[Folk Songs and Children's Songs of Akita] A curated selection of local masterpieces that evoke love for one’s hometown
A wealth of folk songs and children’s songs that have long been close to the lives of the people of Akita.
Nurtured amid abundant nature and a harsh climate, Akita’s folk songs are imbued with people’s joys and sorrows, and with hearts of prayer.
Still sung at local festivals and traditional events and passed down to children, these songs are, quite literally, the very heart of Akita.
In this article, we introduce the musical world that Akita proudly offers—a region renowned nationwide for its vibrant folk song culture—from well-known folk and children’s songs everyone has heard at least once, to hidden gems known only to the initiated.
- [Akita Songs] A Collection of Gem-Like Local Tunes Filled with Love for Hometowns
- Akita Ondo: The Heart of Japan Passed Down in Song
- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes of Aomori: Japanese Songs from Tsugaru and Hachinohe that Resonate with the Heart
- Niigata’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about insects
- [Folk Songs of Yamagata] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song: Feelings Woven into Nostalgic Melodies
- Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Iwate: the heart of the hometown passed down through song
- Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown
- [Songs of Aomori] A collection of local songs depicting the grandeur of nature and the warmth of its people.
- [Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
[Akita Folk Songs and Children’s Songs] A Curated Selection of Beloved Local Classics that Convey Hometown Love (31–40)
Akita Sake Brewer’s Song
There are songs for each stage of sake brewing, and it is said that during motozuri—the process where craftsmen grind the “moto” (starter mash)—they worked while singing to keep their rhythm in sync.
An interesting aspect is that the tempo varies depending on the brewing stage, and these songs are often sung at drinking gatherings as well.
Akita Nagamochi Song
At weddings, the people carrying the tansu chests and nagamochi sang songs.
The nagamochi—used to transport clothing and bedding as part of the bridal trousseau and then kept on as storage furniture—was carried along, and one can almost see how they sang, each pouring their own feelings into the songs, from the moment the bride left her home until she arrived at her new household.
Akita Horse-Driver's Song
This is a song that was sung while leading a horse home after buying it at a horse market.
Since travel to and from the market took place at night, people would sing it night after night to ease their loneliness.
It is also known as “Abeya,” meaning “let’s go.” You can picture the scene of someone plodding along under the moonlight.
Millstone Grinding Song
This is a work song that was sung while grinding rice, wheat, or buckwheat with a stone mill.
Mill work is a slow, steady task that can take a long time, often going through the night, and it seems people would sing as they worked until morning.
When several people worked together, they would sometimes improvise call-and-response verses with each other.
The beautiful melody could almost make them forget their fatigue.
Kakumagawa Bonten Song
This is a folk song sung at the Bonten Festivals held throughout Akita Prefecture.
The Bonten Festival is a unique sacred ritual of Akita that began around the Edo period.
Participants vigorously vie to take the lead and, while fiercely jostling within the shrine precincts, dedicate a yorishiro called a “bonten” to the shrine.
Perhaps this song serves to purify body and mind and help one steel their resolve.
[Akita Folk Songs and Children's Songs] A Curated Selection of Beloved Local Classics that Evoke Hometown Love (41–50)
Mount Choja
It’s said to be a celebratory song, but there are traditions claiming it was originally sung out of envy for a wealthy man who struck a gold vein, or that it was a song performed in call-and-response by elderly women who came to rest during the agricultural off-season at the border between Akita and Iwate.
Its slow tempo evokes peaceful, rural scenery.
Akita Kobara-bushiHifumi Muraoka
It’s a folk song depicting a hunting scene, with poignant lyrics that think of a family of deer and vivid autumn foliage unfolding—a profound piece that makes you reflect on the beauty of nature and the weight of life.
It’s an indescribable song whose heartrending melody makes you feel as if tears might spill.