Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes of Aomori: Japanese Songs from Tsugaru and Hachinohe that Resonate with the Heart
Aomori Prefecture is alive with a rich tradition of culture and performing arts.
In the lands of Tsugaru and Hachinohe, the emotive strains of folk songs still resound today.
Coupled with the powerful tones of the Tsugaru shamisen, Aomori’s folk music speaks deeply to our hearts.
In this article, we have carefully selected “folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Aomori,” born from the lives of people shaped by mountains, the sea, and a harsh climate.
We present timeless masterpieces that have been lovingly sung and passed down through the ages.
Won’t you lend an ear to the world of songs that can truly be called the heart of Aomori?
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Aomori Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: Japanese Songs That Resonate in the Heart, Alive in Tsugaru and Hachinohe (21–30)
Hachinohe Great Catch Ondo
Created in celebration of the renovation of Hachinohe’s port in 1931, this is one of the region’s representative folk songs.
The lively rhythm of the ondo seems to express the robust spirit of fishermen brimming with hope and joy for a big catch.
The lyrics skillfully weave in the names of fish like sardines and mackerel, evoking the bustle of a port town and the merriment of festive banquets.
The song is included on folk singer Eijiro Azuma’s 1998 album “Minyo Kiko.” Its cheerful tune naturally gets your body moving, making it perfect for singing and dancing together at festivals and celebrations.
Why not listen to it while reflecting on Hachinohe’s rich fishing culture?
Hachinohe Port Festival Ondo
A lively local folk dance song that sounds just like the bustling postwar port of Hachinohe itself.
The up-tempo melody woven from shamisen, shakuhachi, and spirited calls conveys the heat of a port rejoicing in a big catch and the exhilaration of a festival.
The lyrics depict boats and the lives of fishermen, and just listening to it makes your heart skip, doesn’t it? A recording by the folk singer Kikuo Natsusaka survives, and the song has long been cherished as the official dance tune of the Hachinohe Port Festival.
Doesn’t it make you feel as if you can see the port town’s vigorous breath and the smiles of its people?
Mountain Pilgrimage Climbing Festival Music
Born from deep faith in Mount Iwaki, the sacred peak of Tsugaru, this is a solemn melody of prayer.
The penitential feelings of those who journey toward the mountain echo in the heart as a repeating motif.
The festival music woven by conch shells, flutes, and drums seems to depict the very essence of Tsugaru’s harsh yet beautiful nature.
This sacred worldview was also brilliantly reimagined by the post-rock unit Kuuki Koudan.
Their 2013 cover, while honoring the ritualistic atmosphere of the original, breathes new life into it with a contemporary sensibility.
Listen when you wish to quiet your mind and touch the soul of Japan, and you will find yourself enveloped in a purifying air.
Sparrow Hoshinjo
A charming piece based on a children’s song from the Hirosaki region of Aomori Prefecture, featuring rhythmic calls that beckon sparrows.
The music conjures innocent, warm exchanges, as if inviting friends to join the circle with a cheerful “come on in.” Its simple melody and buoyant rhythm are easy for anyone to hum along to and naturally soothe the listener.
Arranged as a choral work by composer Osamu Shimizu, it appears on albums such as “Japanese Children’s Songs Vol.
1.” It has also been performed by an elementary school choir in Aomori, and has been passed down among local children.
Tsugaru JinkuTsuya Takahashi
Originally, it was a bon dance song called “Doredabachi.” The name is thought to come from a shortened Tsugaru dialect phrase, “dodabado odarebaja,” but if you’re not a local, dialects are hard to understand.
Looking it up, it means “Who is that?” or “Who are you from where?” The fact that it’s sung in the Tsugaru dialect gives the song its distinctive flavor.
Moukko
In the nursery rhymes of the Tsugaru region, “moukko” refers to the Mongols.
Much like Akita’s Namahage, it carries the sense of “If you don’t behave, Mongols will come down from the mountain and attack,” so while it’s a kind of lullaby, it feels a bit scary.
Nowadays, because it frightens children, it’s weathering into a gentler version of “Namahage,” but many regional lullabies and children’s songs actually tend to be quite frightening for kids.
Hachinohe KoutaTamako Onishi
Composed in 1931 to celebrate the completion of the Hachinohe Same Port, the song became extremely popular at the time.
Its lyrics are filled with lines promoting Hachinohe, and it remains a Nanbu folk song that is still played at festivals in Hachinohe City today.
While many people associate “Nanbu” with Iwate Prefecture, in Aomori Prefecture it refers to the southern areas—Kamikita, Shimokita, and Sambi—and is likewise a region famous for its folk songs.