Hotaru Koi is a beautiful traditional Japanese children’s song about calling fireflies to come closer. The lyrics say, “Come, firefly,” inviting the firefly away from bitter water and toward sweet water. Simple, playful, and full of imagery, the song captures the magical feeling of watching tiny lights blink in the darkness.

I first discovered Hotaru Koi while searching for music for our spring concert, and it quickly became a favorite with my students. They loved learning the melody on recorder while also dancing with special LED lights to create a glowing firefly effect. Traditionally, the song is often sung as a multi-part canon, with each part entering only one beat apart. This creates a sparkling, overlapping texture that feels almost like fireflies blinking on and off in the night.

For this resource, I created a full Orff arrangement that allows students to experience the song through singing, recorder, movement, and classroom instruments. Students can perform it as an Orff ensemble, play along with the video, or use the downloadable MP3 file for practice and performance. The score is also included for teachers who would like to teach the arrangement in their own classrooms.