Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

[2026] The Heart of Our Hometowns Carried Through Song: A Roundup of Japanese Folk Singers, Including Young Talents!

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

Powerful voices ringing out on festival nights; work songs passed down during rice-planting season… Folk songs that live on across Japan are a musical culture woven together with each region’s daily life and scenery.Many people may associate folk singers with something nostalgic and old-fashioned.But in fact, more and more female folk singers are taking on new forms of expression while faithfully carrying on tradition, and young artists are sharing the appeal of folk music with a fresh sensibility unique to their generation.In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of singers—from legendary figures who represent folk music to up-and-coming talents.You just might discover a voice from home that resonates in your heart!

[2026] The Heart of Hometowns Passed Down in Song: A Roundup of Japanese Folk Singers, Including Young Artists! (31–40)

Akita Obako BushiTorii Moririn

Akita Obako-bushi (Toriimori Rin)

Akita Obako BushiTorii Moririn

Morisuzu Torii is a folk singer from Akita Prefecture.

Her stage name, Morisuzu, is said to mean a singing voice as beautiful as the chirping of bell crickets living in the forested hills.

The Akita folk song “Akita Obako-bushi” was originally sung to accompany dance, so it is characterized by a lively tempo and a buoyant singing style.

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Kiso-bushiMori Masako

Kiso-bushi (DTM+)

Kiso-bushiMori Masako

Masako Mori is a Japanese enka singer from Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture.

She is also active as an actress and an idol.

“Kiso-bushi,” a folk song from the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture, is a piece themed around log rafting; it vividly sings of and expresses the scenery of the Kiso River and the surrounding mountains.

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Akita Grass-Cutting SongFuji Ayako

Ayako Fuji “Akita Ondo -AKITA ONDO-” ~ Kaori Kozai “Silent Hill”

Akita Grass-Cutting SongFuji Ayako

Aya Fuji is a Japanese folk singer from Kakunodate, Senboku District, Akita Prefecture (now Senboku City).

The Akita folk song “Akita Kusakari-uta” (Akita Grass-Cutting Song) was sung mainly when using horses to cut grass, and is therefore considered to have affinities with songs such as the Umakata-bushi and Mago-uta (both associated with horse handlers).

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Noë’s lemmaKagami Goro

Noë's lemma

Noë's lemmaKagami Goro

Goro Kagami is an enka singer from Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture.

The folk song “Noe-bushi” from Fukushima Prefecture is well known nationwide; its name derives from the shouted refrain “Noe,” and it is often written with the ateji characters for “Nōhei-bushi.” It is said that the original song was “Nogé-bushi.”

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In conclusion

The world of folk music is full of the charm of singers who honor tradition while exploring new forms of expression.

Powerful voices, delicate nuances, and regionally rooted singing styles—each artist’s individuality brings rich color to the genre of folk music.

Please keep an eye on the young singers introduced here as well, and take the opportunity to experience the profound depth of Japan’s musical culture.