Tokushima’s Folk Songs, Children’s Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Traditional Songs Rooted in the Region, Including Awa Odori
In Tokushima Prefecture, where abundant nature and traditional culture thrive, many traditional songs vividly depict the land of Awa and the lives of its people.
From work songs sung during farm labor and Bon dance songs to lullabies, Tokushima’s folk songs—passed down through daily life—are filled with charms worth sharing across generations.
In this article, we have gathered a selection of Tokushima’s captivating folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes.
Why not lend an ear to a musical world, born in Tokushima and lovingly carried on by locals, where nostalgia and freshness blend together?
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Tokushima Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Traditional Songs Rooted in the Region, Including Awa Odori (11–20)
Tea Rolling Song of Nishi-Iyamin’yō
A traditional work song handed down in Nishi-Iya-yama Village, Tokushima Prefecture.
It depicts the series of tasks of kneading tea leaves by hand, sung with distinctive calls and responses.
Listening to this piece, you can almost see the workers breathing in unison and feel the unique sense of togetherness that comes from collaborative labor.
The song is also included on the renowned 2020 compilation Awa Hyakkei, which gathers folk songs from Tokushima.
Why not listen to it while picturing the richly natural rural landscapes that still remain in Tokushima today?
Naruto Bayashimin’yō
It’s a vibrant piece that seems to let you hear the mighty whirlpools of Tokushima and the breath of the people who live there.
The lively rhythms of shamisen and taiko bring to mind sea breezes, darting plovers, and dancers in indigo-dyed yukata.
They say this song evolved from an existing new folk tune as it was passed down among the people, eventually taking the form we know today.
Beloved as a staple performance at Naruto City’s summer festival and even featured in the city’s tourism goods, it is cherished as a work that conveys a strong bond with the region’s culture.
Naruto Tairyō-bushimin’yō
Set against the majestic seas of Naruto, this piece weaves together the lives of fishermen and the joy of a great catch through sound, making you feel as if you’re listening to a story.
It moves from a calm scene of quietly rowing out to sea to a bold festival accompaniment celebrating a bountiful haul, all portrayed with a vibrant, dynamic melody.
The work itself unites two songs that have long been passed down in the community.
Its excellent affinity with dance has made it a cherished performance at local cultural events to this day.
Give it a listen when you want to experience music rooted in the land and spirit of Tokushima.
Awa Odori (Awa Dance Festival)min’yō
Awa Odori is Tokushima Prefecture’s quintessential folk song, known to everyone.
It is one of Japan’s three major Bon dances, famous nationwide, and many people look forward to it every year.
During the Awa Odori festival, crowds dance in unison to this tune.
Its breezy melody naturally makes your body move.
Iya Mill Songmin’yō
Born in the Iya region of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, “Iya no Konahiki-uta” is one of the prefecture’s representative folk songs.
In the past, people in this area ground wheat, buckwheat, soybeans, and other grains into flour, which formed a staple of their diet.
After doing hard labor during the day, they would return home and turn the millstone, but they couldn’t help getting sleepy.
So, it’s said that people of the time sang this song to shake off drowsiness as they devoted themselves to their work.
Barley Threshing Songmin’yō
“Mugiuchi-uta” is one of the folk songs handed down in Tokushima Prefecture.
It spread as a work song sung during threshing—beating the wheat to separate the grain—and later came to be performed in parlors as a song celebrating bountiful harvests.
Don’t you feel that, while rhythmic, it also has a somewhat leisurely atmosphere that conjures up the image of wheat fields heavy with grain?
In conclusion
In Tokushima’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes—whether seaside work chants, farming songs that evoke nostalgic scenes of daily life, or traditional songs preserved alongside the Awa Odori—the lives and hearts of the people are reflected.
The iconic melodies that symbolize Tokushima will continue to resonate with us as soothing music for the soul.