[Folk Songs of Yamagata] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song: Feelings Woven into Nostalgic Melodies

Song for Celebrating a Bountiful Harvest

Harvest Celebration Song (Yamagata)

This is a celebratory folk song from Yamagata, brimming with festivity, that conjures up images of people rejoicing together over a bountiful rice harvest.

In the lyrics, Daikoku-sama and Ebisu-sama dance, and the whole village revels in prosperity.

What makes this piece especially interesting is that, beyond its bright and lively character, it weaves in a fleeting, Saibara-bushi-like tinge of melancholy.

Perhaps the profound joy that comes from overcoming arduous labor is embedded in this distinctive melodic turn.

It’s said that the song’s origins lie in a work song sung during construction that began in 1919.

Yonezawa Obako

Yonezawa Obako

This is a folk song from the Yonezawa region of Yamagata Prefecture, whose nickname comes from a Tohoku dialect word meaning “young girl.” Its gentle, unhurried melody evokes Yonezawa’s abundant nature and the calm rhythms of everyday life.

Sung in a call-and-response style, the piece seems to convey the cheerful atmosphere of celebratory gatherings.

Passed down by many different performers, it’s a song that, when listened to as you think of your hometown or sink into a leisurely moment, will let you feel the warmth of human kindness through music.

Backside macconokisa

Nursery rhyme: “Backyard’s Makkono Kisa”

This piece, with the simple and soothing lilt of the Yamagata dialect, breathes with the life of the local community.

It depicts everyday scenes—children playing in the backyard fields and family members gently watching over them—scenes that many may find warmly relatable.

Composed in 1930 by Akataro Shimazaki of the Tokyo Music School with permission from the Imperial Household Agency, this is a modern folk song.

For those living away from their hometown or feeling a little worn out by the busyness of daily life, its gentle melody may quietly sink into the heart.

It’s a song that stirs a sense of nostalgia.

Kakuma Harvesting Song

Kakuma Harvesting Song

This is a work song passed down in a remote mountain village of Yamagata, traditionally sung while gathering firewood.

The prosperity of the mountains is entrusted to birdsong, portraying the robust figures of those who work with gratitude toward nature.

For anyone longing to reconnect with the scenery of home and the warmth of its people, the piece’s simple, cheerful melody may feel like a gentle encouragement to the heart.

As you listen, we recommend picturing Yamagata’s tranquil landscapes and lending an ear to the breath of life in the ancestors’ way of living.

Yamagata Lumberjack Song

Yamagata Lumberjack Song

This is a Yamagata work song that extols the pride and vibrant spirit of sawyers sweating through their mountain labor.

You can almost picture the cheerful scene of reporting to the boss that they’ve harvested high-quality timber and sharing the joy with their comrades.

The song has a background of having been formed in 1931, when the Yamagata Shimbun held a public contest for lyrics and fused the winning words with a locally handed-down melody.

For those who wish to reflect on nostalgic hometown landscapes or seek a boost of energy for daily life, its simple yet powerful tune will serve as fuel for tomorrow.

I don’t like Shonai.

I don’t like Shonai.

A lively dance song that has brightly enlivened banquets and Bon Odori in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture.

Its roots lie far away in Kumamoto, Kyushu; it’s said that sailors brought the song during the Edo period, where it took hold after blending with the bustling spirit of the port town of Sakata.

The charm of this piece lies in its call-and-response structure, with the lead singer and the chorus exchanging lines like a dialogue.

Some listeners may feel a sense of kinship in how this back-and-forth unites everyone present.

When you want to feel the warm human connections of Shonai and the bustle of home firsthand, listening to it may make you feel as if you’ve joined the circle of the feast yourself.

Old Obako

Old Obako

Originating in the Murayama region of Yamagata Prefecture, this is a traditional song whose gentle, tranquil melody resonates with the heart.

It is said to have already been sung from the late Edo to early Meiji period.

“Obako” refers to a young maiden, and the poignant longing for a beloved and the feeling of waiting are expressively sung to the sounds of shamisen and shakuhachi.

With touches of local dialect, the image of a girl wondering which dyer’s shop made her yukata evokes a simple, nostalgic atmosphere.

There is also an anecdote that Minyo researcher Momozan Nawano, captivated by its charm, helped spread it in the Shonai region.

It can be called the spirit of a hometown, passed down through generations in the community.