“Yūyake Koyake”: A Sunset Song to Call Children Home

Time to Go Home

In late afternoon in many cities, towns, and villages across Japan, an instrumental version of the song “Yūyake koyake” (roughly, “Sunset Glow”) plays on public speakers, reminding children that it is time to go home.

The opening words of the well-known song are as follows:

Yūyake, koyake de hi ga kurete
Yama no otera no kane ga naru

As the sun sets in the evening glow,
The hill temple’s bell rings out.

The song goes on to urge children to “go home with the crows,” which commonly return to their nests at dusk. In a less-heard second verse, the lyrics touch on the round moon and twinkling stars in the night sky after the youngsters are safely at home.

Using public speakers each day is a way of testing them to ensure that they are working and will be able to convey messages in an emergency. The specific song and time played varies by municipality and sometimes the season, but “Yūyake koyake” is a standard choice nationwide. The songs are typically heard at some point between about four and six o’clock—generally earlier in the winter and later in the summer months, to ensure that the day’s end is marked just before dusk.

Yūyake in the title means a rich, colorful sunset. Koyake, meanwhile, is a word not usually found in Japanese dictionaries, and is most commonly thought to have been used by the writer Nakamura Ukō simply to repeat the idea of a sunset. The music was composed by Kusakawa Shin.

Children’s Songs in Japan

Children all around the world have their own set of favorite nursery songs to sing. In this article we take a look (and listen) at some of Japan’s favorite songs for youngsters.

(Originally written in English. Banner photo © Pixta.)