Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Hiroshima: the enduring heart of our hometown, passed down through song.
This is a feature on folk songs handed down in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Folk songs arose from the everyday lives of people in their regions and have been passed down to the present day.
What we discovered while preparing this feature is that, compared with other prefectures, Hiroshima has an exceptionally large number of folk songs bearing the name “Ondo,” and you can find many videos of Bon Odori as well.
It may be that people in Hiroshima have long enjoyed their regional traditions through songs and festivals, happily singing and dancing to them.
In this article, we introduce folk songs that have been passed down in Hiroshima since long ago.
It’s also interesting to listen to the folk songs while exploring the meaning embedded in the form known as “Ondo,” which continues to be handed down.
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Hiroshima’s folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down in song (11–20)
Hiroshima Prefecture Folk Song Bay Nagashi
At the mountain-opening ceremony held during the Shinto ritual on Mt.
Azuma to pray for safe summer climbing, the Hiroshima folk song “Bai Nagashi” is said to be based on the original tune of the planting beat from the Hiwa cattle memorial rice-planting.
The dance is simple, so it is sometimes performed as a program item at local elementary schools.
Soran Bushi
It originated as a folk song along the Sea of Japan coast in Hokkaido, and is said to have begun in the area spanning the Shakotan Peninsula to Yoichi District in Shiribeshi.
It was mainly used as a herring fishing song, expressing the feelings and strength of people wishing for a successful catch and a bountiful haul.
There are various arrangements in different places, each with its own regional characteristics to enjoy.
Genroku Cherry Blossom Viewing Dance
Genroku Hanami Odori is a Kabuki dance piece performed at the Shintomiza Theatre in Tokyo in 1878 (Meiji 11), and it is one of the sections of Botan ni Chō Ōgi no Irodori.
Nowadays, it is also often played as a standalone musical piece.
I’m sure many people of a certain age have heard its famous phrase; this long song is even said to be the original tune for “Yakyūken.” The tones of the shamisen and the hayashi ensemble create a lively atmosphere, making it wonderfully festive.
This is truly a magnificent traditional performing art that deserves to be passed down.
Ooyama Memorial Rice-Planting in Shiobara
Shiohara no Ōyama Kuyō Taue, rice planting performed to the accompaniment of festival music.
It’s a folk song long cherished around Tōjō in Shōbara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and it’s designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
Led by a guide beating a drum, large groups used to plant rice all at once in time with the rhythm and the song.
It may be a tradition that took root to help a kind of major communal event within the village proceed smoothly.
Even if you don’t know the tune, listening to it will surely stir feelings of nostalgia and a longing for home.
Onomichi Ondo
Onomichi faces the Seto Inland Sea, and since old times it has thrived as a hub of distribution and trade.
Among those who took part in the prewar port festivals, a song frequently sung and danced to was “Onomichi Ondo.” From there, the tune became known to the wider public and was passed down by leading figures in the Japanese popular music world.
Though originally performed as a local song, listening to it makes clear how fully it showcases the charms of Onomichi.
Perhaps thanks in part to the song’s influence, Onomichi’s townscape came to be recognized as a sightseeing destination, and it became famous as a frequent filming location for movies and other productions.
The square, us, and the blue sky
A song created in the spring of 1971, inspired by the progressive camp’s “Plaza and Blue Sky” concept for the Tokyo gubernatorial election.
The author, Masafumi Kurosaka—then a student member of the Waseda University Choir—began the project consciously in the wake of the choir’s collective creation “Cry of Flame” the previous autumn.
The Waseda University Choir, considering how best to convey progressive aspirations, set the piece to a bright melody with choreography, and it subsequently spread across the country.
Hiroshima folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down through song (21–30)
Hamakouta (Seashore Maiden’s Song)
This song originated as a work song sung by laborers known as hamako to endure the harsh daily work after the Higashinozakihama tidal salt field was constructed in the Yamada area long ago.
From around 1951, when the tidal salt-making method was improved to the trickle (flow-down) method, the hamako began to disappear, and this song also ceased to be passed down.
However, it was restored by members of the Yamada Shamisen Club and has survived to the present day.