Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Kumamoto: the enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.

Kumamoto has served as the setting for folk songs and children’s songs known throughout Japan, such as Otemoyan and Itsuki no Komoriuta.

These works vividly portray the grandeur of Aso’s natural landscape, the majestic figure of Kumamoto Castle, and the rhythms of everyday life.

From Taharabanzaka, which conveys the sorrow of the Satsuma Rebellion, to Higo Kome Ondo, which celebrates a bountiful harvest, each folk song passed down through the generations is deeply etched with Kumamoto’s history and culture.

In this article, we have gathered folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes from Kumamoto, imbued with love for the homeland and the joys of daily life.

Let us lend an ear to the world of song where the spirit of Kumamoto resides.

Playlist

Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Kumamoto: the enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	A Gift of Kumamoto Folk SongsMorita Kazuhiro		Clarinet Octet on the Theme of Kumamoto Folk Songs
2	TabaruzakaKumamoto Tomokichi		The folk song of Tabaruzaka, the old battlefield of the Satsuma Rebellion
3	bling-blingSatō Matsuko		An old folk song from Kumamoto that satirized the ban on silk goods
4	Where are you from?		Temari song game originating in Kumamoto
5	Samba Otemoyanotemo TRIBE		Kumamoto Reconstruction Theme Song: Samba Otemoyan
6	Itsuki LullabyKubo Yukie		Itsuki lullaby is the sorrow of a babysitter girl
7	Yoheho-bushi		Folk song and dance of the Yamaga Lantern Festival
8	Kumamoto OndoSakushi: Shimada Hajimeya / Sakkyoku: Nagatsu Yoshishi		A warm song that evokes the nature of Kumamoto and the smiles of its people
9	KUMAKOI RokuchōshiKawamura Yumi		A hometown-love-filled song that modernly arranges a folk tune
10	Raised in the Land of FireItō Hisao		Kumamoto’s new folk song “Raised in the Land of Fire” has been forgotten.
11	Song of the Land of FireKumamoto Jidō Gasshōdan		A children's choral suite depicting the landscapes of Kumamoto
12	Ushibuka Haiya-bushiItō Takio		The Ushibuka Haiya-bushi is a folk song that spread nationwide since the Edo period.
13	Kin’nyomunyoHonjō Hidemi		Kumamoto folk song Kinnyomnyo festival chant words
14	Higo, 540,000 kokuFujimoto Nisankichi		A folk song that sings of the history and figures of the Kumamoto domain of 540,000 koku
15	Yatsushiro Ozaya-bushi		A Kumamoto folk song rooted in work songs from land reclamation projects
16	Gyokan Grass-Cutting Song		A folk song that sings of the fleeting love between a fisherman and a village girl
17	Lullaby of Aso ShrineYamamoto Tokio		A lullaby from the Aso region. A folk song based on the Legend of the Feathered Robe (Hagoromo).
18	Kuma RokuchōshiTanaka Shōko		Kuma’s Rokucho-shi is a celebratory song and a drinking song.
19	Aso Lumberjack SongIwanaga Seiryū		A Kumamoto folk song that sings of the hardships of sawyer work
20	Pompoko-nya		Introduction to the Kumamoto folk song 'Ponpoko-nya'
21	OtemoyanAkasaka Koume		History and Characteristics of Otemoyan, a Folk Song from Kumamoto
22	Rhapsody on the Kumamoto Folk Songs Yoheho-bushi and Itsuki LullabyOkuda Tasuku		A fusion work of Kumamoto folk music and shamisen violin
23	Amakusa Haiya-bushi		A folk song from Kumamoto brought to various places by sailors
24	Battens and BaterenKatte ni Kankō Kyōkai		A local song that humorously sings about the charms of Kumamoto
25	Kinyamonya		A traditional children's song from Kumamoto that has been passed down from generation to generation
26	Shinonome-bushi		The spirit of women who seek freedom and persevere in society
27	Kumamoto Sawagi Song		A traditional Japanese music piece that sings about Kumamoto’s historical culture in the Kumamoto dialect
28	Kumamoto Temari Song		Introduction to the children's song 'Antagata Dokosa'
29	Fukurenki Lullaby		A lullaby from Amakusa imbued with the earnest feelings of a girl who left her hometown
30	Kikuchi River Rafting SongHamazaki Kuniho		Kikuchi River Ikada Nagashi Song is a new folk song from Kumamoto
31	Chiyu-chiyuke (Earth-stamping Song)		A fun Japanese dance teaching material depicting the castle town of Kumamoto
32	The Bride’s Song of Yatsushiro		Kumamoto’s Wedding Celebration Songs: 150 Years of Cultural Continuity
33	Fire Country Ondo		A local Kumamoto song that celebrates Aso’s nature and the lively energy of its festivals
34	Kumamoto Bicycle Song		The Charm and History of Kumamoto-Dialect Folk Songs
35	Kuma River Boat Song		Seafaring Culture and History in Kumamoto Folk Songs
36	Aoi-san’s Gate (Festival Song)		Introducing traditional folk songs of Kumamoto
37	Hang in there, Kumamoto!Hayashida Kenji		A cheer song wishing for the recovery from the Kumamoto Earthquake
38	Nagasu Bridal Song		Origin and History of the Kumamoto Folk Song “Nagasu Yomeiri Uta”
39	Morning Grass-Cutting Song of AsoYamamoto Tokio		Introduction to the folk song 'Aso Morning Grass-Cutting Song'
40	metacoxae		The folk song Ōzaya-bushi passed down in Yatsushiro Shinchi
41	Kahoku Tea Mountain SongUeda Yuko		A folk song passed down in a tea-producing region, sung by the tea-picking maidens of Kahoku Town.
42	Ushibuka Sagarin (Ushibuka San-sagari)		Ushibuka Sangaeri is a folk song with the shamisen tuned down.
43	Aso Hay Cutting SongSakanashi Fumio		Revive the Aso Hay-Cutting Song and pass it on to future generations
44	Higo Rice Ondobatten arakawa		A song in which Batten Arakawa sings powerfully about Higo rice from Kumamoto, wishing for a bountiful harvest and prosperity.
45	Ballad of a HeroSatake Mamoru		A folk song from Kumamoto about the Satsuma Rebellion
46	Umamihara OiwakeShitaya Kikutarō		Origin and Formation Process of the Folk Song “Umagahara Oiwake” of Soyō Town
47	Jump rope song		Transcription Collection of Kumamoto Children’s Song Jump-Rope Chants