A classic Japanese folk song passed down through generations of acoustic performances

Gather the Windhappiiendo

Kaze wo Atsumete / Happy End / kazewoatsumete / happy end #travelvideo #Kaze_wo_Atsumete_remix

This is a song included on Happy End’s 1971 album Kazemachi Roman.

Its portrayal of old, nostalgic Tokyo and its sophisticated composition have earned it a lasting, devoted fan base.

Later, one of the members went on to form YMO, and the other members also continued to work at the forefront of the music scene.

Let’s get married.yoshida takurou

Takuro Yoshida – Let’s Get Married

This is a single released by Takuro Yoshida in 1972, a song that helped bring folk music into the mainstream.

Often described as the ‘origin of J-POP,’ it became a huge hit, selling over 400,000 copies.

Featuring lyrics that present a proposal from a male perspective and use colorful language, it drew attention at the time for its innovative content.

The Drunkard Has ReturnedZa Fōku Kurusedāzu

The Drunkard Has Returned

It’s a folk song released in 1967 (Showa 42), but it’s a very unique comic song that became a huge hit and sold over a million copies.

The song is about a drunk man who is called up to heaven, only to be lectured by God that wrongdoers aren’t accepted there and sent back down to the earthly world.

Since recording technology back then wasn’t as advanced as it is today, they reportedly had a hard time—like how speeding up the tape to change the voice would throw the pitch out of tune.

Even though I don’t have a loverShimonzu

Simmons – Even Though I Don’t Have a Lover 1997.8.

Released in 1972 (Showa 47), when folk songs were gaining recognition in society, young men—including college students—grew their hair down to their shoulders.

It wasn’t the kind of deliberately styled “long hair” people talk about today; not in a weird way, but more like imitating Takuro Yoshida—slipping a folk guitar over the shoulder and wearing ripped jeans was a status symbol.

While not everything appealed to all age groups, the clean, soothing melodies of a female duo brought a sense of comfort.

Simmons’ white, semi‑long one‑piece dress featured Tyrolean floral tape at the neckline, and that fashion was trending as well.

Whom should I hold a grudge against?Mikami Kan

Kan Mikami: Whom should I hold a grudge against?

If we take the term “folk song” literally as “songs of the people,” then in the sense that Kan Mikami and Kazuki Tomokawa kept singing songs far removed from the hit charts, they might be the very definition of Japanese folk singers.

It’s a sad color, isn’t it?Ueda Masaki

Masaki Ueda - Kanashii Iro Yane ~ Osaka Bay Blues.mp4

Alongside BORO’s “Osaka de Umareta Onna,” this is a wonderful ballad-style folk song set in Osaka.

It became Masaki Ueda’s biggest hit, gradually gaining popularity through cable radio.

In the end, it grew into such a success that it was even used as a movie theme song.

Lullaby for Sleeping AloneKatō Tokiko

Lullaby for Sleeping Alone (Tokiko Kato) cover: numa chan

Released in 1969, Tokiko Kato’s musical style spans a wide range, including chanson and pop, but this song was written with her husband—whom she married while he was in prison—in mind.

Their connection began when her husband, then a student activist, asked her to perform at a concert.

She reportedly declined, saying she did not want her singing to be used for political activism.

Later, her husband was arrested in connection with the student movement and received a prison sentence.

Although the media created a major uproar, what stands out in my memory is how Tokiko Kato remained composed and unshaken.