Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[Eisa] A roundup of classic and popular songs—perfect for sports day!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Eisa is sometimes performed as one of the group events at elementary and junior high school sports festivals.

Originally a traditional performing art of Okinawa, the powerful sight of performers beating drums of various sizes and dancing is truly breathtaking!

The music used traditionally includes folk songs passed down through the ages, and in recent years, pop music has also been adopted.

In this article, we’ll introduce a comprehensive selection of songs perfect for Eisa—from classic staples and popular tracks in Okinawa itself to J-pop numbers that are sometimes used for Eisa performances at sports festivals.

We hope this helps you choose music for your sports day!

[Eisa] A roundup of classic and popular songs perfect for sports days! (31–40)

Asadoya Yunta

Midori Town Youth Association Eisa ④ Asadoya Yunta

Asadoya Yunta

Asadoya Yunta is a traditional Okinawan folk song passed down since ancient times.

It’s pronounced “Asadoya Yunta” and originates from Taketomi Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture.

A yunta is a type of work song sung during tasks like rice planting, characterized by men and women calling out powerfully while working.

The lyrics depict the exchange between Asadoya Kumaya, a peerless beauty from the Ryukyu Kingdom era, and an official who fell in love with her at first sight.

Since its release in 1934, it has enjoyed popularity as a representative song of Okinawa and continues to be covered by many artists today.

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Umiya color

[Eisa] Umiyakara (Verse) | A Love Story from a Time Before Smartphones and Social Media | Okinawan Song

Umiya color

The Okinawan folk song Umi Yakaraa is, so to speak, a love song that portrays a passionate romance between a man and a woman.

Among Okinawan folk songs, its appeal lies in relatively simple lyrics.

The story—getting so caught up in time with one’s lover that dawn breaks before you know it, and wondering how to explain it to the parents you were keeping it secret from—feels relatable even to us today.

Paired with its expansive melody, it’s also perfect as a piece for Eisa dance.

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Thank yourinken bando

Kanpai sabira—Thank you / Rinken Band

Thank yourinken bando

A song that blends Okinawan tradition with modernity, it powerfully expresses feelings of gratitude.

Released in May 1993, this work is known as one of Rinken Band’s signature pieces.

It carries a soothing sense of Okinawa’s nature and everyday life, and is loved by a wide audience as music the whole family can enjoy.

It’s perfect not only as an Eisa piece, but also for weddings, celebrations, and moments when you want to express thanks to family and friends.

It’s a song that lets you once again feel the small joys of daily life and the importance of human connections.

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Surti East-sai

Suri East-bushi

Surti East-sai

This Okinawan folk song has a calm atmosphere, as if contemplating various thoughts while facing east.

The title, combining the call-response phrase “sūri” and the character for the direction east—read here as “agari”—is also striking.

It depicts feelings being entrusted to a butterfly flying toward the east, evoking a sense of poignancy.

When used in Eisa performances, you could convey the song’s content more clearly by emphasizing the rhythm to highlight its gentle mood and incorporating choreography that expresses the east.

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Shimazake Katamiti Community CenterYokome Kyōdai

“Shimazake Katamiti Community Center” 2011/10/9 Yokome Brothers & Riichi Kina @ WAOYA

Shimazake Katamiti Community CenterYokome Kyōdai

Sung by the Yokome Brothers, this piece vividly portrays a ‘mō-ashibi’ scene, where Okinawan youths gather at a community center, singing and dancing with awamori in hand.

Released in July 2011, the song is included on the album “Miikaji Mabuimoi,” and has become a live favorite.

The lyrics, which evoke Okinawan culture and climate, together with a light, rhythmic melody, fill listeners with excitement.

It’s perfect for moments when you want to amp up the energy with Eisa.

If everyone dances together, it’s sure to become a wonderful time overflowing with smiles!

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In conclusion

From classic hits to relatively new tracks, we’ve rounded up a selection of songs recommended for Eisa.

All of them are popular choices actually used for Eisa, so if you’re planning to perform Eisa at a school sports day, why not start by picking candidates from this list? Wishing you a wonderful performance.