Ranking of Popular Folk Songs
That nostalgic melody, passed down through generations—the heart of our hometowns.
We’ve researched a wide range of folk songs from past to present, from East to West! In this article, we’ve selected popular tracks based on reliable feedback from music fans who’ve contributed to our site so far.
Among them, we’ll introduce the most acclaimed ones in a ranked format.
Please take a look.
We also researched children’s songs like nursery rhymes and lullabies, as well as work songs and songs for ceremonies and events.
In recent years, new ways of listening to folk music—championed by acts like Minyo Crusaders and Riyō Sanmyaku—have been attracting a fresh audience.
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Folk Song Popularity Rankings (61–70)
Surti East-sai64rank/position
This Okinawan folk song has a calm atmosphere, as if contemplating various thoughts while facing east.
The title, combining the call-response phrase “sūri” and the character for the direction east—read here as “agari”—is also striking.
It depicts feelings being entrusted to a butterfly flying toward the east, evoking a sense of poignancy.
When used in Eisa performances, you could convey the song’s content more clearly by emphasizing the rhythm to highlight its gentle mood and incorporating choreography that expresses the east.
Shopping at the bakery65rank/position
Here’s a fun hand-play song for autumn: “Buying Bread at the Bakery”! In this game, players split into customers who buy bread and shopkeepers who sell it.
The customers shop while naming the breads they want.
Can the shopkeepers sell all the requested breads without making a mistake? It’s a hand-play song that kids love—give it a try!
Mitsuya Cider66rank/position
The educational duo Mana & Yuu—Mana Onochi (known as “Mana”) and Yuki Hamasaki (known as “Yuu”)—run the popular educational YouTube channel “Manayuu Channel,” which features lots of children’s songs and hand-play activities that kids can enjoy.
This time, with summer as the theme, let’s introduce a song about Mitsuya Cider, the first beverage that comes to mind for many when thinking of summer.
The cute choreography that expresses the fizzy carbonation is sure to delight children.
The lyrics also include counting—one, two, three—so it’s great for helping little ones learn numbers.
Nakazun Nagare67rank/position
There are many standard pieces in Eisa, a traditional folk performing-dance of Okinawa, and “Nakazhoon Nagari” is one of the representative ones.
In the Okinawan dialect, it is pronounced Chunjun Nagari.
Although the lyrics mention Tanabata, this summertime song is often used for Okinawa’s Bon dances.
Dancers offer prayers to the local deities and memorials to their ancestors through the performance, celebrating health, safety, and prosperity.
The celebratory song “Nakazhoon Nagari” is now performed and enjoyed across Japan, even at events like school sports days.
Ushiwakamaru68rank/position
This is a Ministry of Education school song that celebrates the historic, iconic scene where the mighty Benkei meets a quick-witted boy on Kyoto’s Gojo Bridge.
Included in elementary school textbooks in 1911, it soon became beloved by children across Japan.
The story’s introduction, development, twist, and conclusion are masterfully contained within its three-verse structure, reflecting its high level of completion as an educational song.
The image of a small boy outwitting a giant through cleverness and courage has continued to captivate children’s hearts across generations.
Why not let the nostalgic melody carry your thoughts to Japan’s legends?
Child of Autumn69rank/position
Here is a song with lyrics by Hachirō Satō, known for works like “I Found a Little Autumn” and “Happy Hinamatsuri.” The music was composed by Yasuo Suehiro, who is also known as the director of an aquarium.
You can feel Satō’s warm, affectionate perspective toward children in the lyrics.
It may be less well-known among children’s songs, but it’s a lovely piece—please try singing it together with your child.
It’s a charming song filled with the spirit of Japan’s good old days.
Bountiful Harvest Dance70rank/position
Hounen Ondo has an upbeat ondo rhythm that feels great.
This song is a Ryukyuan folk tune in the “kachaashii” genre, meant to be danced at a fast tempo while shaking your wrists side to side.
Along with Tinsagu nu Hana’s famous counterpart “Tōshin Dōi,” it’s extremely popular in Okinawa! The drum phrases that emphasize the off-beats here and there are striking, giving it a vibe like a rock ’n’ roll version of Okinawan folk music.
It’ll make you want to jump into an Eisa dance!
