Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown

The many folk songs that live on in Miyagi Prefecture are sonic treasures that vividly reflect Tohoku’s culture and the lives of its people.

From mountain songs set against majestic peaks to fishermen’s songs praising the bounty of the sea, the rich voices born from the land and people’s way of life can still be heard across the region.

This article brings together folk songs from Miyagi, centered around Sendai.

Why not lend an ear to the gentle melodies imbued with the feelings of our forebears—melodies that evoke the changing seasons, the bustle of festivals, and the joys of farm work?

Playlist

Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown
	Title	Playlist	One point
1	Great Haul Chant		A folk song from Miyagi, where powerful vocals convey local pride.
2	Sendai Yoshiko’s		The Scenery and Spirit of the Homeland as Told by Miyagi’s Folk Songs
3	Shiogama Obara-bushi		The allure of traditional music and folk songs in port towns
4	Weeding Song of Miyagita		A folk song from Miyagi born from the labor of weeding rice fields
5	Miyagi Bakuro-bushi		A folk song that sings of a horse dealer’s melancholy and longing for home
6	Millstone Grinding Song		The appeal of folk songs that sing of the hardships and nobility of farm work
7	Sendai Bon Uta		A summer folk song from Miyagi, singing of hometown scenes.
8	Tawarazumi Song		A powerful folk song celebrating a bountiful harvest in Tohoku
9	Sendai Medeta		Traditional folk song sung at celebratory occasions
10	Miyagi Zaiyō-bushi		A New Folk Song of Miyagi: The Appeal of Rice-Planting Scenes and Cooperative Labor
11	Rice Field Leveling Song		Miyagi’s farm work song: the joy and vigor of spring
12	Sansa ShigureHiroshi Yoshizawa		The dignified folk song “Sansa Shigure,” handed down in the Tohoku region
13	Saitaro-bushiFORESTA		A Miyagi fishermen’s song praying to the sea god for a big catch
14	A standing drinkNaoyuki Harada		Drinking songs for wedding and celebratory banquets in Miyagi
15	Hounen Koikoi Bushi (Abundant Harvest Koikoi Song)Yuri Kitani		Itinerant performers in Sendai pray for a bountiful harvest.
16	Summer Mountain SongAkemi Mizuho		A summer folk song sung in the rural and mountain villages of Miyagi Prefecture
17	Jūsan-hama Jinku		The traditional folk song “Jūsanhama Jinku” sung by fishermen of Sanriku
18	Miyagino Bon Song		The Miyagino Bon Song was composed by Chūichirō Takeda.
19	Nagaochi-uta (Long-Mochi Song)		A boatman’s song passed down through the sankin-kōtai system
20	Miyagi Horse-Driver’s Song		Miyagi’s horse-driver song, popularized by Masao Akama
21	defining clause		A matchmaking folk song sung at Sendai’s Jogi Nyorai
22	Miyagi Daikokumai		Festive songs of Miyagi, the melodies of tradition that make the heart dance
23	Water-Drawing Song		The hearts of people and nature conveyed in pastoral songs
24	Hishi Tori Song		Waterweed harvesting song sung at a pond in Miyagi
25	Moji JinkuKanichi Sato		The traditional folk song of Kurihara, Miyagi: “Monji Jinku.”
26	rice sectionMasato Fujita, Yoshiaki Omura		A folk song from Miyagi Prefecture that sings of the importance of rice
27	Autumn Mountain SongKazuo Kumagai		An autumn folk song sung during mountain work
28	Saitaro-bushiKohei Fukuda		A rock arrangement of the Saitaro-bushi and a children's song
29	Yuriage Great Catch Song		A folk song celebrating the bountiful catch of the fishermen of Sendai Bay
30	Rice Harvesting SongMieko Sato		The rice-lifting song is a work song sung while working on a horse’s back.
31	Millers’ SongKasiku Miura		The Charm of Miyagi’s Folk Song “Konahiki-uta” (The Millers’ Song)
32	Shiogama Jinku		Shiogama Shrine and the traditional culture of the fishing town
33	Onoda Jinku		A folk song born in a post town of a horse market
34	Stone-Throwing Jinku		A folk song sung along the coast of Miyagi
35	Aoba Castle Love SongMuneyuki Sato		Aoba Castle Love Song is Miyagi’s beloved anthem.
36	Fantasy on a Theme from “Saitaro-bushi”Shobi Wind Orchestra		A wind band piece that conveys the charm of the Saitarō-bushi
37	Enkoro-bushiSeikō		Characteristics and Transmission of the Boat Celebration Song “Enkoro-bushi”
38	Coin-Blowing SongSotaro Katakura		The coin-blowing song born in the coin mint of Ishinomaki
39	Doya-bushiTakeo Aizawa		A folk song from Tohoku that prays for bountiful catches by fishermen
40	Bean-Grinding SongFumio Otsuka		A folk song from Miyagi sung during bean-grinding work
41	New Sansa ShigureTamako Onishi		Popularization of the Tohoku folk song “Shin Sansa Shigure”
42	Oitoko-bushiToya Agatsuma		"Oitokosō da yo" became popular in the late Edo period.
43	Donguri KorokoroRinne Morozuki		The background and origins of the acorn song
44	Saga Standing Jin SongDot dot		Sailor culture of Sagatate, a port town on the Kitakami River
45	Enshima JinkuTakada Totsuki		A drinking song sung in the fishing villages of Kinkasan