A FOLKIN’ GOOD TIME
My Journey from Japanese Traditional Folk Music to 8-bit Technofolk
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Photo: Zen Sasaki Erica Park (Kyoto) I stumbled upon Japanese traditional folk music the same way a horror film heroine might trip into a dark, deep pit in an old, creepy mansion: by accident. And much like said heroine who suddenly wakes up in said mysterious, deep pit, I don’t even know how I got here. The last thing I remember was wondering about Japanese instruments and typing “Japanese traditional songs” into a YouTube search bar, before being sucked in by the strums of shamisens and the dynamic vocals of Japan’s traditional folk singers. Although it’s usually put under the umbrella term “min’yo,” there is no exact name for the genre Japanese traditional folk music belongs to. Sometimes they’re called inaka bushi (country melodies), other times they’re called inaka buri (country tunes), or even hinata uta (rural songs). However, I think min’yo, whose kanji roughly translates to “the people’s chant,” is a weirdly accurate description of these simple, yet intriguing songs. For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to be referring to them as min’yo from here on out. In the same way certain foods or adorable mascots are part of a prefecture’s identity, min’yo songs are another way for many regions in Japan to further distinguish themselves. Originally sung by the lower class, their purposes vary from work songs sung while toiling away in fields, to sacred religious chants performed during ceremonies. Many songs tend to have imagery of nature or details of everyday life, and often performances incorporate special dances or instruments. Take for example Japan’s oldest min’yo song: “Kokiriko-bushi.” Hailing from Gokayama village in Toyama prefecture, “Kokiriko-bushi” illustrates the natural flora and fauna of the village during the harvest season. A performance of “Kokiriko-bushi” is visually intriguing as well; performers move slowly across the stage in uniquely shaped straw hats, as others play the iconic binzasara instrument: an accordion-like apparatus consisting of many wooden slats that
