A classic Japanese folk song passed down through generations of acoustic performances
A special feature on Japanese folk songs.
Folk music originally began as arrangements of traditional songs and spread in the United States.
From around the 1960s, it was also embraced in Japan, and, reflecting the times, songs with strong anti-war and anti-government messages were delivered.
Entering the 1970s, it became especially popular with more accessible, mainstream themes and reached a peak of commercial success.
Although Japanese folk has evolved to incorporate various elements, it retains an acoustic allure and a wistful mood, with lyrics that stand out and resonate.
By all means, take your time and immerse yourself in Japanese folk music!
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Classic Japanese folk song masterpieces passed down through live singing with guitar (31–40)
A woman born in OsakaBORO
It’s a song that became a big hit when sung by Kenichi Hagiwara.
The songwriter is the singer-songwriter BORO, who also often performed the song himself.
The name BORO was chosen to mean “to speak for the suffering of the people.” The original version was extremely long, taking nearly 20 minutes to sing in full.
Say that you're alive.Kazuki Tomokawa
Kazuki Tomokawa is one of those artists who remain utterly indifferent to chart hits and continue to sing message-driven folk songs.
He is a folk singer with many agitational songs, and “Say You’re Alive” is one of his most representative works.
The season the sun gave usBlue triangular ruler
It was released in 1972 as the second single by Aoi Sankaku Jōgi.
The song was used as the theme for the youth drama “Tobidase! Seishun,” which aired on the Nippon TV network, and it earned them the New Artist Award at the 14th Japan Record Awards.
They also made their first appearance on NHK’s 23rd Kōhaku Uta Gassen with this song.
sonTamio Okuda
Amid the band boom of the ’80s, Tamio Okuda debuted as the vocalist of the rock band Unicorn.
This is a song he wrote after going solo.
Strumming a folk guitar, he sings about his child from a father’s perspective.
In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthChiharu Matsuyama
This is a song included on his first album, released in 1977.
Evoking the vastness of Hokkaido, its dynamic lyrics have made it a long-standing favorite.
Even today, it is performed at concerts as one of Chiharu Matsuyama’s signature songs.
Classic Japanese folk songs passed down through solo singing and guitar (41–50)
Goodbye for today.Ryoko Moriyama
Ryoko Moriyama, a Japanese singer-songwriter, was born to parents who were jazz musicians.
She wrote many famous songs and sang them with a magnificent, beautiful voice, but the lyrics and composition of this song she sang in her youth were by Shoichi Kaneko.
Love is a mirageGamu
Released in 1980, this song won an Excellence Award at the Yamaha Popular Song Contest.
The era was shifting from folk songs to new music, and with its melancholic piano prelude and the sorrow of a woman who’s been left behind, it feels like a piece that could easily have been used as a TV drama theme.
Exuding a mature atmosphere, the song sold approximately 700,000 copies.