[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Masterpieces from Across Japan, Brimming with Local Pride
From north to south, the traditional singing voices passed down across Japan are treasures of each region.
Perhaps you, too, have a memorable song that your grandparents or parents sang to you when you were a child—or one you sang together.
Folk songs, woven with the lives, cultures, and sentiments of their native places, have been sung across generations.
In this article, we introduce a selection of Japanese folk songs that resonate with the heart.
As you listen to the nostalgic melodies of hometowns, let us touch the spirit and landscape of Japan.
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- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
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- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
- A folk song singer. The enduring heart of their hometown
- Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- Folk Songs of the World | Hometown Songs Passed Down Abroad
- Soran Bushi: The heart of Japan passed down through song
- The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
- Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes of Aomori: Japanese Songs from Tsugaru and Hachinohe that Resonate with the Heart
[Japanese Folk Songs / Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Classics from Around Japan (21–30)
Sumiyoshi Odori
This is a sacred and dynamic dedicatory dance song handed down at Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka.
The lively rhythms struck by shamisen and drums seem to embody the very prayers of people wishing for a bountiful harvest.
During the rites, adorable young girls dance with fans in hand.
Their figures, brimming with vitality even amid a solemn atmosphere, lift the hearts of all who watch.
Why not experience its sacred resonance and feel the breath of Osaka’s long history?
Sakai Sumiyoshi
This is a song that captures the charm of Sumiyoshi in Osaka.
The leisurely tones of the shamisen create a glossy, elegant atmosphere typical of the Kamigata style.
In the lyrics, the singer visits famous sights of Sumiyoshi Taisha, as if feeling the bustle on their skin.
The way local souvenirs are recommended in the latter half conveys the warmth of the people.
It’s a piece to savor when you want to reflect on the nostalgic scenery of old Naniwa.
Makio Mountain Nobori-raising Ondo
One of the folk songs born in the early Meiji period in Izumi, Osaka Prefecture.
It is said to have originated as a traveling song sung by people as they walked, hoisting banners, during public viewings of sacred images at the temple on Mount Maki’o.
A lively call-and-response overlays the cheerful Ise-ondo–style rhythm, conjuring up the bustling scene of a pilgrimage procession.
The lyrics weave in local specialties like oranges as well as the landscapes and scenes of the time, infusing the fun with a deep affection for the region.
It may be the perfect piece for moments when you want to attune your ears to Osaka’s long history and the prayers of the people who lived there.
Yokoyama Ondo
This is a bon-odori song cherished in Kumatori Town.
Incorporating elements of joruri narrative music and kabuki, its lyrics weave in tales of pilgrims’ journeys and partings, stirring reflections on the lives of people long ago.
Over time, this song—guided by tradition but evolving into a more danceable tempo, such as through the lively phrasing of the “Kawachi Ondo” added by tradition bearer Kazuyoshi Kawai—has continued to change.
Its charm may lie in the warm intent to preserve tradition while ensuring that many can enjoy it.
Kashii-san and dance
A lively bon-odori song cherished and passed down in Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture.
Dancers spend the night moving to the powerful drum rhythms that resound from atop the yagura, repeating short phrases again and again.
It is said to have originally been danced to encourage soldiers wounded in the Battle of Kashii during the Summer Siege of Osaka.
You can feel in the music the festival’s fervor that connects generations and a deep love for one’s hometown.
It is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Izumisano City.
Kaizuka San'ya Ondo
This bon dance, long passed down in the Senshu region, is truly a traditional performing art infused with the spirit of the community.
Its origins are said to date back to 1583, when people danced for three days and nights to celebrate the birth of a new stronghold.
With short verses and lively chants layered upon one another, this work lifts the listener’s heart.
Don’t you feel that each sung verse is imbued with the joy of our forebears and their hopes for the future? In February 1998, it was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the city, and to this day it has been carefully preserved as a regional treasure.
Just picturing people dancing in a circle as drums are beaten with the distinctive chong-gake technique is enough to make one’s heart swell.
Kaikake Ondo
This is a bon-odori chant that has been lovingly passed down in the Kaikake area of the Senshu region in Osaka.
Although it once died out after the war, it was splendidly revived in 1990 by local volunteers.
Its 7-7-7-5 meter, punctuated by long interludes of flute and drum, seems to synchronize with the circle of dancers and their breathing.
Don’t you feel that the warm resonance of the piece carries the spirit of those determined to preserve their hometown’s traditions? In March 2008, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hannan City.
At the Kaikake Summer Evening Festival, held in the summer, you can still see local residents dancing in a circle.