A classic song about Nagano. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.

The Road of KinasaNishijima Mieko

Kinasa Road — Mieko Nishijima

As a singer-songwriter, he may be low-key, but he has had a long-lasting career.

His signature song is Ikegami Line, which might be considered something of a hidden gem.

His wistful, relaxed singing style was a bit different from folk singers of the time.

Kinanori no Michi refers to a village that actually existed in Kamikami District, Nagano Prefecture; the area is known for its autumn foliage and has a long-standing tale called the Maple Leaf Legend, which he turned into a song.

Northern Shinano LamentNoji Yukiko

Yukiko Noji Northern Shinano Lament

It’s the theme song of a daytime drama that aired in the late Showa 40s (late 1960s).

Since it’s a fairly old daytime drama, all I know is that it’s a pure love story between a village girl and a young man from the city who aspires to be a painter.

Speaking of “Zesshō,” the older reference would be Kazuo Funaki, and a bit more recent would be the film starring Momoe Yamaguchi—both are tearful, tragic love stories.

If it’s titled “Hokushinano Zesshō,” then I don’t think the ending is a happy one.

Matsukawa OnDo!Kozaka Akiko

Matsukawa OnDo!

This song was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of town status for Matsukawa in Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture, where the Tenryu River runs north to south.

The lyrics, composition, and arrangement were all done by Akiko Kosaka, who made a huge hit with “Anata.” Even in Nagano Prefecture, which has many famous tourist spots, regional revitalization remains an important issue for areas whose place names are still not widely known.

By the old castle at KomoroOgawa Akiko

Ryutaro Hirota: By the Old Castle of Komoro (Toson Shimazaki)

This poem by Toson Shimazaki, included in the collection Rakubaishū, and the pieces “By the Old Castle in Komoro” and “A Travel Poem of the Chikuma River” have been set to music many times and sung over many years.

This may be my own interpretation, but as a traveler takes in the Chikuma River through the changing seasons with a touch of melancholy, they also find a ray of hope in the river’s unchanging flow despite the many shifts of history.

It shows just how deeply the Chikuma River has moved poets.

Chikumagawa RiverItsuki Hiroshi

Chikuma River

Chikuma River, which accounts for 60% of the Shinano River—the longest river in Japan—has long had its surrounding natural beauty celebrated in poetry, from the Man’yōshū to works by Toson Shimazaki.

Hiroshi Itsuki’s “Chikuma River” was the final performance at the 1997 year-end NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, in part because it was just before the Nagano Olympics.

The lyrics of “Chikuma River”, too, sing of an unchangingly beautiful current and the nostalgic mood of Shinano, intertwined with memories of a first love.

Farewell, Hotaka.daakudakkusu

Farewell, Hotaka — The Dark Ducks

A song that originally was a military tune gradually gained new verses among mountaineers, and it is said to have lyrics up to the tenth verse.

Mount Hotaka, Japan’s third-highest peak at 3,190 meters, towers on the border between Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture.

No matter how much time passes, this famed mountain range known as the Northern Alps remains a summit that mountaineers aspire to challenge.

Kisogawa MirenMizuta Takiko

[Promotion Video] Ryuko Mizuta / Kiso River Miren

There are quite a few male singers who have turned the journey along the 69 stations of the Nakasendō into songs, but this one is a female version.

Ena is in Gifu Prefecture, so the inn might have been either Tsumago or Magome, which are post towns in Nagano Prefecture and popular tourist spots.

The Kiso River flows through Nagano, Gifu, and Aichi, so you can trace the route of the journey.

As expected, most local songs tend to be enka.