[Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
The folk songs and children’s songs that resound across Hokkaido’s land carry the lives, joys, and prayers of people who have long faced its harsh nature.
Traditional music such as Esashi Oiwake and Soran Bushi has been passed down across generations and remains deeply rooted in many hearts today.
In this article, we introduce beloved classics—folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes—that have been handed down in Hokkaido and are still cherished today.
Why not lend an ear to these nostalgic melodies and feel the allure of music nurtured by the northern land?
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[Hokkaido Folk Songs and Children’s Songs] Hokkaido Songs Loved Across Generations (1–10)
Hokkai Magouta
It is a piece that feels as if you can hear the soul’s cry of people who make their living by labor, riding horses across the harsh northern land.
In 2021, a recording was made of a performance sung by Tsugaru folk song virtuoso Tokie Sasaki.
The great appeal of this song lies in the masterful fusion of the robust phrasing of a work song with the lyrical melodies handed down from Esashi Oiwake.
In the first half, it portrays the hardiness of a packhorse driver facing untamed nature; in the second half, it depicts a heartrending longing for one’s hometown and loved ones, leaving you with the moving sense of having listened to a grand tale within a single piece.
If you want to reflect deeply on the history of Hokkaido, why not give it a listen?
Esashi Oiwake
The “Mago-uta” from Shinano was brought to Hokkaido and became one of the representative folk songs of the region.
Esashi Oiwake is a folk song known for its complex melodic ornamentation and has been designated as an intangible folk cultural asset of Hokkaido.
It seems the more difficult it is, the more rewarding it is to sing, and there is even a national competition held every year where performers compete in singing this piece.
Ho-hora-hoi Bushi
It’s a song that vividly evokes a young man, having finished his fishing in the harsh northern seas, hurrying back to the hometown where his lover awaits.
Even within its wistful melody, a powerful rhythm rooted in work songs pulses through, stirring the listener’s heart.
This piece is a Hokkaido folk song that draws from various currents, including Ainu laments and Honshu folk music.
It is also included on the album “Hokkaido Min’yō Ketteiban – Vol.
1,” sung by Emiko Kodama.
When you think of a distant homeland or someone dear to you, this work overflows with a mysterious charm that seems to transform that loneliness into a warm strength.
[Folk Songs and Children’s Songs of Hokkaido] Hokkaido Songs Loved Across the Ages (11–20)
Three-step descent of the Northern Sea
A new folk song of Hokkaido crafted by a folk singer from Hakodate.
You can feel the creator’s warm gaze, aiming to gently ease hearts stiffened by the long, harsh winter cold.
Its lively “mi-sagari” mode follows the lineage of the Oiwake style passed down from regions like Shinshu, and the tones of shamisen and shakuhachi evoke a nostalgic mood.
Listening to this piece conjures up images of the grand nature of the North and the breath of life of the people who live there.
It’s a gentle song that softly warms the heart—perfect for when you want to experience music nurtured by the northern land.
Tado-shi Ondo
This is a Bon-odori-style song, cherished and passed down in the Tadoshi area of Fukagawa City, Hokkaido, brimming with love for the community.
The lively rhythm woven by shamisen and taiko blends with a cheerful singing voice, evoking the bustle of a festival.
Centered on call-and-response chant phrases sung together by all, the piece features lyrics by Rikio Ikeda and music by Tadashi Terasaka.
Hearing this song brings to mind not only Hokkaido, but the warmth of hometown festivals and the bonds between people everywhere.
Play it when gathering with family and friends, and smiles and clapping will naturally spread—an uplifting, heartwarming track.
Utase-bune (traditional Japanese fishing sailboat)
This is a folk song that deeply resonates with the pride and poignancy of fishermen living in harmony with the harsh northern seas.
The scenery of utase-bune fishing—designated a Hokkaido Heritage—comes vividly to mind: ships advancing with wind in their sails, and the spirit of the people who live there, sung over the plaintive tones of shamisen and shakuhachi.
If you listen to the emotive singing, you feel not only the loneliness of the sea at dusk, but also a human resilience that seems to give strength for tomorrow.
When you want to reflect on your hometown, listening to it will let the severe yet beautiful landscapes of the North spread through your heart.
Matsumae Oiwake
One can almost picture the journey of the packhorse drivers’ song that began in Shinshu, swaying aboard the Kitamaebune ships until it reached the distant shores of Hokkaido.
Said to have taken shape around the turn of the 19th century in the late Edo period, it is sung in an unhurried melodic line that conveys the pathos of travel, the ache of parting, and scenes of port towns.
Though originally a work song, it was also refined and polished as a geisha-house parlour song.
Perhaps that is why, within its plaintive melody, one senses a glossy allure.
If you listen when you’re in the mood to contemplate history and the romance of travel, it may resonate with you all the more deeply.