Have you ever looked up at the full moon? Some people say they can see a shape there, like a rabbit! In Japan, there is a famous story about a rabbit on the moon, and a song that makes that rabbit dance and play. It is a song full of bouncing rhythm and fun movements. Let’s jump into the Japanese song “The Rabbit’s Dance (うさぎのダンス).”
About the Song
Here are the playful and rhythmic lyrics of this beloved Japanese children’s song:
うさぎ うさぎ なに見て はねる 十五夜 お月様 見て はねる ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん はねる ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん ぴょん はねる うさぎ うさぎ なにして 遊ぶ お餅つき しましょ ぺったん ぺったん ぺったん ぺったん ぺったん ぺったん ぺったんこ
Romanized Japanese: Usagi usagi nani mite haneru Jūgoya o-tsuki-sama mite haneru Pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon haneru Pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon haneru Usagi usagi nani shite asobu O-mochi tsuki masho pettan pettan Pettan pettan pettan pettan pettanko
English Translation: Rabbit, rabbit, what are you looking at as you hop? At the full moon, the honorable moon, looking as you hop. Pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon, you hop. Pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon pyon, you hop. Rabbit, rabbit, what are you doing to play? Let’s make rice cakes, pettan pettan. Pettan pettan pettan pettan pettanko.
This is a joyful, action-packed traditional Japanese song. The song imagines a conversation with the rabbit on the moon. It asks the rabbit what it is doing as it hops, and then invites everyone to join in its moon activities. The song is full of playful sound words for hopping and pounding, making it perfect for moving and singing along.
What the Song is About
The song is a playful chat with the moon rabbit. First, someone calls out to the rabbit. “Rabbit, rabbit, what are you looking at as you hop?” The singer is curious about the happy, hopping rabbit.
The rabbit seems to answer with its action. It is looking at the beautiful full moon while it hops, “pyon pyon pyon!” The song asks another question. “Rabbit, rabbit, what are you doing to play?” The answer is a fun game. The rabbit is making mochi (rice cakes)! “Let’s make rice cakes, pettan pettan.” The sound “pettan” is the fun, sticky sound of pounding rice. The song ends with that happy pounding rhythm.
Who Made It & Its Story
The creator of this song is unknown; it is a very popular traditional Japanese folk song and game. It is based on a well-known East Asian folktale where the shadows on the moon are not a man’s face, but a rabbit making mochi. The song turns this ancient story into a playful call-and-response game with actions. It is loved for three energetic reasons. First, it is a perfect “action song” that directly tells children what to do (hop, pretend to pound), combining music, story, and physical movement in a way that is irresistible for young children to join in, burning energy while learning. Second, it cleverly uses onomatopoeia—sound words like “ぴょん” (pyon for hopping) and “ぺったん” (pettan for pounding)—to create a strong, memorable rhythm and to teach verbs through sound, making the actions easy to understand and imitate even without knowing the words. Third, it beautifully connects a grand celestial myth (the rabbit on the moon) to a fun, earthly, and relatable childhood activity (pretend play and making food), making the mysterious moon feel friendly, playful, and close to home.
When to Sing It
This song is perfect for active play and imaginative games. You can sing it while jumping around the room like a rabbit, hopping with each “pyon!”. It’s wonderful to sing and act out with friends, taking turns being the rabbit and the mochi pounder. You can also sing it on a clear night when you can see the moon, pointing up and imagining the rabbit at work.
What Children Can Learn
This active song is great for learning action words, sound words, and how to ask questions in Japanese. It teaches us to move with words and use our imagination.
Vocabulary
The song teaches us fun animal and action words. “Rabbit” (うさぎ / usagi). “What” (なに / nani). “Looking at” (見て / mite – from 見る/miru). “Hop” (はねる / haneru). “Full moon night” (十五夜 / jūgoya). “Honorable moon” (お月様 / o-tsuki-sama). “(hopping sound)” (ぴょん / pyon). “Doing” (して / shite – from する/suru). “Play” (遊ぶ / asobu). “Rice cake” (お餅 / o-mochi). “Let’s make” (つき ましょ / tsuki masho – from つく). “(pounding sound)” (ぺったん / pettan).
Let’s use these words! You can ask questions: “なに を たべる？” (What will you eat?) Or describe actions: “いぬ が はねる。” (The dog jumps.) New word: みる (miru). This means “to see” or “to look.” You can say, “えいが を みる。” (I watch a movie.)
Language Skills
This song is a wonderful lesson in asking questions using the question word “なに” (nani) for “what,” and using the “て-form” (te-form) of verbs to connect actions or describe how you do something.
Concept Definition: We are learning the question word “なに” (nani), which means “what.” We use it to ask about things or actions. We are also learning the verb “て-form” (te-form), a special shape of a verb. It can connect to another verb to show how an action is done, like “looking while hopping.”
Features and Types:
- Question Word “なに” (nani): It asks for information. It often comes at the start of a question. “なに みて はねる？” (What (are you) looking at (while) hopping?)
- Verb “て-form” (te-form): It changes the verb. For example, “みる” (to look) becomes “みて” (mite). In the song, “みて はねる” means “hop while looking” or “look and hop.”
How to Spot Them: Here is the “What-Finder” and “Connection Finder” trick. Listen for the word “なに” (nani) in a sentence. It usually means a “what” question is coming! Look for verbs that end with the sound “て” (te) or “で” (de). They are often in their te-form, connecting ideas.
How to Use Them: To ask “what,” use: なに + rest of question. To connect two actions, use: Verb 1 (in te-form) + Verb 2. Example from the song: “なに みて はねる？” (What are you looking at (while) hopping?) “みて はねる。” (Hop while looking.)
Example you can make: “なに を する？” (What will you do?) “うたって おどる。” (Sing and dance./Dance while singing.)
Sounds & Rhythm Fun
The melody of “うさぎのダンス” is cheerful, bouncy, and very repetitive, just like hopping! The rhythm is clear and jumpy, with a strong beat for each “pyon” and “pettan.” It makes you want to move your body.
The song is full of wonderful sound words! “ぴょん” (pyon) is the light, springy sound of a rabbit hop. It repeats six times in a row! “ぺったん” (pettan) is the thick, sticky, pounding sound of making mochi. These sounds are so fun to say and they perfectly match the actions. Saying “pyon pyon pyon” makes you feel like hopping, and saying “pettan pettan” makes you want to pound your hands. This rhythmic pattern is perfect for making your own action song. Try singing: “いぬ いぬ なに みて はしる？ わん わん わん！” (Dog, dog, what are you looking at as you run? Woof woof woof!)
Culture & Big Ideas
This song connects to the beautiful Japanese tradition of tsukimi (月見 - moon viewing), especially during Jūgoya (十五夜 - the 15th night of the 8th lunar month), a harvest moon festival. People admire the full moon, eat o-mochi (rice cakes), and tell the story of the moon rabbit. The song brings this cultural moment to life for children.
The song conveys three playful ideas. First, it encourages imaginative play and personification, inviting children to talk directly to the moon rabbit, ask it questions, and join its work, turning a distant celestial body into a friendly playmate and sparking creative thinking. Second, it celebrates the fun of rhythmic, repetitive work and sound, showing that tasks like pounding mochi (or any chore) can be turned into a musical, joyful game with a catchy beat and fun sounds (“pettan pettan”). Third, it teaches cultural lore through action and sound rather than just story, embedding the ideas of the moon rabbit and mochi-making into muscle memory and playful repetition, making the tradition unforgettable and deeply engaging.
Values & Imagination
Imagine you are on the moon! The ground is soft and white like powder. You see a friendly rabbit with a big, wooden mortar and pestle. The rabbit looks at the beautiful, blue Earth as it hops around. Then, it starts to pound mochi. Pettan! Pettan! You join in, pretending to pound with your hands. You both hop and pound in a happy rhythm, making delicious rice cakes under the stars. The moon is not a quiet rock; it’s a busy, fun kitchen! Draw this: draw a big, round moon. On it, draw a happy rabbit. Next to the rabbit, draw a round bowl (mortar) and a big hammer (pestle). Draw little dots flying up to show the “pettan” action. This shows the song’s playful story.
The song encourages us to use our imagination to talk to animals and even to the moon! It shows us that work and play can mix, especially when we add music and rhythm. It teaches us to see stories in the world around us, like seeing a rabbit in the moon. A wonderful activity is “Pounding Play.” Find a soft pillow or a lump of play dough. Sing the “pettan pettan” part of the song and gently pound your fist on the pillow in rhythm. You are the moon rabbit making mochi! This connects you to the song’s rhythm and story.
Your Core Takeaways
You are now an expert on the Japanese song “The Rabbit’s Dance (うさぎのダンス).” You know it is a playful, traditional Japanese song about asking the moon rabbit what it is doing, hopping, and making rice cakes to the sounds of “pyon” and “pettan.” You’ve learned Japanese words like “うさぎ,” “はねる,” “おもち,” and the sound words “ぴょん” and “ぺったん,” and you’ve practiced asking “what” with “なに” and connecting actions with the “て-form”. You’ve felt its bouncy, jumpy rhythm that makes you want to move. You’ve also discovered the song’s link to moon viewing, its message about imaginative play, and finding joy in rhythmic work.
Your Practice Missions
First, be a “なに” Asker. Look at someone or a pet doing something. Ask a “what” question in Japanese. You can say: “なに を よんでいる？” (What are you reading?) or “ねこ は なに を みている？” (What is the cat looking at?). This mission helps you use the song’s question word.
Second, have a “Pyon Pettan” Dance. Play the song or just say the words. When you hear “pyon pyon,” hop around the room like a rabbit. When you hear “pettan pettan,” pretend to pound mochi with your hands. This mission lets you act out the song’s story and feel its rhythm in your whole body.