[Songs of Aomori] A collection of local songs depicting the grandeur of nature and the warmth of its people.

Aomori StationMani☆Raba

Mani☆Lover “Aomori Station”

This is a song by Manila-ba, a three-piece band from Aomori.

The band’s name is short for “Maniac Lovers.” Released in April 2005, Aomori Station was their second single; it was initially a regional release but later went on sale nationwide.

It’s a simple, folk-like tune.

straitYoshi Ikuzo

strait

A single by Ikuzo Yoshi released in May 1987.

Issued while “Yukiguni” was a massive hit, this song portrays a woman’s feelings as she longs for the Tsugaru Strait.

This work, which helped establish Yoshi’s position as a bona fide enka singer, was also performed at his second appearance on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Tsugaru Strait – Winter SceneIshikawa Sayuri

Tsugaru Strait Winter Scene / Sayuri Ishikawa (fingerstyle cover)

It’s Sayuri Ishikawa’s smash hit released in January 1977.

It’s a quintessential local song depicting people heading to Aomori by overnight train and transferring to the Seikan ferry, and it’s also a classic that remains in the history of Japanese popular music.

It has been performed nine times on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Tsugaru Love WomanNiinuma Kenji

Tsugaru Koibito (Tsugaru Lover) 20170405

This is a single by Kenji Niinuma released in 1987.

Hailing from neighboring Iwate Prefecture, Niinuma has put out many songs about the Tohoku region, and this track became a long-running hit by captivating listeners with its chorus, which portrays the various kinds of snow unique to his hometown.

He also performed it on that year’s NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

Jongara Love SongYoshi Ikuzo

Jonkara Love Song Yoshikazu Ikuzo

This is an enka song that voices a man’s heart as he longs for the lover he left behind in his hometown of Tsugaru.

It’s a piece by Ikuzo Yoshi from Aomori Prefecture, released to the world as the B-side of the single “Yoimachizake” in January 1993.

The melancholy strains of Tsugaru folk music resonate deeply, conjuring up a stark winter scene where snow begins to dance.

Amid the biting cold, you can keenly feel the protagonist’s emotions as he thinks of his distant home.

Anyone living away from their hometown will be moved by this heartrending tale.

It’s a masterpiece to listen to quietly, alone, on a winter night.

Oirase Travel SentimentsHikawa Kiyoshi

Oirase Travel Sentiments

This enka song unfolds in the heart like gazing at a single landscape painting, portraying the beautiful scenery of Oirase Gorge in Aomori.

It’s a number by Kiyoshi Hikawa, included in the masterpiece “New Enka Masterpiece Collection 3 — Miren Gokoro,” released in June 2016.

Against a backdrop of vibrant nature—glittering snowmelt and moss-covered rocks—it depicts the feelings of someone on a solitary journey, thinking of a cherished person.

For those striving away from their hometown, hearing it may cause the grandeur of nature to overlap with the protagonist’s emotions, resonating deeply in the heart.

TSUGARUYoshi Ikuzo

TSUGARU <Original Version>

A rap track by Ikuzo Yoshi, performed in the Tsugaru dialect from his hometown in Aomori! The intense dialect—so strong that you can barely tell what he’s saying just by listening—is the biggest charm of this work.

If you listen closely to the lyrics, you’ll hear a parent’s love calling to their child who moved to the city to “come back,” along with slices of everyday life that will make you chuckle.

Released in September 2019, this song is addictive and unforgettable after just one listen.

For people from Aomori, of course, and for anyone who hasn’t been able to return to their hometown for a while, it might make you want to feel the warmth of family.