Warabe uta facts for kids

Warabe uta (童歌) are traditional Japanese songs. They are a bit like nursery rhymes or folk songs in other countries. Children often sing them while playing traditional Japanese games.

These songs are a type of min'yo, which means traditional Japanese songs. They are usually sung without musical instruments. Some of the lyrics are very old, so old that even modern Japanese people, especially kids, might find them a little hard to understand. Sometimes, if you look closely at the words, they can have surprising or even a bit spooky meanings! But usually, people just enjoy them because they've known them since they were very young.

Exploring Japanese Children's Songs

Popular Warabe Uta Examples

Tōryanse: The Crossing Song

"Tōryanse" is a famous warabe uta. You might hear its tune playing at pedestrian crossings in Japan. It tells people when it's safe to cross the street.

In the past, it was a big celebration when a child reached the age of 7. This was because many children did not survive when they were very young. This celebration is still important today, called Shichi-Go-San.

This song is part of a traditional game. It's very similar to the game "London Bridge Is Falling Down". Two children hold hands to make an arch, like a gate. The other children walk in a line through the arch. When the song ends, the child under the arch gets "caught." The tune is used at pedestrian crossings because it's like saying, "It's safe to cross until the music stops!"

Teru-teru-bōzu: The Sunshine Doll Song

A teru teru bōzu is a small, handmade doll. People believe it can bring sunny weather. "Teru" means "to shine" (like the sun), and "bōzu" means a Buddhist monk. Children often make these dolls from tissue paper and string. They hang them from a window to wish for sunshine. There's a famous warabe uta about these little ghost-like dolls. You can often see them hanging on rainy days.

There's a story that explains the last verse of the song. It's said to be about a monk who promised farmers he could stop the rain and bring clear weather. This was during a long period of rain that was harming their crops. When the monk couldn't make the sun appear, he was punished.

Yuki: The Snow Song

Yuki (雪) means "Snow" in Japanese. This is a song Japanese children sing when it's snowing and they want to play outside. It's also known as 雪やこんこ (Yuki ya konko), which means "The snow falls densely."

A kotatsu is a special low table with a heater underneath and a blanket over it. People sit around it to stay warm. In the first part of the song, when it says "flowers bloom" on withered trees, it's talking about how the snow collects on the bare branches, making them look like they have white flowers.