Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

Songs of Iwate: The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Collection of Classics to Enjoy While Thinking of Iwate

Accompanist / Piano InstructorYuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

With melodies that resonate in the heart, Iwate’s beautiful scenery unfolds before your eyes.

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The culture rooted in this land and the lives of its people have become countless beloved songs that are still sung today.

The timeless history of the World Heritage site Hiraizumi, the mystical folklore of Tono, and the warm feelings of the people who live in the region.

The stories woven into each song are like a single painting capturing Iwate’s landscapes through the changing seasons.

In this article, we introduce gems of classic songs brimming with love for Iwate.

Why not let these songs stir your thoughts toward Iwate?

[Songs of Iwate] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Collection of Classics to Listen to While Thinking of Iwate (21–30)

The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthJiro Atsumi

Jiro Atsumi / The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Oku no Hosomichi Atsumi Jiro

Literally, it’s a song based on Matsuo Basho’s haiku, starting from Edo and featuring the haiku he composed in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture.

About forty years ago, Jiro Atsumi also scored a massive hit with the bright, lilting “Yume Oizake,” with its ♪ A–na–ta, na–ze na–ze refrain, but this one is quite a somber piece.

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Welcome to KitakamiMiki Nemoto, Kazuo Chiba

Welcome to Kitakami

Kitakami Odense by Miki Nemoto and Kazuo Chiba

The meaning of “odense” is a dialect term in Morioka-ben that means “please come.” It’s a Bon dance song inviting people to come to Kitakami.

Set to a lively chant, it sings about a region full of highlights across spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

It’s a song that everyone from the Kitakami area knows.

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snowcat

Cat: “Snow”

snow cat

After serving as Takuro Yoshida’s backing band for about a year and a half, the members of the group Neko made their debut under his production with the song “Yuki,” written and composed by Yoshida.

While it does have a slightly different vibe from Yoshida’s usual world, he actually wrote the song with a woman from Iwate Broadcasting as the model.

There’s no mention of Iwate in the lyrics, but it’s a somewhat well-known story in Iwate Prefecture.

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Michinoku HiraizumiMomoko Osawa

Momoko Osawa “Michinoku Hiraizumi” (Congrats! “Hiraizumi” has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site!)

Michinoku Hiraizumi Osawa Momoko

Hiraizumi was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2011 as the “Cultural Heritage of Hiraizumi.” The song mentions Tsukimizaka, and the fact that it doesn’t say Chūson-ji—perhaps that’s a matter of taste? Tsukimizaka has long been used as the main approach to visit Chūson-ji’s main hall and the Konjikidō (Golden Hall).

It’s a piece you want to listen to carefully.

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The Woman of EzurikoMiko Takekawa

The Woman of Ezuriko

Miko Takegawa, the Woman from Ezuriko

Ezuriko used to be Ezuriko Village until 1991, but it merged with Kitakami City to form the new Kitakami.

However, perhaps because the old village name feels more familiar, businesses still use it—for example, “Ezuriko Shopping Center,” and even large stores are called the Ezuriko branch.

I feel Mikiko Takekawa’s vocal quality resembles the old Sayuri Ishikawa.

She sings about a strong yet fragile woman waiting in the bitter cold for the person she’s thinking of to arrive by train.

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Yearning for HiraizumiMisaki Kanazawa

CIMG3512 Misaki Kanazawa-chan “Hiraizumi Longing”

Nostalgia for Hiraizumi, Misaki Kanazawa

Misaki Kanazawa, who hails from Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture, is active both as an enka singer and as one of Miyako City’s tourism goodwill ambassadors.

Regarding “Hiraizumi Bojō,” places like Chūson-ji are probably known nationwide, but the word “猊鼻渓” that appears in the lyrics is a bit tricky to read.

It’s pronounced “Geibikei,” and it’s a stunning spot where you can also take a boat ride.

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Song of the South DiverMutsuo Ando

[Nanbu Moguri] Nanbu Diver's Song (Full Version)

Mutsuo Ando, the Southern Diver’s Song

It’s a song I’ve heard somewhere before.

Yes, it’s the one that was sung during the NHK morning drama about the Nambu divers.

In fact, it’s a song that has existed since quite a long time ago, with both lyrics and music by Mutsuo Ando.

Speaking of Mutsuo Ando, he’s the composer of the famous Kitakami Nocturne, and this song was written for his hometown.

It continues to be passed down at Iwate Prefectural Taneichi High School.

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