Okinawan folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the heart of our hometown passed down through song.

Doesn’t Okinawan music have a unique vibe that many people love?

In Okinawa, a distinct culture has been nurtured over a long period of time.

As a result, the unique resonance of the Ryukyuan scale combined with lyrics in the Okinawan dialect gives the music a charm unlike any other.

In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of folk songs and children’s songs that have been passed down from adults to children for generations in Okinawan music.

Listen to the songs we’re about to share, and carry on the spirit of Okinawa in song yourself.

Playlist

Okinawan folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes: the heart of our hometown passed down through song.
	Title	Playlist	One point
1	Tinsagu FlowersMisako Koja		A didactic song that conveys the spirit of Okinawa
2	Akata ShuridenRimi Natsukawa		Okinawan folk song, a song handed down in the Shuri area
3	Asadoya YuntaNene’s		The story of the folk song “Asadoya Yunta” from Taketomi Island
4	Hello UncleShoukichi Kina		Shoukichi Kina’s youthful folk-pop song
5	Milk MunariHiga Tatsumi		The Appeal of Okinawa’s Iconic Eisa Songs
6	Tōfun DoiRinken Band		Popular in Eisa, a representative folk song of Okinawa
7	Ittaa anmaa maa kaiga		An Okinawan children's song, fiercely covered by MONGOL800
8	Naa-minaa-mi wanwacha-kuri		An Okinawan children's folk song frolicking with the waves
9	Fūyubemā		In an Okinawan hand-play song, dancing while singing about fingers.
10	sensory clauseHajime Nakasone		Senseuru-bushi of Okinawan folk music: humor and tradition
11	AkamabushiŌshiro Shiban		A Joyful Horse Song Composed by an Official of Miyara Village
12	Festival of CelebrationMaiden Camellia		An island song imbued with the people's feelings
13	Kunigami JintōyōRinsho Kadekaru		Value cooperation and heart even in harsh environments
14	Sea ChimbōrāHajime Nakasone		A cheerful song from Okinawan folk music and red-light district traditions
15	Ufumuraudun		Okinawan lullabies: comfort found in scary stories
16	tinglingAkito Inami		Characteristics and meaning of the Okinawan folk song 'Jin Jin'
17	HarikyamakAyano Uema		A folk song of Kachāshī, an Okinawan dance song
18	the beautiful moonTetsuhiro Daiku		Singing of the beauty of the moon on the Thirteenth Night and a 17-year-old woman
19	Bangamuri		A lullaby from Miyakojima, a song full of love
20	Tinsagu Flowers		A heartwarming Okinawan song that conveys parental love and teachings
21	Kana Yo-bushiChōichi Terukina		A traditional love song of Okinawa, used in Ryukyuan dance.
22	Tinsagu FlowersRimi Natsukawa		An Okinawan didactic song that sings of family love and wisdom
23	Uwaki-bushiShokichi Kina & Tetsuko Kina		A song of a wife angry at her cheating husband's excuses
24	Yuito of the WindHiga Tatsumi		Hidekatsu, the creator of Eisa’s classic songs
25	Yui-YuiMayumi Yamakawa		A song of mutual help sung by an Okinawan girl
26	Yo, Kana yoMisako Oshiro		Encounter at a traditional Okinawan outdoor poetry gathering
27	TubaramaKenya Kakino		The Yaeyama folk song Tubarama lives on
28	Ichubi measureswith us		A bittersweet Okinawan song that uses strawberries as a tool of love
29	Song of the GutlessYo Henaiko		Love the heart and sing of deep, sincere love
30	NaakuniMasao Uehara & Masahiko Uehara		A challenging yet beloved classic that represents Okinawa
31	Futami Love StoryKazumi Tamaki, Takeshi Yamauchi		The Folk Songs of Futami That Convey the Memory of the Battle of Okinawa
32	Poem of the HeartYoriko Ganeko		A warm song that makes you feel love, a folk tune that heals the heart.
33	Chin-nuku jūshīFour Sisters		A song depicting the bonds of family and nostalgia in Okinawa
34	Noboru JahanaShoukichi Kina		A commitment to preserving Okinawan identity
35	Flower ThoughtsKanako Horiuchi		A traveler who brings Okinawan folk songs to the world
36	The Pattern of LifeTetsuhiro Daiku		Tetsuhiro Daiku, who fused Yaeyama folk songs with world music
37	Annual Events KudokiRinsuke Teruya		A song that cheerfully sings and passes down Okinawan traditions
38	Nineteen SpringsYoshio Tabata		Okinawan youth folk songs that sing of sweet young love
39	Kaze no DonanShigemasa Nishidomari		A traditional song from Yonaguni Island, characterized by a powerful low register
40	Ichubi measures		A song about thinking of a loved one and going to pick strawberries
41	Katami-bushi		A traditional Okinawan folk song celebrating the bond of a married couple and their new beginning.
42	Surti East-sai		An Okinawan folk song that longs for the East, with a bittersweet atmosphere and gentleness.
43	Tenyo-bushi		The traditional Okinawan song “Tenyo-bushi” is a staple of Bon Odori.
44	Tōfun Doi		An Okinawan traditional folk song for sanshin celebrating the arrival of Chinese ships
45	Asadoya Yunta		An Okinawan folk song: a love story between a beauty and an official
46	Umiya color		An Okinawan folk song portraying passionate love that resonates in the heart
47	Flower windmill		Okinawan folk song, the song of a pinwheel riding on the sound of the wind
48	Bountiful Harvest Dance		The Charm of Kachāshī, an Okinawan Folk Song
49	play yardMorikata Maekawa		Masakatsu Maekawa’s classic Okinawan folk song “Asobi-niwa”
50	Mimura DanceVivid Girl		A famous song that sings about three villages, including Oroku in Okinawa.
51	Tancha-mae BushiTink Tink		Okinawa Tancha Fish Seller Song, Monorail Departure Chime
52	Thank youMorikata Maekawa		A love song by Okinawan singer Morikena Maekawa
53	Ase-mizu FestivalMisako Oshiro		A song that conveys the importance of education and labor
54	Hiyamikachi-bushiSeijin Noborikawa		A folk song imbued with the fighting spirit of the Battle of Okinawa, popular for its fast picking.
55	Seibumon-bushiSadao Chinami & Yasuko Miyazato		Entrance to the red-light district, a place of prostitution and human trafficking
56	Nariyama AyaguMiwa Yonashiro		Miyako folk songs: lessons from a wife and the island’s tolerance
57	Flower windmillTomoko Kuwae		The chorus of Okinawan folk songs is a song loved by the prefecture’s residents.
58	Yaka BushiSadao China		A song that tells the tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa
59	ShimochidoriKazutoshi Matsuda		Hamakchidori, a compassionate song from Okinawan folk music
60	Suri East-bushi		The allure and profound depth of the Okinawan folk song “Suri Higashi-bushi”
61	Kudaka Manju-shu		Sung in Okinawan folk songs and Eisa
62	Basho-fu (traditional Okinawan banana-fiber cloth)Rumi Ota & Isamu Inami		A folk song that expresses the songs and climate of Okinawa
63	Women Workers’ DayYoriko Ganeko		Singing of the hardships and sorrows of labor of Okinawan women
64	DanjukaruyushiTsunami Tsunenori		An auspicious prayer for the safety of a ship’s departure in Okinawa.
65	Nakazun Nagare		A traditional Okinawan folk Eisa song that conveys a lively, spirited soul.