Umi: A Gentle Song About the Sea and Imagination
Umi (うみ), meaning The Sea, is a soothing and imaginative Japanese children’s song that captures the wonder children feel when looking out at the ocean. It’s a song about curiosity, adventure, and the natural beauty of the sea.
Often sung in preschools and early elementary classrooms, Umi introduces simple yet poetic vocabulary while sparking a sense of dream-like exploration. It’s a lovely way to blend language learning with emotional and sensory experiences.
Japanese Lyrics
うみは ひろいな おおきいな
つきは のぼるし ひが しずむ
うみは おおなみ あおい なみ
ゆれて どこまで つづくやら
うみに おふねを うかばせて
いって みたいな よそのくに
Romaji (Japanese in Latin Alphabet)
umi wa hiroi na ookii na
tsuki wa noboru shi hi ga shizumu
umi wa oonami aoi nami
yurete doko made tsudzuku yara
umi ni ofune o ukabasete
itte mitai na yoso no kuni
English Meaning (Simple Interpretation)
The sea is wide, the sea is great
The moon rises, and the sun sets
The sea has big waves, blue waves
Swaying—where do they go, I wonder
I want to float a boat on the sea
And travel to faraway lands
Why This Song Is Special
Unlike faster or playful tunes, Umi has a calm, dreamy pace. It encourages children to imagine traveling by boat, experiencing new cultures, and feeling the endless rhythm of the ocean waves. The language is gentle and rhythmic, helping even beginners follow along easily.
It’s an ideal song to explore topics like geography, nature, and emotions in language learning. Children naturally pick up new words while connecting to universal themes like curiosity and exploration.
Learn Through Music with Dinolingo
In Dinolingo’s Japanese lessons for kids, songs like Umi are brought to life through interactive videos, native speaker audio, and engaging games. Children not only learn the meaning and pronunciation of the words but also explore the imagery through visuals and stories.
Dinolingo offers tailored content for different age groups, from pre-readers to middle schoolers, across all devices — web, iOS, and Android. Whether at home or in the classroom, kids can enjoy learning Japanese through song, repetition, and visual storytelling.
Umi is more than just a children’s tune, it’s a quiet journey across waves and words, encouraging language learning through imagination and emotion. When kids sing about faraway lands and gentle waves, they’re also building vocabulary, rhythm, and confidence in a second language.
