From J-pop to folk songs! Popular and classic Okinawan tunes
For those of you looking for songs from Okinawa, this article introduces a wide variety of music related to the islands.
We’ve picked out everything from J-pop themed around Okinawa and Okinawan pops to traditional folk songs that have been passed down for generations.
Okinawan music is so captivating, isn’t it? From instruments like the sanshin and other traditional Japanese instruments to its distinctive vocal style—and that unmistakably Okinawan vibe!
Getting a bit musical here, but Okinawan music often uses a five-note scale known as the Ryukyu scale or the yo-nuki scale, built on the notes do–mi–fa–so–ti–do.
That very resonance of the Ryukyu scale is the secret behind the uniquely Okinawan atmosphere you feel in these songs!
Listen to the tracks we’re about to introduce and soak in the spirit of Okinawa.
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Okinawan folk songs (1–10)
Hello UncleKina Shoukichi
This was Shoukichi Kina’s debut song, composed when he was in high school.
The lyrics depict an exchange between a “boy (Kina)” and a “man from the neighborhood.” Based on Okinawan folk rhythms and scales, it’s a very bright, danceable piece and a pioneering work of so-called Uchinaa pop.
Milk MunariHii de Katsu
In Okinawa, this is a legendary song that absolutely everyone knows.
Among the pieces used for Eisa, the traditional Okinawan group dance, it’s one of the signature numbers.
The lyrics are in the local dialect, so the meaning might not come across, but it’s a very energetic and cool song.
Eisa uses drums, and together with the drums and Okinawan calls and shouts, it’s incredibly powerful.
Tōfun Doirinken bando
This is a representative Kachāshī song.
It is performed almost without fail at events such as Eisa dances during the old Bon festival, banquets, and folk music taverns.
In the past, it was enjoyed as a fast-picked tune during ke-asobi, the leisure activities of young men and women.
It is also the departure melody at Tsubogawa Station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail.
Asadoya YuntaNēnēzu
It is a song from Taketomi Town on Ishigaki Island that is famous nationwide.
It is said that the Yui-uta (binding song) became a Yunta, and it is believed to have been linked with songs sung during rice planting done through mutual aid, resulting in Asadoya Yunta.
The lyrics humorously depict interactions between a beautiful woman from Taketomi Island and an official dispatched to Yaeyama by the royal government.
It is also the departure melody at Asato Station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail.
Festival of Celebrationotome tsubaki
This is a song by an unknown composer.
Since it does not appear among classical pieces, it is thought not to be that old.
Iwai-bushi has a melody similar to “Funakuya-bushi” (Funakuyabushi), a folk song from Yaeyama.
However, its content is the complete opposite: it frankly sings of people’s feelings—resentment and sorrow.
Perhaps, even while declaring it a joyful, celebratory song, it actually contains the people’s wish for this painful world to become a better place.
Akata ShuridenNatsukawa Rimi
“Akata Shuri Dunchi,” also known as “Shiyapuu,” is sometimes sung as a hand-play song when soothing children.
This song is famous for the scene in the film “Hotel Hibiscus,” where Seijin Toguchi sings it while playing the sanshin up in a tree.
It is said to be one of the songs performed during Miroku faith festivals in the Akata area, the downtown district of Shuri.
It is also used as the departure melody at Shuri Station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail.
sensory clauseNakasone Hajime
It’s striking how the verses flow along like everyday speech, carried by the brisk rhythms of Okinawan folk music! Some explain “sensuru” as meaning “mayfly,” but the origin of this Sensuru-bushi is said to be unknown.
This Sensuru-bushi evolves as it incorporates and adapts to local dialects from different regions.
The way it’s sung—peppered with humor to draw laughter—is truly a traditional art.
It really makes you feel that music, at its core, was meant to be enjoyed by people in just this way.
