Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Nagasaki: the heart of the hometown passed down through song
Nagasaki, with places like Dejima, exudes an exotic atmosphere.
In this article, we’ll introduce folk songs and children’s songs that capture Nagasaki’s customs, practices, and current events.
Above all, many of Nagasaki’s folk songs, in their melodies and in many other aspects, carry historical backgrounds and convey a distinctly non-Japanese feel.
Listening to these Nagasaki folk and children’s songs, you can’t help but picture the streetscapes of Nagasaki.
Please try listening while imagining Nagasaki brimming with that exotic charm.
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Nagasaki folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down in song (11–20)
Hasami Bushi
Hasamibushi is a folk song beloved in Hasami, a town in central Nagasaki Prefecture surrounded by lush greenery.
It’s a so-called “plate dance” performed with small dishes in both hands.
At the annual Hasami Summer Festival, it was customary for the women’s association to parade through town dancing to this song.
Hasami is famous for its pottery and porcelain, and the song has been passed down continuously as part of that tradition.
Just listening to it, you can almost hear the pleasant, tinkling ‘chari-chari’ of the clinking plates.
Nagasaki City Song
In 1933, with events directly affecting citizens continuing—such as the opening of the NHK Nagasaki Broadcasting Station—and preparations for the tourism exposition proceeding at a rapid pace, a bustling atmosphere pervaded the city.
Riding that momentum, the City of Nagasaki decided to establish a city anthem.
It commissioned the Nagasaki City Education Association to solicit lyrics from the public, and the association supplemented and completed a work by Kiyomi Matsubara, a Japanese language teacher.
Maruyama JinkuShinnai Edayuki Dayu
Maruyama Jinku is a song that depicts the scenery of Maruyama-machi in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture.
It was composed by Shinuchi Esukotayu, the head of the Shinuchi Yasaka school and a native of Kyoto.
Released in 2004, it is quite new for a folk song.
In the past, Maruyama-machi was a red-light district bustling night after night with people enjoying ozashiki entertainment.
The lyrics vividly convey that landscape and the sounds that could be heard there, making its worldview especially captivating.
Listening to it, you may feel as if you’ve slipped back in time to that era.
The Pomelo Vendor of NagasakiMinoru Obata
A work that stirs nostalgia and evokes the good old Japan.
It’s a song by singer Minoru Obata, known for numerous hits such as “Fukezu no Uta” and “Yunomachi Shigure,” released as a single in 1948.
The “zabon” in the title refers to a citrus fruit also known as buntan (pomelo).
The song portrays a woman who goes around selling zabon.
While the melody has a pastoral feel, a careful reading of the lyrics reveals reflections of the sorrow of World War II, making it deeply moving.
It’s dangerous
It’s a New Year’s children’s song that was also used as the jingle for Bunmeido Sohonten, famous for its castella cake.
Nagasaki has long had close ties with the Netherlands.
The “kanakin” mentioned in the lyrics refers to a type of fabric written as 金巾, and the song portrays people happily receiving that cloth from the Dutch.
The lyrics are simple, but the piece feels packed with the history of Nagasaki Prefecture.
By the way, it’s also a children’s circle game song, played by several people holding a red cloth.
The Seven Wonders of Nagasaki
Many of Nagasaki’s place names and landmarks have curious names, and a folk song called “The Seven Wonders of Nagasaki” sings about these questions.
It wonders about things like Daitokuji even though there’s no temple, or Maruyama even though it’s flat land—indeed, it questions only the truly puzzling ones.
Even today, it’s like a children’s ditty that people still find themselves humming.
Folk Songs, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes of Nagasaki: The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song (21–30)
Love’s Chinese Ship
In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, and militaristic songs such as the “Patriotic March” became popular.
Released just four months before the conflict, “Koi no Tojinbune” conveys none of the gloom of war; instead, it gently portrays and sings of Chinese ambiance with a serene touch.