Nambu Tawarazumi-uta: A folk song rooted in Tohoku. Carefully selected videos by renowned singers and musicians!

Nambu Tawatsumi UtaIshikawa Kiyomi

Nambu Tawarazumi-uta

Kiyomi Ishikawa, a certified master instructor of folk songs, delivers a brilliant rendition of a work song handed down in Aomori Prefecture.

Included on the album “Uta Tsumugi,” released in September 2012, this piece is arranged by shakuhachi player Keisuke Doi and enriched with traditional instruments such as Tsugaru shamisen and hayashi (festival accompaniment).

You can fully appreciate Ishikawa’s expressive vocals, characteristic of an artist who received the Prime Minister’s Award in 2000.

This performance is highly recommended for those who want to savor the traditional phrasing of min’yō and for anyone interested in Japan’s labor culture.

Nambu Tawatsumi UtaYajima Akiyo

Tawarazumi Song: A collaboration by Nihon no Odori Kiza × Kirakuza × Akiyo Yajima♪

In March 2024, Akiyo Yajima presented a performance of Tohoku folk songs—renowned for their powerful voices born from labor—by releasing a video.

Based primarily in Ibaraki Prefecture, Yajima took on one of the Tohoku region’s representative work songs.

Highlights include the shouts and melodic turns that capture the rhythm of stacking rice bales, accompanied by shamisen and drums.

The integrated dance-and-accompaniment performance is drawing attention as a fresh expression of traditional folk music.

It’s a perfect performance for celebratory occasions and for those wishing to experience Japan’s traditional culture.

Nambu Tawatsumi UtaNagayama Yōko

Southern Tawaratsumi Song / Yoko Nagayama

This is “Nanbu Tawara-tsumi Uta,” performed with Yoko Nagayama’s vocals—radiating a feminine softness, suppleness, and strength—accompanied by shamisen.

After transitioning from idol singer to enka singer and achieving a major breakthrough, she says she grew up listening to folk songs under her father’s influence and even attended classes for folk singing and shamisen from a young age.

Nanbu Tawatsumi Uta (Jazz ver.)Kouzai Kaori

Kaori Kozai – Nanbu Tawara-tsumi Uta

Nambu Tawaratsumi-uta is a type of Daidō-gei, in which performers go from house to house, visit gateways and guest rooms, present dances, and receive money or goods.

A jazz-mix performance by Kaori Kozai, who is also highly acclaimed as a folk song singer, offers a glimpse into a new side of minyo (Japanese folk music).

Nambu Tawatsumi Utaomodaka akiko

Minami Tawarazumi Uta (With Lyrics)

Nambu Tawaratsumi-uta performed by Akiko Omotaka, who is energetically active as a folk singer.

Ever since her debut as a folk singer while still a high school student, she has sung folk songs from various regions, and her undeniable skill is sure to leave you in awe.

Please enjoy it together with the evocative tones of traditional Japanese instruments.

Nambu Tawatsumi UtaKosaka Genzō

National Nambu Rice-Baling Song Contest / Sannohe Town, Aomori

Nambu Tawarazumi-uta performed by Mr.

Genzō Kosaka in the general division for high school students and older at the National Nambu Tawarazumi-uta Competition held at the Sannohe Town Gymnasium in November 2015.

You can see that folk songs continue to be loved in modern Japan, as they are passed down by people of all ages and competitions are held nationwide every year.

Nambu Tawatsumi Uta

Chorus, dance, Nanbu Tawara-tsumi Uta. (Photographed in July 2009)

The 50th Anniversary Fujita Shūjirō Fujinami Association Folk Song Festival.

We’ll groove to various rhythms through dance, chorus, and a variety of videos.

There are still songs and dances across the country that we haven’t heard yet, and we’re carrying on with a single-minded desire to incorporate even a little of them.

Personally, I’m looking for famous songs themed around folk music.