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 songs passed down through solo singing and guitar (41–50)
A woman born in OsakaBORO
It’s a song that became a big hit when sung by Kenichi Hagiwara.
The songwriter is the singer-songwriter BORO, who also often performed the song himself.
The name BORO was chosen to mean “to speak for the suffering of the people.” The original version was extremely long, taking nearly 20 minutes to sing in full.
Say that you’re alive.Tomokawa Kazuki
Kazuki Tomokawa is one of those artists who remain utterly indifferent to chart hits and continue to sing message-driven folk songs.
He is a folk singer with many agitational songs, and “Say You’re Alive” is one of his most representative works.
Street Corner of BetrayalKai Band
It was released in 1975 as Kai Band’s second single.
After their debut, this song became their first to enter the Top 10, and its sales gradually increased after release, resulting in a long-running hit.
With this song, they won the Excellent New Artist Award at the 8th Japan Cable Awards.
Salvia flowermotomaro
A single released in 1972 by Motomaro, a group formed by female college students.
The song was also released around the same time by the same group, and this version by Motomaro is said to have been the biggest hit.
However, since the members were not originally aiming to go professional, they stayed out of the spotlight afterward and disbanded.
Heart patternInoue Yosui
Alongside Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue became one of the quintessential Japanese folk singers of the 1970s.
Despite being regarded almost as a byword for folk music, he himself has said that he liked bands such as the Beatles.
sonOkuda Tamio
Amid the band boom of the ’80s, Tamio Okuda debuted as the vocalist of the rock band Unicorn.
This is a song he wrote after going solo.
Strumming a folk guitar, he sings about his child from a father’s perspective.
In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthMatsuyama Chiharu
This is a song included on his first album, released in 1977.
Evoking the vastness of Hokkaido, its dynamic lyrics have made it a long-standing favorite.
Even today, it is performed at concerts as one of Chiharu Matsuyama’s signature songs.