The World of Kagoshima Folk Songs: Traditional Melodies that Carry On the Spirit of the Hometown

Folk songs and children’s songs rooted in the land of Kagoshima vividly reflect the spirit and daily life of the region.

Masterpieces that capture a range of emotions—such as the toil of land-reclamation work, the prayers and joys of islanders, and the pure romantic feelings of young people—have been passed down across generations and are still cherished today by locals and by those living away from their hometown.

In this article, we’ve gathered folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes brimming with love for Kagoshima.

Please enjoy the moving world of Kagoshima’s folk music.

Playlist

The World of Kagoshima Folk Songs: Traditional Melodies that Carry On the Spirit of the Hometown
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Nakokai Tobokaiwarabeuta		Children of Satsuma’s Brave Actions Nursery Rhyme
2	Kurudando-bushiHajime Chitose		Folk songs sung in places like Amami Ōshima
3	Chest! Ohara		Revitalizing communities through a fusion of tradition and modernity
4	Satsuma Ondo		A folk song from Kagoshima that depicts festival scenes
5	Under Yuuna’s treewarabeuta		Island lullaby, soothing melody to comfort a baby
6	Yo-isura BushiShimauta		Expressing feelings for one’s hometown through the traditional island songs of Amami and Okinawa
7	Shunryō main clauseShimauta		A famed lament nurtured by the climate of Amami
8	Ikkyun Nyakana-bushiShimauta		A traditional Amami classic that sings of parting from a loved one
9	Nagakumo-bushiShimauta		The charms of Nagasa-bushi that differ by region and Amami culture
10	Kagoshima Hanya-bushimin’yō		The Appeal of Satsuma Folk Songs and Affection for the Region
11	Kagoshima Hama-bushi		A boat-rowing song of Kagoshima Bay turned into a parlor song
12	Morning Flower FestivalJonan		Representative island folk songs of the Amami Islands
13	I’m from Satsuma.		Satsuma’s traditional celebratory song, imbued with festivals and wishes
14	Full Moon Night Tug-of-Warwarabeuta		Traditional tug-of-war song of Minamisatsuma
15	The Chawanmushi Songogojōzu		The story of a shop owner who doesn't know chawanmushi
16	Tropical Love Story		A folk duet song depicting a tropical romance
17	Kuninao Yone Ane-bushiShimauta		A song played on the sanshin that sings the story of sisters from Amami
18	Watasya BushiShimauta		Amami’s traditional island songs are being carried on by a new generation
19	Canned SongShimauta		A song that conveys the beauty of island songs and Amami culture
20	Kushinoki SanosaSeikou		A sad folk song sung by a fisherman longing for his hometown
21	Kagoshima Ohara-bushiMori Masako		The Ohara-bushi is a representative folk song of Kagoshima Prefecture.
22	Tanegashima Kamone OndoTendō Yoshimi		A lively Bon Odori song reflecting the history of Tanegashima, popular among the island’s residents.
23	mailmanKubo Ken’o		The postman is a jump-rope song known nationwide
24	Chiran-bushiJōji no Kai		Chiran is the Little Kyoto of Satsuma and a tourist destination.
25	Not not, boy, you knowNishiyama Kotone		A lullaby from Amami. A song in which a mother tells her child that she has gone to dig sweet potatoes.
26	RokuchōTakeshita Wahei		Rokuchō and Kachāshī in Okinawan folk music
27	Satsuma Heiko-bushi (Satsuma Youth Soldiers’ Chant)Tagami kyōdai		The spirit of a Satsuma man who dreams big and aims to conquer the realm
28	I am a child of the sea.Yūki Hainé		About the lyricists of the Monbushō Shōka and their song monuments
29	Suzukake Horse Dancebashinkai		Horses that supported agriculture through dances with humans
30	yokaiSasagawa Mitsuo		Yokai, a lullaby from Kagoshima
31	Grass-Cutting SongHidaka Takako		Young people in the past going on dates under the pretense of farm work
32	Osumi Rice Hulling Songmin’yō hokushinkai		The rice hulling song is a rural work song.
33	Counting Song of the Arrival of FirearmsHarada Naoyuki		The history of the introduction of firearms and folk songs in a region famous for its rocket launch site
34	Kagoshima Mikudari (three-step descent)Shinbashi Kiyozo		The sensuality of folk songs is expressed through the shamisen’s tuning method.
35	Shio-kaebushiMatsuyama Katsuji		Makurazaki is a town where skipjack tuna fishing is thriving.
36	Kaseda Makata-bushiKagoshima no uta o utau kai		Emperor Meiji made an imperial visit to the Satsuma Domain and appeased Hisamitsu.
37	wide clauseTsuboyama Yutaka		A folk song that sings of Tokunoshima’s bullfighting
38	Tokunoshima BushiYamato Tokuhara		An island song of Tokunoshima, singing of the farmers’ resentment
39	Kagoshima Hama-bushiMatsuyama Katsushi		A representative song of Kagoshima folk music
40	Shinchi Bushiten ten		The Izumi Shinchi-bushi is a work song for the land reclamation at the Arasaki Coast.
41	Morning Glory MelodyHatsune Miku		A celebratory song from the Amami Islands with a melody similar to Okinawa’s
42	Honen-bushi (Harvest Festival Song)Hidaka Saburō		The joy of islanders awaiting rice ships during a famine under Satsuma rule
43	the ‘don-don’ ending; the -don/-dondon sentence-ending pattern (a Japanese grammatical/expressive ending implying things proceed rapidly or continuously)Koreeda San Shimai		Issansan, a bountiful harvest prayer folk song of Tokunoshima
44	AhagariAsazaki Ikue		Expressing gratitude for brightness with the island song “Ahagari”
45	Sumo wrestler songTakarabe furusato o omoiyaru kai		A folk song popularized in the pleasure quarters by sumo wrestlers