The lyrics were written by a teacher from Ebetsu City.

When the original "Children's Bon Dance Song" was released in the 1940s, Bon Odori dances were popular in Japan as the country recovered from the war, but the content was aimed at adults, and many people felt that it was not a good idea for children to join in, singing and dancing.

So the Hokkaido Board of Education at the time came up with the idea of "allowing children to enjoy the Bon Odori in a healthy way," and the "Children's Bon Odori Song" was born. The lyricist, Tsubomatsu Ichiro, was a school teacher in Ebetsu at the time. As a result, a monument to this song has been erected in Kawanaka Park in Nopporo-cho, Ebetsu City.

A monument erected in the park

The back of the monument

CD release in 2025! Arranged performances also available

The "Children's Bon Dance Song," now a familiar song to all Hokkaido residents, is sometimes performed with new arrangements. This is a performance by the Sapporo August Festival Special Big Band, led by Otomo Yoshihide, who also composed the music for the NHK morning TV drama "Amachan." This is a rather bold arrangement, performed at the August Festival held in Sapporo in 2016.

This is an original arrangement of the "Hatsune Miku Singing Ver.", which we at Domingo planned and produced. At the time, Bon Odori festivals in various regions had been canceled due to the effects of COVID-19, so this was produced for the "Hokkaido Anywhere Bon Odori" festival, which was held in 2021 and 2022 as a "Bon Odori that can be danced anywhere." The choreography is performed by Snow Miku and Rabbit Yukine.

The original sound source will also finally be released as a standalone CD in 2025. It will be a long-play version that plays for about an hour, 25 times in a row, and will feature a reproduction of the film jacket from the cassette release in 2002. In addition to the lyrics and choreography from that time, a new explanatory booklet will also be included.

We can hear that "Shanko shanko" sound again this year...!

The "Children's Bon Dance Song" has been loved for generations and continues to be loved today. It is no exaggeration to say that it is now the soul song of Hokkaido. We would like to pass it on to the next generation, and the generation after that, as a culture that Hokkaido can be proud of.

*The thumbnail image is for illustrative purposes only.

Check it out too!