Children's Song Day

What Is Children's Song Day?

Every July 1st is "Children's Song Day" (童謡の日, Dōyō no Hi) in Japan. The day commemorates the founding on July 1, 1918 of the children's literary magazine "Akai Tori" (赤い鳥, "The Red Bird") — a publication that launched Japan's modern children's song (童謡, dōyō) movement by commissioning original songs for children that were genuinely artistic and emotionally resonant, rather than the didactic, moralistic children's songs that had characterized Japanese children's education to that point. The Japan Children's Song Association (日本童謡協会, Nihon Dōyō Kyōkai) designated July 1st as Children's Song Day in 1984.

"Akai Tori" and the Dōyō Movement

"Akai Tori" was founded by author Suzuki Miekichi (鈴木三重吉) with the explicit goal of creating beautiful literary art for children — stories and songs that would nourish children's imagination and emotional lives rather than merely instructing them in morality and patriotism. The magazine's contributors included Japan's finest poets and composers of the era, producing songs that combined poetic imagery with memorable melody in a way that children could absorb and love. Poets such as Kitahara Hakushū, Saijō Yaso, and Noguchi Ujō and composers such as Yamada Kōsaku shaped the movement, and songs from this era, like "Aka Tombō" (赤とんぼ, "Red Dragonfly," lyrics by Miki Rofū, music by Yamada Kōsaku), "Shabondama" (しゃぼん玉, "Soap Bubbles," lyrics by Noguchi Ujō, music by Nakayama Shinpei), and "Nanatsu no Ko" (七つの子, lyrics by Noguchi Ujō, music by Motoori Nagayo), are still sung about a century later.

Dōyō, Shōka, and Warabe-uta

Dōyō are often confused with two other kinds of children's songs. Shōka (唱歌) such as "Furusato" (ふるさと, "Hometown") and "Haru ga Kita" (春が来た, "Spring Has Come") were school songs introduced from the Meiji era to teach morals and knowledge, while warabe-uta (わらべうた) such as "Hotaru Koi" (ほたるこい, "Come, Firefly") and "Tōryanse" (通りゃんせ) are traditional play songs passed down orally. Dōyō, by contrast, were written as art for children. All three are known by almost every Japanese person and evoke deep associations with childhood, nature, and a particular quality of Japanese emotional life. These songs are sung in kindergartens, elementary schools, and by older generations who learned them as children.

Children's Songs Today

Contemporary Japan continues to produce children's songs — both in the traditional dōyō style and in more modern pop-influenced formats. NHK's "Minna no Uta" (みんなのうた, "Everyone's Song") program, broadcasting since 1961, has introduced generations of Japanese children to new songs in diverse musical styles while maintaining the tradition of artistic quality in music for children.

Fun Facts

• Aka Tombō endurance: "Aka Tombō" (Red Dragonfly), with lyrics by Miki Rofū and music by Yamada Kōsaku (1927), is perhaps Japan's most universally beloved dōyō — a song strongly associated with nostalgia, hometown feeling, and autumn evenings.
• School music: Japan's music education curriculum places significant emphasis on the singing of dōyō and traditional songs — ensuring that each generation learns the standard repertoire of children's songs that forms part of Japan's shared cultural vocabulary.