[Yamagata Songs] Beloved local tunes and classic tracks celebrating majestic nature and hometown pride
Yamagata Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan and is blessed with rich natural beauty woven by mountains and rivers through the changing seasons.
This environment has given rise to heartfelt folk songs and hometown melodies.
The masterpieces born from people who love their homeland have captured the hearts of many, not just the prefecture’s residents.
This time, we’re spotlighting songs connected to Yamagata! From folk tunes rooted in the region to soul-stirring enka and cheerful local songs that lift your spirits, we’ll introduce a wide range.
Please enjoy these songs brimming with the charms of Yamagata.
- [Folk Songs of Yamagata] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song: Feelings Woven into Nostalgic Melodies
- A classic song that sings of Yamanashi. The enduring heart of our hometown.
- Miyagi Songs: Popular tracks that celebrate famous sights and specialties, and timeless pieces filled with love for home
- [Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
- Bands, artists, and singers from Yamagata Prefecture
- [Okayama Songs] A roundup of local anthems and classic hits brimming with hometown pride!
- A classic song about Kumamoto. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- [Songs of Aomori] A collection of local songs depicting the grandeur of nature and the warmth of its people.
- [Akita Songs] A Collection of Gem-Like Local Tunes Filled with Love for Hometowns
- [Folk Songs and Children's Songs of Akita] A curated selection of local masterpieces that evoke love for one’s hometown
- A roundup of regional enka songs: classic hits that feature places from all across Japan in their lyrics.
- Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown
- Recommended songs about mountains: classic and popular tracks for mountaineering and mountain songs
[Yamagata Songs] Famous and Local Tunes Celebrating Majestic Nature and Love for One’s Hometown (21–30)
Hymn to ZaoSatō Makoto
Zao, a choral suite for mixed chorus composed in 1961 while he was still a student, is by composer Makoto Sato, renowned for “Daichi Sansho” (Hymn to the Earth).
The first movement, “Zao Sanka” (Hymn to Zao), is particularly notable for its bright, uplifting character, evoking the refreshing spring scenery of the Zao mountain range.
Even after many years since its premiere, it remains a beloved piece among numerous choirs—a masterpiece inspired by Yamagata.
Thank you (in Yamagata dialect)ogura kei
“Oshōshina” isn’t a familiar word in standard Japanese, but in Yamagata it might be one of the most popular expressions.
Its meaning is interpreted as “thank you,” though there seems to be a slight nuance difference from how it’s used locally.
This is a song composed by Kei Ogura, who is also active as a singer-songwriter, using Yonezawa as its theme.
In each and every lyric, you can feel people’s warmth and kindness.
[Yamagata Songs] Masterpieces and Local Tunes Celebrating Majestic Nature and Love for Hometowns (31–40)
A Petal of Cherry BlossomMogamigawa Tsukasa
You can tell where he’s from just by his stage name.
Tsukasa Mogamigawa is being promoted as a visual-kei enka singer.
Although this song doesn’t directly mention place names in Yamagata Prefecture, Tsukasa has said that the environment where he was born and raised was incredibly beautiful when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
A devoted grandson, he once shared that while he was on a short trip, his grandfather passed away, and he couldn’t be there at his last moments—he said he cried his eyes out.
Using that hometown as the theme, he likens the parting of never being able to meet again to cherry blossom petals.
Both the lyrics and the music are by Tsukasa Mogamigawa himself.
There are famous spots called “Senbonzakura” (a thousand cherry trees) all over Japan; in Yamagata Prefecture, the cherry blossoms around Eboshiyama Park are well-known.
red cherryIwase Yuki
It is said that the lyrics were written by an elementary school student in 1932 (Showa 7), but since Japan was a military empire at the time, the original lyrics may be quite different from the current version.
This song innocently and straightforwardly portrays, in a childlike way, the scene from the early-summer landscape of Yamagata’s red cherries to the autumn when the rice ears ripen.
Our hometownYamazaki Hako
Listening to this song, I was convinced Hako Yamasaki was from Yamagata, but she’s actually from Kyushu.
She is a close friend of Eri Watanabe, who is from Yamagata, and she composed the song.
The occasion was the 55th anniversary of the founding of Shirataka Town in Yamagata Prefecture, with lyrics by political journalist Yasuhiro Tase, who hails from Shirataka.
The charm lies in the world of Yamagata Prefecture and the mysterious character that Hako Yamasaki embodies.
Lovestruck RabbitYamagata-ken zaijū no JK-san
This is a cheer song for the Flower Nagai Line, a local railway in Yamagata Prefecture.
Lately there have been many animals holding the title of stationmaster.
Cats, dogs, and sometimes even koi—there’s quite a variety.
This song is a refreshing tune that also sings about the youth of a high school girl and “Mocchii,” the rabbit who serves as stationmaster of the local line’s Miyauchi Station.
It’s soothing, isn’t it? I’ve heard there are also two rabbits and a turtle working as station staff.
Begoko heads to the mountains.Sugai Tomoaki
Tomoo Sugai, a farmer and singer-songwriter active in Yamagata, is based in Yamagata Prefecture but has frequently appeared in the media and has been gaining recognition for some time.
His song “Bego-ko wa Yama e” (“The Calf Goes to the Mountain”) was also used in a commercial for Yonezuru Sake Brewery in Yamagata Prefecture.
Set at the Shirataka Mountain Pasture, the song expresses the feelings of someone who has lived alongside a calf whose fate—to be sold—was decided from birth, and it’s enough to bring you to tears.
(Though, I still do enjoy beef, I must admit.)