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)
The Kase Slave Dance
It’s a Bon Festival song that has been passed down in Kase, Goshogawara, for about 300 years, and it’s also a satirical song about society.
It carries the idea that honest people get the short end of the stick while sly, smooth operators come out ahead, and it makes me think people never really change no matter how many years go by.
On a different note, Ikuzo Yoshi’s “Ora Tokyo sa Iguda” is set in Goshogawara, but it apparently drew a lot of backlash from residents.
They were like, “We’re not that rural!” After all, the lyrics back then said it was a village with no TV or radio.
Dear TorajoAkiko Seino
Upon looking into it, it’s also well known as a folk song from Iwate Prefecture, but as a regional tradition it’s a Bon dance song sung over a wide area from Ninohe City in Iwate to Shichinohe Town in Aomori.
There are various theories about the term “torajo,” but it’s thought to be a dialectal corruption of Torazō; in some areas it’s also called “Lady Tora” (Torajo-sama).
As a folk song of Aomori, it’s referred to as “Nanbu Torajo-sama.” Because the lyrics vary by region, there are slight differences, but it’s a curious and fascinating Bon song.
Aomori Folk Songs, Children’s Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Japanese Songs that Resonate in the Heart, Alive in Tsugaru and Hachinohe (31–40)
Nambu Cattle Drivers' Song
A cattle-driving song sung by drovers from the former Nanbu domain’s Sannohe region as they led their oxen on the road.
They loaded salt, fish, and sundries landed at Hachinohe Port onto the oxen’s backs to sell in Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture, and on the return trip carried ore from Kazuno.
It is said the song was sung like a lullaby to the oxen, as if to ease the drovers’ loneliness during the long journey.
Thirteen SandhillsMichiya Mihashi
Thirteen Sandhills is a Bon dance song handed down around Lake Jūsan in Jūsan Village, Shiura Village, former Kitatsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture.
From the Kamakura period through the Muromachi period, the area flourished as a major gateway for importing culture from the capital, but in 1340 it was struck by a massive tsunami, and the village fell into decline.
The melody, tinged with the pathos of rise and fall, is a popular folk song.
The tsunami is said to have reached 20 meters, and is considered to have been far larger than the one in the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Tsugaru Mountain SongNobuo Sato
It is a celebratory song that has been sung in mountain villages in the western part of Aomori Prefecture.
It is also known as a celebratory song called “Jūgosshichibushi,” found across the Tohoku region in Akita, Iwate, and Aomori.
In Aomori, it serves as a celebratory song dedicated to the mountain deity in connection with mountain worship, such as at Mount Iwaki.
Tsugaru mountain songs have two styles of singing: the “East Route” and the “West Route.” The “East Route mountain song” has a rather old-fashioned melody and is not often sung today, whereas the “West Route mountain song” is the folk style that is commonly performed.
Tanabu Oshima-koTakeyu Yamamoto
What does “Oshimako” mean? When I looked it up, I found that the origin of this song goes back to a woman named Oshima.
She was said to be so beautiful, and to sing with such a lovely voice, that Shigenao Nanbu, the third lord of the Nanbu domain, rewarded her.
In Shimokita City, her name has become synonymous with a beautiful woman.
Every year, the city of Mutsu in Aomori Prefecture holds the “Miss Oshimako” contest.
Nebuta OndoShinichi Sasaki
Among the Tohoku region’s three major festivals, the Nebuta Festival is famous for its music that plays throughout the event—and even in the local entertainment districts, you’ll hear it drifting in from somewhere.
Locals who dearly love Nebuta feel a surge of energy the moment they hear this tune and the Nebuta hayashi festival music.
The most iconic sights of the Nebuta Festival are the “Goldfish Nebuta” floats and the dancers called “Haneto.” With shouts of “Rassera~ Rassera~,” the dancers jump and move in a performance that looks incredibly demanding—but anyone can join in.
If just watching isn’t enough for you, be sure to try taking part as a Haneto!