A classic Japanese folk song passed down through generations of acoustic performances
A special feature on Japanese folk songs.
Folk music originally began as arrangements of traditional songs and spread in the United States.
From around the 1960s, it was also embraced in Japan, and, reflecting the times, songs with strong anti-war and anti-government messages were delivered.
Entering the 1970s, it became especially popular with more accessible, mainstream themes and reached a peak of commercial success.
Although Japanese folk has evolved to incorporate various elements, it retains an acoustic allure and a wistful mood, with lyrics that stand out and resonate.
By all means, take your time and immerse yourself in Japanese folk music!
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Classic Japanese folk song masterpieces passed down through live singing with guitar (31–40)
The season the sun gave usaoi sankakujougi
It was released in 1972 as the second single by Aoi Sankaku Jōgi.
The song was used as the theme for the youth drama “Tobidase! Seishun,” which aired on the Nippon TV network, and it earned them the New Artist Award at the 14th Japan Record Awards.
They also made their first appearance on NHK’s 23rd Kōhaku Uta Gassen with this song.
Our FailureMorita Doji
Although it was a track included on an album released in 1976, it suddenly came into the spotlight as the theme song for a 1993 TV drama and was released as a single that same year.
Even after the song became a hit, the folk singer Doji Morita never appeared on television and remains shrouded in mystery to this day.
Despite its desperately dark tone, this enigmatic song carries a strangely comforting atmosphere.
Love is a mirageGam
Released in 1980, this song won an Excellence Award at the Yamaha Popular Song Contest.
The era was shifting from folk songs to new music, and with its melancholic piano prelude and the sorrow of a woman who’s been left behind, it feels like a piece that could easily have been used as a TV drama theme.
Exuding a mature atmosphere, the song sold approximately 700,000 copies.
Full of memoriesH₂O
The folk duo H2O, formed by two former classmates from junior high school, sang this song.
It became a big hit as the ending theme of the TV anime Miyuki, based on the original work by Mitsuru Adachi, who wrote numerous youth romance manga.
Midnight GuitarSenga Kahoru
Released in 1969 (Showa 44).
When I was little, I loved this song for its clean image and refreshing melody, and I often hummed it.
But when I think about the lyrics, it’s a song that made sense precisely because it was from the Showa era, and I suspect people in the Heisei era might not understand them.
The age of the characters isn’t clear, but after all, the song is about someone playing guitar in a park until late at night.
Classic Japanese folk songs passed down through solo singing and guitar (41–50)
Sanya BluesOkabayashi Nobuyasu
Released in 1968, this song hurled a sense of helpless anger and questioning at society, and Nobuyasu Okabayashi was suddenly hailed as the “God of Folk.” However, burdened by that label, he found himself troubled and set out on a path of searching and experimentation.
Strawberry Statement, Once Againbanban
It was released in 1975 as Banban’s fifth single.
The lyrics and music were written by Yumi Matsutoya, who has said she composed the song while imagining memories of walking from Aoyama Gakuin University to Shibuya Station with her then-boyfriend, a student at Aoyama Gakuin.
It topped the Oricon chart for six weeks and became a major hit.