Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes of Aomori: Japanese Songs from Tsugaru and Hachinohe that Resonate with the Heart

Tsugaru Shiogama JinkuRie Sasaki

Rie Sasaki / Tsugaru Shiogama Jinku

This is a song sung by people involved in salt making in the early Meiji period.

The Shiogama Jinku from Miyagi Prefecture is also well known, but the original song is “Nambu Aiya-bushi,” and up until the mid-Meiji period the Shiogama Jinku was called “Aiya-bushi.” It was then effectively reimported by Same Port in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and became known as “Tsugaru Shiogama Jinku.” Perhaps they sought to soothe the harshness of their heavy labor through song.

Japan's Best Counting SongTsuru-koe Sasaki

Shujiro Takahashi - Japan's Number-One Counting Song, sung by Tsuroko Sasaki (nihonichi kazoeuta takahashi shujiro)

It is also known by the alternative name “Tsugaru Counting Song,” but strictly speaking it is not a counting song from Tsugaru; it is a nationwide counting song that was sung across Japan, so the lyrics vary by region.

Reading the lyrics, hmm—there are no place names from the Tsugaru area; instead, places like Susono, Mount Akagi, the Soga brothers, and Mount Atago appear—which makes me think maybe that’s Iwate Prefecture? In any case, the song truly turns the ‘number-one’ things of Japan into verse, yet for some reason it is called the Tsugaru Counting Song.

Ajigasawa JinkuFumio Otsuka

Fumio Otsuka Aomori-jinku of Ajigasawa

It is a Bon Odori folk song sung in Ajigasawa Town, Aomori Prefecture.

Upon looking into it, there appear to be two versions: “Shōchō Ajigasawa Jinku” and “Ajigasawa Jinku.” The former is considered the original song, while the latter is regarded as a new folk arrangement of “Ajigasawa Jinku” by Untake Narita and Chikuzan Takahashi.

One theory holds that the “Odori Kudoki” of the San’in region was brought over by sailors.

The term “Odori Kudoki” refers to lyrics that form a continuous narrative.

Kuroishi Yosare BushiMasako Kawasaki

Kuroishi Yosare Melody Song Masako Kawasaki

The Yosare-bushi is characterized by performances with instruments like the shamisen and drums, making it perfect for a festive atmosphere, and by its lively chant of “Etcha-ho, etcha-ho.” It is said that “yosare” has various meanings, and some say that Yosaburō, a farmer from Kuroishi, began singing it at a celebration for a bountiful harvest.

It is also thought that it carried the meaning of driving away poor harvests and poverty—“let misfortune be gone.”

Tsugaru Tanto-bushiKudo Kimi-e

Tsugaru Tanto-bushi / Kimie Kudo

The Tanto-bushi originally comes from a local performing art in Semboku District, Akita Prefecture, called “Bangaku.” It used to be sung to match the straw-threshing motions, but the master performer Narita Untiku and his disciple Takaya Sauntiku incorporated accompaniment from “Tsugaru Jongara-bushi,” creating “Tsugaru Tanto-bushi.” The lyrics vary and there doesn’t seem to be a single definitive version, but what they share is a theme of romantic affairs between men and women—expressed in today’s terms, you might even sense a vibe of, shall we say, the height of sleaziness.

Michi no UmafushiGoto Ginchiku

Michiyuki Makafabushi (Vocal: Goto Ginchiku; Shakuhachi: Takahashi Chikuzan)

Mr.

Goto Ginchiku, a beloved disciple of the celebrated Narita Untiku, won the Japan Folk Song Association’s national competition in 1962 with this piece.

In the Tohoku region, horse traders would travel to and from horse markets, timing their movements with the market schedule.

Because they handled large numbers of horses and wished not to cause a disturbance, they would move at night, and the songs sung along the way were known as “Uma-kata-bushi” (Horse Driver’s Song).

Yosare Great Catch SongTakayuki Matsuda

Pat Savage – Yosare Great Catch Song (Yosare Tairyo Bushi)

This is a song that was sung at celebratory banquets after big catches in Hachinohe Port, Aomori Prefecture, and the Sanriku region, and the fish referred to in this poem is herring.

Speaking of herring, many people think of Hokkaido’s Soran Bushi, but the origins of herring fishing are actually in Aomori Prefecture.

The herring mansions of Hokkaido are famous, but there are also herring mansions in Goshogawara City, Aomori.

Although the herring fishery declined, some of these mansions have been restored and are used as lodging facilities, helping to promote local tourism.

Herring fishing was truly incredibly profitable.