Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Toyama: the enduring heart of our hometown passed down through song
A special feature on folk songs and children’s songs from Toyama.
It includes folk songs related to Gokayama, known as a hidden enclave of the once-glorious Taira clan; folk songs unique to Toyama, famous for its medicines; and not only folk tunes but also well-known pieces like “Moon over the Ruined Castle,” composed by Rentaro Taki, who spent his boyhood in Toyama.
If you live locally, many of these pieces will surely feel familiar.
We also introduce Bon dance songs, so you might even catch a whiff of summer’s atmosphere.
Why not listen to regional folk and children’s songs and let your thoughts wander to Toyama’s natural and cultural landscape?
Folk songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Toyama: the heart of our hometown passed down in song (1–10)
Serikomi Chōroku
Serikomi Chōroku is a precious folk song that embodies the history and culture of Toyama.
Beloved by the people of Uozu City across generations, it has long been danced at events such as Obon.
In particular, during the “Serikomi Chōroku Machinagashi” at the Jantokoi Uozu Festival, passionate dances are performed to the music woven by live singing and live instruments.
It gives listeners the feeling that a page of history has been revived in the present, letting them vividly sense the spirit of their hometown.
Stirring both emotion and nostalgia, this song is recommended not only for those connected to Toyama, but for anyone who wishes to experience Japan’s traditional culture.
Snow in HimiYuri Harada
Yuri Harada’s classic “Himi no Yuki” is a heartrending breakup song released on February 25, 2004.
The piece overlays the sorrow of a heartbreaking separation with the chill of winter.
Lyrics and melody that seem to speak directly to the listener convey the deep feelings of a devoted woman.
The setting, colored by Toyama Prefecture’s landscapes such as Gokayama and Himi, intensifies the sense of unwavering love and resonates with listeners.
It’s recommended for those trying to overcome a breakup or for moments of quietly reflecting on the past alone.
Four-Bamboo Joint
Filled with the nostalgic flavors of home, “Yotsutakesabushi” is a song cherished by the people of Toyama Prefecture.
Representing Gokayama in Etchu, this piece is sung with affection for people’s lives and reverence for nature, set against the region’s rich natural surroundings and the daily life lived there.
For listeners, it conjures images of Etchu’s abundant mountains and its charming rural landscapes.
And if you live there, you might even recognize it as the familiar chime used for the time signal.
Enjara-bushi
It’s a bon-odori folk song that is still passed down in the city of Tonami.
We pronounce it “Tonami-shi.” The word “Enjara” comes from a transformation of the refrain “En-yara,” which appeared in bon-odori songs that had long been handed down in the eastern part of the prefecture, starting with Harihara in Toyama City.
It’s a staple at local festivals.
Kokiriko-bushi
Kokiriko-bushi is an ancient folk song that represents the Gokayama region of Nanto City in Toyama Prefecture and is famous nationwide.
It has gained national recognition as a folk song, having been featured on the NHK program “Minna no Uta” and included in music textbooks.
Every September, the Kokiriko Festival is held at Hakusan Shrine.
Gokayama Oiwake-bushi
Gokayama Oiwake-bushi is a folk song that originated in Gokayama, said to have been a refuge for defeated Heike warriors at the end of the Heian period.
Its lyrics vividly reflect daily life of the time, and it’s said that villagers would sing it in step while taking their cows along on shopping trips.
It’s the perfect song to let your mind wander back to old Gokayama.
Even if you’re not from the area, I think you’ll feel a sense of nostalgia.
Give it a listen and let yourself be filled with homesickness.
O-Sayo Bushi
“Osayo-bushi” is a folk song handed down in the Gokayama region of Toyama Prefecture, whose origins and content are closely tied to Toyama’s culture.
The song centers on Osayo, a beautiful courtesan from Wajima in Noto, and is associated with her exile to Kamihira Village in Higashi-Tonami District as a penalty related to the Kaga Disturbance.
There is also a theory that Osayo brought to Gokayama a song she learned at a somen noodle shop in Wajima, linking it to the region’s representative folk song, “Gokayama Mugi-ya-bushi.” Passed down through generations, “Osayo-bushi,” with its particularly nostalgic melody, offers a moment that gently accompanies the heart.