are traditional Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese songs, similar to nursery rhyme

Nursery rhyme

The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...

s. They are often sung as part of traditional children's games. They are described as a form of min'yo

Min'yo

is a genre of traditional Japanese music. The term is a translation of the German word "Volkslied" and has only been in use during the twentieth century...

: traditional Japanese songs, usually sung without accompanying instruments.

The centuries-old lyrics are often incomprehensible to modern Japanese (especially to children who are singing it), and others can be quite sinister on close analysis. Like many of children's songs around the world, because people are used to them from an early age, they are often oblivious to the real meanings.

Tōryanse

"Tōryanse

Toryanse

is the name of the traditional Japanese children's tune . It is a common choice for music played by traffic lights in Japan when it is safe to cross.The words to the song are:...

" is often played as electronic tunes at Japanese pedestrian crossings to signal when it is safe to cross.
Japanese:

通りゃんせ　通りゃんせ

ここはどこの　細通じゃ

天神さまの　細道じゃ

ちっと通して　下しゃんせ

御用のないもの　通しゃせぬ

この子の七つの　お祝いに

お札を納めに　まいります

行きはよいよい　帰りはこわい

こわいながらも

通りゃんせ　通りゃんせ


Romaji:

Tōryanse, tōryanse

Koko wa doko no hosomichi ja?

Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja

Chitto tōshite kudashanse

Goyō no nai mono tōshasenu

Kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni

O-fuda wo osame ni mairimasu

Iki wa yoi yoi, kaeri wa kowai

Kowai nagara mo

Tōryanse, tōryanse


Translation:

Let me pass, let me pass

What is this narrow pathway here?

It's the narrow pathway of the Tenjin

Tenjin (kami)

In Japanese mythology and folklore, is the Shinto kami of scholarship, the deification of a scholar, poet, and politician named Sugawara no Michizane. Ten means sky and jin means god or deity...

 shrine

Please allow me to pass through

Those without good reason shall not pass

To celebrate this child's 7th birthday

I've come to dedicate my offering

Going in may be fine, fine, but returning would be scary

It's scary but

Let me pass, let me pass

(When infant mortality

Infant mortality

Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...

 was high, people traditionally celebrated when a child survived to reach the age of 7. See Shichigosan)

This particular warabe-uta is sung as part of a traditional game identical to "London Bridge Is Falling Down

London Bridge is Falling Down

"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 502.-Lyrics:...

". Two children facing each other link their hands to form an arch 'checkpoint', and the remaining children walk through underneath in a line (and back round again in circles). The child who happens to be under the arch when the song finishes is then 'caught'.

The tune being played at Japanese pedestrian crossings is an analogy to this game, i.e., it is safe to cross until the music stops.

Teru-teru-bōzu

A teru teru bōzu

Teru teru bozu

Teru teru bōzu is a little traditional hand-made doll made of white paper or cloth that Japanese farmers began hanging outside of their window by a string. In shape and construction they are essentially identical to ghost dolls, such as those made at Halloween. This amulet is supposed to have...

 is a little traditional hand-made doll which supposedly brings sunshine. "Teru" is a Japanese verb which describes sunshine, and a "bōzu" is a Buddhist monk. Children make teru-teru-bōzu out of tissue paper and a string and hang them from a window to wish for sunny weather. There is a famous warabe uta which is about these cute little ghosts which you can see hanging everywhere on rainy days.
Japanese:

てるてるぼうず、てるぼうず

明日天気にしてをくれ

いつかの夢の空のよに

晴れたら金の鈴あげよ



てるてるぼうず、てるぼうず

明日天気にしてをくれ

私の願いを聞いたなら

甘いお酒をたんと飲ましょ



てるてるぼうず、てるぼうず

明日天気にしてをくれ

それでも曇って泣いてたら

そなたの首をちょんと切るぞ


Romaji:

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu

Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure

Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni

Haretara kin no suzu ageyo



Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu

Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure

Watashi no negai wo kiita nara

Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho



Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu

Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure

Sore de mo kumotte naitetara

Sonata no kubi wo chon to kiru zo


Translation:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

Like the sky in a dream sometime

If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell



Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

If you make my wish come true

We'll drink lots of sweet sake



Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu

Do make tomorrow a sunny day

but if it's cloudy and I find you crying (i.e. it's raining)

Then I shall snip your head off

The lyrics are allegedly about a story of a monk who promised farmers to stop rain and bring clear weather during a prolonged period of rain which was ruining crops. When the monk failed to bring sunshine, he was executed.

Fuyu no uta

is a song Japanese children sing when it's snowing and they want to play outside. 'Fuyu' means 'winter', so the title can be translated as "Winter's Song".
Japanese:

雪やこんこ 霰やこんこ

降っては降っては ずんずん積る

山も野原も 綿帽子かぶり

枯木残らず 花が咲く



雪やこんこ 霰やこんこ

降っても降っても まだ降りやまぬ

犬は喜び 庭駈けまわり

猫は火燵で 丸くなる


Romaji:

yuki ya konko, arare ya konko

futtewa futtewa zunzun tsumoru

yama mo nohara mo wataboshi kaburi

kareki nokurazu hana ga saku



yuki ya konko, arare ya konko

futtemo, futtemo, mada furiyamanu

inu wa yorokobi, niwa kakemawari

neko wa kotatsu de marukunaru


Translation:

The snow falls densely, the hail falls densely!

It's falling and falling, collecting more and more.

The mountains and the fields are also wearing their cotton hats,

and in every tree flowers bloom.



The snow falls densely, the hail falls densely!

It's still falling and falling, never stopping.

The dog is happy, running around the garden,

the cat is curled up under the kotatsu.

A kotatsu

Kotatsu

A is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. Kotatsu are used almost exclusively in Japan, although similar devices are used elsewhere....

is a low, heated table. In the first stanza, flowers blooming in winter probably refers to the snow collecting on empty branches. The literal translation of the line is something like "In dead trees there are no blossoms un-bloomed".