[Yamagata Songs] Beloved local tunes and classic tracks celebrating majestic nature and hometown pride

Begoko heads to the mountains.Sugai Tomoaki

Begoko heads to the mountains.

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.)

Safflower Picking SongIshikawa Sayuri

Safflower Picking Song - Sayuri Ishikawa - 1979

This is a new folk song from Yamagata Prefecture—a drinking song.

Safflower belongs to the daisy family, but like a rose it has thorns.

There are thornless varieties used for fresh flowers, but for dyeing, thorny safflowers are used.

They are picked in the morning because the thorns soften with the early-morning dew.

It’s a folk song that sings of Yamagata along with the wisdom of the past.

Love-Waiting FlowerAsada Atsuko

Koi Machi Hana (Karaoke) Atsuko Asada

The safflower, the flower of Yamagata Prefecture, yields threads in various shades depending on the different extraction liquids used, and is woven into cotton, silk, and summer kimono.

In the song, the protagonist wears a safflower–shibori yukata and longs for a man she met as a traveler.

Atsuko Asada became a singer after winning numerous karaoke competitions, which caught the attention of a talent scout; she debuted in 1994.

Perhaps because she is from the Kansai region, she often sings songs themed around Kansai.

Our hometownYamazaki Hako

Our Hometown — Hako Yamasaki

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.

AgarashareSeikou

"Agarashare" Yamagata Prefectural Folk Song, cover by Seiko

This is a sake party song passed down in the Osawa settlement of Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture.

It says that mornings are busy and afternoons are busy—the idea being that breakfast gets pushed to noon and lunch to evening.

“Agarashare” means “please have some,” and the song describes the custom of being made to drink alcohol even if it’s a bit forced.

It’s a folk song characteristic of Tohoku, known for its hardworking people—not just in Yamagata.

Hymn to ZaoSatō Makoto

Mixed Chorus Suite “Zao”: 1. Hymn to Zao — Makoto Sato

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.

red cherryIwase Yuki

Red Cherries (Iwase Yukiko)

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.