Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
In this article, we feature folk songs and children’s songs related to Osaka!Osaka has long been a key hub of logistics, situated at the confluence of busy sea routes and rivers.
Because of that, Osaka’s folk repertoire includes pieces like the Yodogawa boat songs that evoke its deep history.
At the same time, there are newer tunes that symbolize contemporary Osaka, such as the Harukas Ondo inspired by Abeno Harukas.
Listen to the folk and children’s songs of Osaka—once called the “nation’s kitchen”—and immerse yourself in its long, rich history!
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Osaka folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes: The heart of our hometown passed down through song (11–20)
Sakai Sumiyoshi
This is a song that celebrates the charm of Sumiyoshi in Osaka.
The relaxed tones of the shamisen create an elegant, quintessentially Kamigata atmosphere.
In the lyrics, the singer tours the famous sights of Sumiyoshi Taisha, as if feeling the bustle firsthand.
In the latter half, when local souvenirs are recommended, you can sense the warmth of the people.
It’s a piece to savor when you want to reflect on the nostalgic scenery of old Naniwa.
You can hear it on albums such as Shohei Narise’s “Osaka Prefecture Folk Songs: Shohei Narise Folk Song Complete Collection – Commemorating the Master’s Title.”
Osaka City Streetcar Song
A song with a pleasing seven-five rhythm invites you on a journey through springtime Osaka.
Starting in Umeda, it sings its way through the era’s celebrated spots—Dojima, Shinsaibashi, and on to Tempozan—so vividly that the city’s lively scenes come to life before your eyes.
Don’t you feel the excitement of people swaying along in the streetcars? It’s said this piece was created in 1908 as a PR song for the Osaka Municipal Tramway.
As you listen to its nostalgic melody, you can sense the bustle of the old, beloved “City of Water.”
Horie Bon Folk Song
It is a bon-odori song from the red-light district that used to be in Horie, Nishi Ward, Osaka City, and it seems geisha once sang and danced to it gracefully.
The lyrics—“We broke the brazier / We broke the mortar / We got scolded / Now, watermelon…”—are buoyed by a cheerful tune and have been passed down to the present day.
The Four Seasons of Naniwa
This is a piece used in NHK’s morning drama series “Asa ga Kita.” It consists of four sections representing spring, summer, autumn, and winter, weaving in seasonal scenes such as New Year in Osaka, the Tenjin Festival, moon viewing, and a silver winter landscape.
It’s a song that nicely conveys how to enjoy the four seasons in Osaka.
Grand Osaka Subway MarchRen Tokuyama and Chiyoko Kobayashi
A song composed when the Osaka Municipal Subway opened in 1933.
The lyrics were written by Yonejiro Hiratsuka, who was then the director of the Osaka Municipal Electric Bureau, the predecessor of today’s Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau.
At the time, the main modes of transport within the city were streetcars and buses, but since the subway had a higher average speed than those, the song’s theme celebrates the “age of speed.”
Osaka Boogie-WoogieShizuko Kasagi
A number released in 1948 by Shizuko Kasagi following the huge hit “Tokyo Boogie-Woogie.” The lyrics are packed with Osaka place names like Shinsaibashi and Semba, and even include depictions comparing Osaka to New York.
For Shizuko Kasagi, who grew up in Osaka, this may have been an easier song to sing.
She went on to release many other “local boogies,” such as “Nagoya Boogie” and “Hakata Boogie-Woogie.”
Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: The enduring heart of our hometown (21–30)
Chochi chochi awawa.
This is a hand play song for infants.
It’s sung in Osaka and many other regions as well.
The part where you whirl your hands is sometimes expressed as “kaiguri kaiguri,” which has a fun sound that children seem to enjoy.
I hope beautiful, nostalgic Japanese songs like this will be passed down and cherished forever.