Thinking about music that will lull you to sleep with Terao Saho. ~Lullaby Edition~

For the past few years, Terao Saho has been collecting children's songs that have been passed down from all over Japan. These songs have been compiled into two albums titled "My Favorite Children's Songs." Among these, numerous lullabies make up an important part.

"In Japan, there are many lullabies, such as the 'Itsuki Lullaby,' in which nanny girls lament the circumstances of children as they soothe them. However, among these, there are songs such as 'Nenneshinasare' (a lullaby from Ashikita, Kumamoto) that lull children to sleep with melodies as beautiful as jewels.

I'm also drawn to the cuteness of the lyrics and the richness of the imagination. "Nennen Nemu no Ha" (a lullaby from Nozawa Onsen, Nagano) is a song I love and often sang to my children. It has fun words like "a rabbit bringing rice cakes from the moon" and "sweet potato boat," and my children loved it.

The lullaby "Nennen" (sleep) also varies depending on the region, and there are also variations such as "Nennen Neko no Ketsu" (sleep cat's bottom) (laughs). There are as many variations as there are singers, and they're all correct."

There are many lullabies that are scary or terrifying, frightening children with their feelings of loneliness. "Centaur's Lullaby" (lyrics by Yasutaka Tsutsui, music by Yosuke Yamashita), which Terao was drawn to as a child, is a song that continues this tradition.

"Children are drawn to sad and dark stories, even in picture books, and I think there are things that bother them in their own way. My mother used to sing 'The Centaur's Lullaby,' and the lyrics are about how if you don't like sleeping, we should just throw you out on a desert planet. I also found that loneliness strangely comforting."

This lullaby, based on the theme of the "sleeping tree," was born in Nozawa Onsen Village, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. The lyrics say, "Sleep well like the sleeping tree's leaves, which have the habit of closing at night."

A lullaby that awakens sleep and unconscious memories

Meanwhile, the lullaby recommended for adults to listen to before falling asleep is "Ihunke," a traditional local song by Ainu singer Ando Umeko.

"'Ifunke' is a lullaby. The meaning of the lyrics is not intuitive, so listening to Ando's voice as a sound seems to help adults fall asleep more comfortably. The fact that an Ainu lullaby has been preserved in this way is invaluable, and in this version, the performance of tonkori (a stringed instrument used by the Sakhalin Ainu) player OKI has been arranged in a simple way to bring out the voice."

For adults, the experience of listening to lullabies may evoke unconscious memories from childhood. However, Terao says that in today's world, where nuclear families are on the rise, "it feels like there are fewer people who grew up listening to lullabies."

"After all, there's a great sense of security when a family member or adult sings to a baby while they're sleeping next to them or holding them. Even babies who don't understand the meaning of the words will have the feeling that they're entering a special time when the song starts."

[Playlist] Saho Terao's Choice of Lullabies for Sleep