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Satchan is a collection of 36 poems for children written by Sakata Hiroo (1925- 2005). These poems first appeared in various media as songs for children from 1959 to 1975. It is a significant collection of poems which can be enjoyed by younger children. 　　“Satchan” was first made public in 1959. It depicted a child’s lonely feelings and affection for a friend in a child’s natural spoken language, which marked a new phase in the field of songs for children. In “Onaka no Heru Uta” [Song of a Hungry Child] a child who is very hungry cries “Mom, my tummy meets my back!” Children’s honest feelings are described in realistic ordinary language. 　　Sakata also vividly depicts the diverse ways of children’s thinking. In “Otô-san” [Dad] and “Kaze no Naka no Okâ-san” [Mom in the Wind] children are afraid of their parents growing old and hope affectionately that Dad won’t be like others or Mom won’t change. In “Oshikko no Tanku” [Tank of Pee] a child wonders why water becomes lively when it turns to urine, and in “Shoppai Umi” [Salty Sea] another child wonders why fish do not mind the cold and salty water in the sea. In “Yûhi ga Senaka wo Oshite kuru” [The Setting Sun is Pushing My Back], a child cries to the setting sun: “Don’t oversleep tomorrow morning!” The imaginative and animistic mind of a child is dynamically represented. 　　The collection was published as the thirteenth volume of “Kokudosha Shi no Hon” [Poetry Books of Kokudosha] series (twenty volumes in total). In those days, rhythm was considered more important than words in songs for children. The publication of Sakata’s songs as poetry was very significant. 　　Humorous illustrations with pen sketches by Wada Makoto make the poems even more familiar. The collection received the sixth Japanese Children’s Songs Award. “Satchan” became a national favorite song. Poems including “Yûhi ga Senaka wo Oshite kuru” were adopted in elementary school textbooks and give energy to children.