Nihon no Uta Hyakusen (日本の歌百選, "collection of 100 Japanese songs") is a selection of songs and nursery rhymes widely beloved in Japan, sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Parents-Teachers Association of Japan.
The idea for the compilation came from famed psychologist and agency chief Hayao Kawai, to prevent juvenile delinquency and to combat the "weakening" of Japan's shared cultural heritage.
The agency released a CD and a songbook with printed melodies for all 101 songs to be used in public schools.
[2] The composer and lyricist for several songs published by the Japanese Ministry of Education in the early 1900s are unknown.
The songs are numbered by the Japanese syllabary in gojūon ordering.