[Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations

The folk songs and children’s songs that resound across Hokkaido’s land carry the lives, joys, and prayers of people who have long faced its harsh nature.

Traditional music such as Esashi Oiwake and Soran Bushi has been passed down across generations and remains deeply rooted in many hearts today.

In this article, we introduce beloved classics—folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes—that have been handed down in Hokkaido and are still cherished today.

Why not lend an ear to these nostalgic melodies and feel the allure of music nurtured by the northern land?

Playlist

[Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
	Title	Playlist	One point
1	Hokkai Yanresa-bushi		Song of Hokkaido, Yanresa’s sense of rhythm
2	Choi-sa section		A song that praises the vigor of Hokkaido’s fishermen and their bountiful catches.
3	Hokkai Daikoku Dance		Song of northern spring, a celebratory tune that invites good fortune, tones overflowing with joy
4	Hokkai Iwai Nagashi Song		Folk songs from Hokkaido brimming with vitality, the bonds and joy of its people
5	Hidaka Uma Kata Mikudari		A fusion of a horseman’s melancholy and the melodies of the pleasure quarters
6	Hokkai Magouta		The labor of the northern land and the cry of the soul
7	Esashi Packhorse Driver’s Song		A new folk song that sings of the sea of Esashi, the scenes of travel, and a lingering melancholy
8	Ho-hora-hoi Bushi		A work song of the northern sea, filled with longing for home
9	Three-step descent of the Northern Sea		A folk song that reflects the cold of the northern lands and the breath of its people
10	Tado-shi Ondo		Festival Ondo Song of Tadoshi, Hokkaido
11	Utase-bune (traditional Japanese fishing sailboat)		A folk song that extols the northern sea and the pride of fishermen
12	Matsumae Oiwake		Packhorse drivers' songs were carried to Hokkaido by the Kitamaebune coastal trading ships.
13	Hamashack Okeza		A plaintive folk song about a woman waiting for her beloved on the northern shore
14	Kurikai Festival		The vitality and joy of the fishermen of the northern seas
15	Boat-Rowing Drifting Song		A folk song imbued with the melancholy of fishermen from the northern seas
16	Red mountain, blue mountain, white mountain		A traditional children's song depicting Hokkaido's four seasons
17	Esashi Oiwake		The packhorse driver’s song has been handed down as a Hokkaido folk song.
18	Soran Bushi		The Hokkaido folk song “Soran Bushi” enjoys nationwide popularity.
19	Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)		A song of a pechka that warms the cold winter
20	Hokkai-hama-bushi		A folk song of fishermen singing on the shores of Otaru
21	This roadTaeko Ohnuki		Shirakiu’s hometown and feelings for Hokkaido
22	Children’s Bon Odori SongYoshiko Mochida		Hokkaido's Children's Bon Odori Song, the Cute Sound of Bells
23	Iyasaka OndoVictor Boys Folk Song Society		A fishing folk song from Aomori was passed down to Hokkaido.
24	Nanchu SoranTakio Ito		The Soran Bushi spreads nationwide with youthful energy and appeal.
25	Fuki Festival OndoYuko Yokokawa		Oto-Betsu Fuki Festival to host a 1,000-person dance
26	Donan Nut BushHatakeyama Folk Song Association		Love Songs of the Canning Factory Girls of Hokkaido
27	The Song of the Flow of the Ishikari River in Crimson ScarletSeikō		The scenery of the Ishikari River, whose source is in the Daisetsuzan Mountains.
28	Southern Hokkaido Bon Festival Song		Bon Odori songs of Southern Hokkaido, handed down from Akita
29	Hokkai Nikata-bushiHokkaido folk song		Herring Fishing in Esashi and the Tradition of the Shamisen
30	Donan KudokiKeiko Kawasaki		A folk song that includes place names from Hakodate to Isoya
31	wave-initial sound		A folk band that fuses traditional Japanese instruments with pop
32	Hokkai Bon UtaMichiya Mihashi		Otaru Bon Uta, the origin of the Drifters’ song
33	Hakodate Port Song ~ Ain’t It Nice?Motoharu Sasaki		The citizens’ song brimming with Hakodate’s warmth
34	Hokkai Yosare-bushiHokkaido folk song		Hokkaido’s representative Bon Odori song, Yosare-bushi
35	Tourist Asahikawa OndoHokkaido folk song		Civic Dance Parade at the Asahikawa Summer Festival
36	Isohama Bon UtaFumio Otsuka		Bon Odori Song of Cape Suttsu: Melancholy and Invitation
37	Hokkai Cod Fishing SongTomohide Umezu		A folk song in which Hokkaido fishermen pray for safety at sea
38	Song of Ezo FujiFolk Song Band Komachi		A piece that beautifully depicts Mount Yotei
39	Shibetsu OndoMidori Hatakeyama		Dance at the Teshio River Festival, the land of the Tondenhei
40	Nemuro Women’s Worker’s SongKumiko Takae		A monument inscribed with songs of struggling female factory workers
41	Teshikaga OndoTomoe Takada		Teshikaga Kouta was created for tourism.
42	Autumn Salmon Bounty SongRyusei		Autumn salmon are called “aki-aji.”
43	Tokachi Horse SongHikonobu Otsuka		A new folk song of Hokkaido: The Horse of the Tokachi Plain
44	Pirika PirikaSuzuyo Iwasaki, Children’s Choir		The Ainu children’s song “Pirika” is a beautiful song.
45	Net Hoisting ChantAichi Gakuin University Glee Club		Fishermen’s work song, a chorus with a sacred resonance
46	Departure SongKenkichi Muraki		A young fisherman's song set in the Port of Hakodate