Popular Okinawan Songs: Artist Rankings [2026]

NaakuniMasao Uehara & Masahiko Uehara57rank/position

Ryukyuan folk songs Nākunī, Kaisarē, Masao Uehara, Masahiko Uehara

Nākuni is often called the “chanson of Okinawa” and is a renowned song representing the main island of Okinawa.

Alongside the Miyako folk song “Tūganī” and the Yaeyama folk song “Tubarāma,” it is also one of Okinawa’s signature songs.

It is said that you make it your own only after singing it a thousand times, and although mastering Nākuni is considered difficult, it is a song that is widely sung despite its difficulty.

Asadoya YuntaUema Ayano58rank/position

Asadoya Yunta / Ayano Uema

It is one of Okinawa’s most famous folk songs.

Ayano Uema has a singing voice that resonates with people of the current generation.

The distinctive sounds of Okinawan folk music make it a song that brings Okinawa to mind no matter how far away you are.

As a folk song, many people perform it, but Ayano Uema’s voice is pleasant, refreshing, and very easy to listen to.

grandmaShimaji Isamu59rank/position

Isamu Shimoji / Grandma

This is a song themed around “Grandmother” by Isamu Shimoji, a singer-songwriter from Miyakojima City in Okinawa Prefecture.

A distinctive feature of his work—reflecting his Miyakojima roots—is that he sings in Miyako, the local dialect, known as “Miyako-guchi” and pronounced locally as “Myākufutsu.” The lyrics can be difficult to grasp without a parallel translation, but his unique vocal delivery conveys a sense of the culture and atmosphere that transcends language.

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Murakami Shinpei

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Festival of Celebrationotome tsubaki60rank/position

Okinawan folk song “Iwai-bushi” — Singer: Otome 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.

tinglingInami Akito61rank/position

Jinjin / Akito Iha

Jinjin means firefly.

Because it’s a song often heard since childhood, it’s frequently used in beginner sanshin classes.

The “liquor shop” mentioned in the lyrics is said to refer to an awamori distillery in Shuri, and Tsuboya and Kumoji are place names in Naha.

It is also the departure melody at Okinawa Urban Monorail’s Onoyama Park Station.

drunkardSadoyama Yutaka62rank/position

Drunkard Yutaka Sadoyama @ Kakogawa Ohana

Yutaka Sadoyama, a folk singer from Koza City in Okinawa and the first head of the Okinawa Folk Village.

Believing in the power of lyrics in Uchināguchi, he prominently featured the dialect in his live performances even outside Okinawa.

This song overflows with the warmth inherent in Uchināguchi.

Tree of WadatsumiHajime Chitose63rank/position

Hajime Chitose – The Tree of Wadatsumi

This is Hitose Moto’s debut single, released in 2002.

It became one of that year’s big hits.

The lyrics and composition were by Gen Ueda, who was active in the 1980s and 1990s as a member of the band LÄ-PPISCH.

Its lyrical words and a delicate yet powerful vocal performance captured people’s hearts.