花の街|花の街Hana no machi1947
76:ja:埴生の宿|埴生の宿Hanyū no yado1889 after John Howard Paynemelody "Home! Sweet Home!" from the opera Clari, Maid of Milan
77浜千鳥Hamachidori1919
78浜辺の歌Hamabe no uta1916
79:ja:春が来た|春が来たHaru ga kita1910
80:ja:春の小川|春の小川Haru no ogawa1912
81:ja:ふじの山|ふじの山Fuji no yama1911 Ministry of Education
82:ja:冬景色|冬景色Fuyugeshiki1913Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education
83:ja:冬の星座 |冬の星座Fuyu no seiza1947 melody "Mollie Darling", American popular song
84故郷Furusato1914
85蛍の光Hotaru no Hikari1881 melody "Auld Lang Syne", traditional Scottish song
86:ja:牧場の朝|牧場の朝Masaba no asa1932
87見上げてごらん夜の星をMiagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o1963
88:ja:みかんの花咲く丘|みかんの花咲く丘Mikan no hana saku oka1946
89:ja:蟲のこゑ|蟲のこゑMushi no koe1910Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education
90:ja:むすんでひらいて|むすんでひらいてMusunde hiraite1947Ministry of Educationmelody "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" from the opera Le devin du village
91村祭Muramatsuri1942
92:ja:めだかの学校|めだかの学校Medaka no gakkō1950
93:ja:もみじ |もみじMomiji1911
94:ja:椰子の実|椰子の実Yashinomi1936Toraji Ōnaka
95夕日Yūhi1921
96:ja:夕焼小焼|夕焼小焼Yūyake koyake1923
97:ja:雪 |雪Yuki1911Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education
98:ja:揺籃のうた|揺籃のうたYurikago no uta1921
99:ja:旅愁 |旅愁Ryoshū1907 after John P. Ordwaymelody "Dreaming of Home and Mother", American popular song
100:ja:リンゴの唄|リンゴの唄Ringo no uta1945Hachirō Satō from the 1945 film ''Soyokaze directed by Yasushi Sasaki
101:ja:われは海の子|われは海の子Ware wa umi no ko1910 Ministry of Education