[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Masterpieces from Across Japan, Brimming with Local Pride
From north to south, the traditional singing voices passed down across Japan are treasures of each region.
Perhaps you, too, have a memorable song that your grandparents or parents sang to you when you were a child—or one you sang together.
Folk songs, woven with the lives, cultures, and sentiments of their native places, have been sung across generations.
In this article, we introduce a selection of Japanese folk songs that resonate with the heart.
As you listen to the nostalgic melodies of hometowns, let us touch the spirit and landscape of Japan.
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[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Local Masterpieces from Across Japan (1–10)
Akita Obako Bushi
It’s a folk song that represents Akita, one whose glossy beauty somehow carries a touch of melancholy.
Even if you don’t know the melody, you may have heard its distinctive phrasing somewhere before.
Originally a simple tune brought over from Yamagata, it was refined by a composer father and his singer daughter into vibrant music for dance.
The piece won top honors at the national performing arts competition held at the Exposition in 1922 (Taisho 11), and by 1928 recordings such as “Akita Obako” had been released.
Why not lend it an ear as you reminisce about festivals back home?
Hanagasa Ondo
This is a rousing hometown treasure from Yamagata Prefecture that sets your heart dancing with its spirited shouts.
Originating as a powerful work song born from civil engineering labor in the Taisho era and shaped into a folk song in the early Showa period, it was showcased at the Zao Summer Festival in 1963.
Since then, it has become indispensable to the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival.
The lyrics’ pride in the region’s beautiful scenery and local specialties, along with the sense of unity as voices join together, fills listeners with vitality.
It’s a perfect classic for those times when you want to feel energized while connecting with local culture.
You’ll feel your heart warmed by the nostalgic fragrance of the homeland.
Gujo-bushi
A nostalgic folk song passed down mainly in Gujo Hachiman, Gifu Prefecture.
Its history is said to go back about 400 years, and it is known nationwide as a Bon dance song.
This piece expresses the lingering feelings of someone leaving their hometown.
Even though no rain is falling, the sleeves are soaked with parting tears—an image that irresistibly draws you in.
Since a preservation society was founded in the Taisho era, its warm melody has been lovingly safeguarded by local residents.
When you find yourself suddenly missing home while living in the city, this bittersweet and beautiful melody may seep deep into your heart.
[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Local Masterpieces from Across Japan (11–20)
Shunryō main clause
This is a folk song from Amami Ōshima, its heartrending melody speaking directly to the soul and profoundly moving all who listen.
Originally cherished as a love song, it was reborn as a requiem after a local legislator’s wife lost her life at sea during the Meiji era.
Woven into the piece is the island belief that a woman spiritually protects her brothers, evoking an unshakable bond of souls that endures beneath the deepest sorrow.
A recording performed by Ritsuki Nakano was released in May 1993, and in 1994 a young performer won the Min’yō Grand Prize with this song—evidence that it continues to be sung and treasured across generations.
On a quiet night when your thoughts turn to your hometown or to loved ones now gone, why not listen closely and let it sink in?
Yasugi-bushi
A signature folk performance from Shimane Prefecture, this piece beautifully blends the bustle of a port town with the bittersweet lives of its people.
Its lively 7-7-7-5 rhythm interweaves with shamisen and festival accompaniment, setting listeners’ hearts dancing.
The free-flowing melodic turns—sometimes described as almost jazz-like—carry a certain wistfulness as well, a depth that many may find deeply compelling.
Its origins trace back to the Genroku era of the Edo period, thought to have evolved through the fusion of diverse cultures carried by the Kitamaebune trading ships.
United with a humorous dance, this work invites you to listen when you wish to touch the primal landscape of the Japanese spirit—let its nostalgic strains wash over you.
Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner’s Song)
Tankō-bushi is a folk song handed down in Fukuoka Prefecture and is said to have originated in what is now Tagawa City.
Its original form is believed to be “Ida-ba Uta Sentan-uta,” sung by female workers at the Mitsui Tagawa coal mine, which, after being arranged, was first recorded in 1932.
Today, it has become the most standard piece for Bon Odori and is widely known throughout Japan.
Yamanaka-bushi
It is a folk song long handed down in Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, that stirs a traveler’s heart.
Said to have begun as a call-and-response between spa guests and women in yukata, its bittersweet melody still conjures warm scenes of friendly exchange.
The lyrics weave in both the reluctance to part and the sights of the hot-spring town, likely to evoke nostalgic images in the listener’s mind.
Passed down orally, the song gained nationwide recognition when local geisha performed it with dance at the 1970 Osaka Expo.
It’s a perfect piece for those who wish to touch Japan’s pastoral essence or reflect on encounters made while traveling.