Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
In this article, we feature folk songs and children’s songs related to Osaka!Osaka has long been a key hub of logistics, situated at the confluence of busy sea routes and rivers.Because of that, Osaka’s folk repertoire includes pieces like the Yodogawa boat songs that evoke its deep history.At the same time, there are newer tunes that symbolize contemporary Osaka, such as the Harukas Ondo inspired by Abeno Harukas.Listen to the folk and children’s songs of Osaka—once called the “nation’s kitchen”—and immerse yourself in its long, rich history!
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Osaka folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down through song (11–20)
Yokoyama Ondo
This is a bon odori song cherished in Kumatori Town.
Incorporating elements of joruri narrative music and kabuki, its lyrics weave in stories of pilgrims’ journeys and partings, evoking the lives of people in days gone by.
Over time, this ondo has evolved into a more danceable tempo—for example, tradition-bearer Kazuyoshi Kawai introduced the lively phrasing of the “Kawachi Ondo.” Perhaps its charm lies in the warm-hearted wish to let many people enjoy it while preserving tradition.
Kashii-san and dance
This is a passionate bon-odori song that has been lovingly passed down in Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture.
To the powerful rhythm of drums resounding from atop the yagura, dancers repeat short phrases and dance through the night.
It is said to have originally been performed to lift the spirits of soldiers wounded in the Battle of Kashii during the Summer Siege of Osaka.
You can feel in the music the festival’s fervor that connects generations and a deep love for one’s hometown.
It is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Izumisano City.
Kaizuka San’ya Ondo
This dance song, passed down in the Senshu region since ancient times, is a traditional performing art that truly embodies the spirit of the community.
Its origins are said to date back to 1583, when people danced for three days and nights to celebrate the birth of a new stronghold.
With short verses and lively chants layered one upon another, this work lifts the listener’s heart.
Don’t you feel that each sung phrase carries the joy of our forebears and their hopes for the future? Designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the city in February 1998, it has been carefully preserved as a regional treasure to this day.
Just imagining people dancing in a circle while the drums resound with the distinctive chong-gake rhythm is enough to make one’s heart swell.
Kaikake Ondo
This is a Bon Odori chant that has been lovingly passed down in the Kaigake area of the Senshu region in Osaka.
Although it once died out after the war, it was brilliantly revived in 1990 through the efforts of local volunteers.
The 7-7-7-5 meter, punctuated by long interludes of flute and drum, seems to synchronize with the circle of dancers and their breathing.
Don’t you feel that the warm resonance of the music carries the spirit of those determined to preserve their hometown’s traditions? In March 2008, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hannan City.
During the Kaigake Summer Evening Festival, you can still see local residents dancing together in a circle.
Ongo
It’s a nostalgic children’s song that conjures up the scene of kids parading in a line through the streets of Osaka on a summer evening.
An anonymous traditional song, it was preserved in a valuable recording on the album Folk Songs of Osaka, published by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education in 1990.
Beyond the bustling image of the “nation’s kitchen,” you may discover another side of Osaka in the voices of children that once echoed through its back alleys.
It’s a song that evokes the warm spirit of a bygone hometown.
The scenery of the whole world
A play song long cherished in Osaka, it carries a warmth you can feel as you listen.
It celebrates the arrival of spring, conjuring a serene scene of watching a bush warbler chirp on a plum branch.
The wordplay that links the warbler’s call with the Lotus Sutra also shines with the refined wit unique to people of the past.
Listening to this piece, you can almost hear the innocent voices of children echoing through the town long ago.
Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: The enduring heart of our hometown (21–30)
Chochi chochi awawa.
This is a hand play song for infants.
It’s sung in Osaka and many other regions as well.
The part where you whirl your hands is sometimes expressed as “kaiguri kaiguri,” which has a fun sound that children seem to enjoy.
I hope beautiful, nostalgic Japanese songs like this will be passed down and cherished forever.
