Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Toyama: the enduring heart of our hometown passed down through song
A special feature on folk songs and children’s songs from Toyama.
It includes folk songs related to Gokayama, known as a hidden enclave of the once-glorious Taira clan; folk songs unique to Toyama, famous for its medicines; and not only folk tunes but also well-known pieces like “Moon over the Ruined Castle,” composed by Rentaro Taki, who spent his boyhood in Toyama.
If you live locally, many of these pieces will surely feel familiar.
We also introduce Bon dance songs, so you might even catch a whiff of summer’s atmosphere.
Why not listen to regional folk and children’s songs and let your thoughts wander to Toyama’s natural and cultural landscape?
- A classic song that sings of Toyama. The enduring heart of our hometown.
- [Folk Songs of Yamagata] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song: Feelings Woven into Nostalgic Melodies
- March nursery rhymes & hand play songs! Spring songs you can enjoy with your kids
- Kyoto’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- [For Seniors] Popular Karaoke Songs That Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- Niigata’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- [Folk Songs and Children's Songs of Akita] A curated selection of local masterpieces that evoke love for one’s hometown
- Tokushima’s Folk Songs, Children’s Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Traditional Songs Rooted in the Region, Including Awa Odori
- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Kumamoto: the enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Hiroshima: the enduring heart of our hometown, passed down through song.
- Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Nagasaki: the heart of the hometown passed down through song
- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
- [Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
Toyama’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down in song (21–30)
Yasaibushi
The “Yasakae-bushi” handed down in Kanayamachi, Takaoka City, is a work song for Takaoka metal casting, a craft with traditions dating back to the Edo period.
Among the casting tasks was a simple yet grueling step-on-board process that required 12 people to keep perfect time together.
To lift their weary bodies and spirits and to synchronize their steps, they naturally began to sing—this was the beginning of the song.
Shinkawa Ancient Deity
The bon odori song “Shinkawa Kodai-shin,” often performed at the Furusato Ryugu Festival in Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture, is a visually intense folk tune that pairs an up-tempo, rhythmic melody with fast-paced dancing.
Originally said to have been sung and danced to welcome ancestral spirits, it’s characterized in part by choreography that uses torches.
For local residents, it’s a staple festival chant that brightens summer nights.
Incidentally, “Kodai-shin” is believed to be a corrupted form of “Kodaiji,” a temple located in Niigata Prefecture.
sunset
This song was created when Kinegetsu Murosaki set music to a poem that had appeared in the children’s magazine Shirohato.
In composing the piece, he is said to have taken walks while recalling the sunsets he had watched at Takaoka Kojō Park in his hometown of Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture.
Its release on record made it very famous.
A monument has been erected in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, where he was born.
Sansai Dance
It’s a lively, nursery-rhyme-style Bon dance song.
The gentle, simple melody leaves a strong impression.
It is danced every July in the grounds of Enryūji Temple in Umezawa Town, Toyama City.
Participants wear matching yukata and aprons, and only women and children take part.
Its origins are old, said to date back to around 1639 when Toshi Naoe, the first lord of the Toyama Domain, entered Toyama Castle.
It is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Toyama City.
Gokayama Ancient Deity
When people hear the term “kodai-gami,” many imagine an ancient deity.
However, this actually refers to a custom passed down from Kodaiji Temple in Niigata, and the word “kodai-gami” is said to be a variation that arose through dialectal shifts of the term “Kodaiji.” In the Gokayama region, there are many other songs titled “Kodai-gami,” and a variety of lyrics have been preserved.
In conclusion
We introduced many folk songs and children’s songs from Toyama Prefecture! Were there any tunes you’ve heard before? If you look into the lyrics of these songs, you can discover their regional character and history—that’s enjoyable, too.
If you’re interested, please give it a try!