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!

Playlist

Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
	Title	Playlist	One point
1	Morning on the Ranch		A morning scene poem depicting a ranch in Fukushima
2	Sōma Packhorse Driver’s SongHajime Saito		One or two horses at a time from the Soma region to horse markets like Shirakawa…
3	Wonderful FukushimaLyrics by Ichiro Reiwa / Music by Yuji Koseki		Yuji Koseki’s hometown-love song conveys the charms of Fukushima.
4	Niida Rice-Planting SongSukagawa Municipal Niida Elementary School & Rice-Planting Dance Preservation Society		A folk performing art passed down in the Niida area of Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture...
5	Soap bubbles flewMika Aiko		The various well-known works by Mr. Ujō Noguchi...
6	Soma Bon SongTaro Akiko		As the name suggests, it’s a Bon dance song from Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture, and it originally was an autumn…
7	dragonfly glassesYoshiko Kondo		Dragonflies have become a rare sight in the city center, but…
8	Haguro-bushiten ten		There’s also a Mount Haguro in Yamagata Prefecture, but the tradition here…
9	Koriyama Mochitsuki SongTakahashi-ryu Hideki Yoyakai		It’s a folk song handed down in Kōriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, but “Mochitsuki…
10	Mount Bandai of AizuFumio Otsuka		Famous for its unique beginning that starts with “En-ya”...
11	Takada JinkuAizumisato Town		A folk song from Aizumisato Town, Onuma District, Fukushima Prefecture. In the past, it was known as Aizutakada…
12	Miharu Bon Odori SongKenji Murata		A Bon Odori song handed down in Miharu, Tamura District, Fukushima Prefecture, and Mi…
13	Kanchororin SongThe Playful Old Man of the Basin		It is said to have originated in the Kashima area of Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture...
14	Soma NagareyamaNatsuko Nakanishi		The Soma Nomaoi festival begins in the Nakamura district of Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and...
15	Nakoso Kouta (Nakoso Little Song)Hatsune Miku		Nakoso, located in the southern part of Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, borders Ibaraki...
16	Haramagama Great Catch Celebration SongMitsuna Koyama		Since the Edo period, it was known as Kitaminato or Haragama Port, and the domain...
17	trainKazuo Kobayashi		At JR East’s Joban Line Hirono Station, there is a monument inscribed with the lyrics of this song...
18	Fukushima OndoKoume, Ichiro Tsukuba		In 1954, Mr. Yuji Koseki and Mr. Toshio Nomura composed a hometown...
19	Aizu Otsu-eToyoko Yamamura		Otsu-e were painted in the late Edo period as protective talismans...
20	Double Sōma stitchTokuko Yamada		During the Edo period, the Tohoku region was struck by cold-weather damage, and Soma...
21	Jōban Tankō-bushi (The Jōban Coal Mine Song)Society for the Preservation of Traditional Arts		Now known as “Spa Resort Hawaiians,” it...
22	Soma Earth-Ramming SongTakeshi Kaneshiro		This folk song carries three meanings...
23	Aizu Nagamochi SongMasayuki Hasebe		In the context of a wedding, nagamochi refers to the bride’s procession carrying a chest of drawers...
24	Gen’nyo FestivalYukari Baba		There are two theories: one is the beautiful term “genjo,” and…
25	New Soma Bon UtaNaoyuki Harada		After the war, the first Masao Suzuki began singing it, and nationwide...
26	Aizu MatsuzakaMiki Nemoto		It is always sung at wedding and celebratory gatherings throughout the Aizu region...
27	Soma Grass-Cutting SongMichiya Mihashi		It began with songs that were sung during mowing work and the comings and goings of early-morning grass cutting...
28	Song of JangaraShimotsudzure Youth Association		An intangible folk culture handed down in Iwaki City since the Edo period…
29	Waraji OndoYuji Koseki		Ha... enshrined on Mount Shinobu, the symbol of Fukushima City
30	Iizaka Little SongSeikō		As the famous song goes, “Kusatsu is a wonderful place,” and indeed, Fuku...
31	Dear Mr./Ms. Anba,Akane Mayuzumi		Around the Tsurishihama Fishing Port in Shinchi Town, Soma District, Fukushima Prefecture...
32	Wall-Plastering JinkuShoho Folk Song Association		The original song comes from the Fukushima folk song “Soma Jinku,” and it…