[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.
- Ranking of Popular Folk Songs
- Folk songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular tunes everyone can enjoy
- Soran Bushi: Compare renditions of this classic folk song by various artists!
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully selected timeless masterpieces loved across generations!
- [Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
- [2026] The Heart of Our Hometowns Carried Through Song: A Roundup of Japanese Folk Singers, Including Young Talents!
- Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- Folk Songs of the World | Hometown Songs Passed Down Abroad
- The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
- Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown
[Japanese Folk Songs / Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Masterpieces from Across Japan Filled with Local Pride (31–40)
Mogami River Boat SongOtsuka Fumio
The Mogami River Boat Song is a boatman’s song and folk song that originated in Aterazawa, Ōe Town, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture.
In 1936, when the NHK Sendai Broadcasting Station set out to produce a program titled “Descending the Mogami River,” they asked Kunitoshi Watanabe, a resident of Aterazawa, to introduce a boat song.
However, since there was no song at the time that could be called a unique boat song of the Mogami River, Watanabe, together with Gontarō Gotō, composed a new piece, which became the present-day Mogami River Boat Song.
Nambu Cattle-Driving Song
The folk song handed down in Iwate Prefecture is this “Nanbu Ushioi Uta” (Nanbu Cattle-Driver’s Song).
In this video, performed at the Utsunomiya City Hall, she delivers her singing with overwhelming vocal power despite it not being an acoustically favorable environment.
I believe a woman like this is a true artist.
Tokunoshima Folk Song ‘Dondon Bushi’
This folk song isn’t quite as well-known as the Soran Bushi, but even I know it, so it’s famous enough to be widely recognized.
It’s said to have originated in the Meiji era, when a rōkyoku performer was pounding away on a Japanese drum backstage.
It’s a great tune, so I recommend this folk song.
Tokunoshima folk song “Rokuchō”
Another folksong from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture is this “Rokuchō.” It has a faster rhythm and is easier to dance to.
The calls are also easier to shout than in “Waido-bushi,” so I think this one is more suitable for dances like Bon Odori.
Japanese Folk Song MedleyMatsudo Gitaa Kurabu
This is a scene from the full ensemble stage at the regular concert.
I believe everyone is an amateur, but their performance level is remarkably high.
Performing the challenging genre of folk songs as a medley must be difficult, yet the way they present it with such calm assurance is impressive.
[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Classics from Across Japan Brimming with Local Pride (41–50)
Kari Kan Kiri Uta (The Hay-Cutting Song)
A little girl, like an elementary schooler, is delivering the folk song “Karibakikiri-uta,” a representative folk tune of Miyazaki Prefecture, with overwhelming vocal power.
She has a remarkable voice—perhaps the kind of child whose talent could make her a singer in the future.
This folk song is said to be a work song traditionally sung while cutting grass used for fodder.
Tokunoshima folk song “Waidobushi”
“Wide-bushi” is a folk song about bullfighting on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture.
It features a more exhilarating rhythm than traditional folk songs, making it easier to call out cheers.
Today, it has become an indispensable and cherished local song for traditional events and festivals.