Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
The Tohoku region has traditionally been rich in folk songs.
Since ancient times, there have been festival songs and the like that are rooted in the local land.
Many of these songs are ones that everyone from the area would know, but this time we’ve gathered pieces to help more people appreciate the beauty of folk music.
Younger people and others may not be very familiar with it nowadays, so I’d be happy if this sparks your interest!
Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: The enduring heart of our hometown (1–10)
Morning on the Ranch
It is said that the lyrics of “Morning on the Ranch” were written with Iwase Farm in Kagamiishi, Fukushima Prefecture as their model.
The lyrics depict the ranch at daybreak, shrouded in mist, interweaving scenes of sound and light along with the people working on the ranch and the sheep.
Describing how morning arrives on the wide ranch and a new day begins, the song’s lyrics are also included in elementary school textbooks.
Asking children what kinds of animals might be on a ranch, or explaining the kinds of work people do there, may help them form a clearer image of the piece.
Sōma Packhorse Driver’s SongHajime Saito
This is a folk song that was sung while leading not just one or two, but more than ten horses from the Sōma region to horse markets such as Shirakawa.
You can picture the quiet scene early in the morning, with mist everywhere you look in the mountain landscape.
Still, one can’t help but say that the skill of handling dozens of high-strung horses is truly remarkable.
Wonderful FukushimaLyrics by Ichiro Reiwa / Music by Yuji Koseki
This heartwarming local song pairs a melody by Yuji Koseki, a composer from Fukushima City, with modern lyrics.
The words, woven with landmarks such as the Abukuma River, Iizaka Onsen, and the Azuma mountain range, express a deep love for the homeland.
Released in 2021, the song emerged amid renewed attention following the NHK morning drama “Yell,” in which the Koseki couple served as models.
It is a hometown anthem filled with affection, meant for Fukushima residents working toward recovery from the earthquake disaster, people from Fukushima living far away, and anyone who wants to experience the beauty and charm of Fukushima.
Niida Rice-Planting SongSukagawa Municipal Niida Elementary School & Rice-Planting Dance Preservation Society
A traditional performing art handed down in the Niida district of Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, it is still kept alive mainly by local residents.
At Sukagawa Municipal Niida Elementary School, fourth- and fifth-grade students play a central role in carrying on the tradition of the rice-planting dance.
The dance embodies prayers for the growth of rice and a bountiful harvest, and the rice-planting song is even referenced in Matsuo Bashō’s Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Soap bubbles flewMika Aiko
Although the widely known songwriter Ujo Noguchi was born in Ibaraki Prefecture, during his eventful life he lived for a time in Yumoto, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, a place famous for its hot springs.
He became tea-drinking friends with the young proprietress of a long-established inn that still exists today, and afterward wrote the children’s song “Yoiyoi Yokocho.” This poem was inspired by watching the moon change shape morning, noon, and night along the narrow lanes of the hot-spring district.
I couldn’t find a URL for it, so I chose a version you can hear in Yumoto, Iwaki City, where the Ujo Noguchi Memorial Museum is located.
Soma Bon SongTaro Akiko
As its name suggests, this is a Bon dance song from Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture.
It originally derives from the Akita Jinku and was passed down from the Shonai and Murayama regions of Yamagata Prefecture to the Nakadori and Hamadori areas of Fukushima.
It is a harvest dance expressing gratitude for a bountiful rice crop, and it features distinctive festival chants interspersed between the verses.
In urban centers, where there are often no local Bon songs, familiar tunes like Tokyo Ondo, Hokkai Bon Uta, and Soma Bon Uta are widely enjoyed.
dragonfly glassesYoshiko Kondo
Dragonflies have become a rare sight in the city center, but these lyrics were written by Dr.
Seishi Nukaga, a physician who lived in Hirono Village, Naraha District, Fukushima (now Hirono Town, Futaba District).
He composed them while out on house calls, after seeing children playing with dragonflies.
It’s a simple poem, but it’s a children’s song that makes one deeply feel that the blue sky and beautiful nature truly existed there.