Kisobushi

Kisobushi (in Japanese: 木曽節) is a folk song originating from the Kiso District of Nagano Prefecture, Japan.^[1] It sings about the river, mountains and people who live there.

General

Kisobushi is a folk song originating from the Kiso District of Nagano Prefecture, Japan.^[2] It sings about the river, mountains and people who live there. "Fushi" (in Japanese: 節) or "Bushi", when immediately follows another nouns, as in "Tankobushi", means a melody or a song.

Lyrics

There are several stanzas of various versions. The words, "Nakanori san", in the lyrics are generally agreed to mean the loggers who raft down the Kiso River, carrying the logs cut down from the woods in the Kiso Mountains.

Japanese original

木曽のナー　中乗りさん
木曽の御岳（おんたけ）さんは　ナンジャラホーイ
夏でも寒い　ヨイヨイヨイ
合唱：ヨイヨイヨイノ　ヨイヨイヨイ

袷ょ（あわしょ）ナー　中乗りさん
あわしょやりたや　ナンジャラホーイ
足袋もそえて　ヨイヨイヨイ
合唱：ハー　ヨイヨイヨイノ　ヨイヨイヨイ

...

Romanized Japanese

Kiso no nah, Nakanori san,
Kisono Ontakesan wa, nanjara hoi!
Natsu demo samui, yoi yoi yoi!
Chorus: Hah, yoi yoi yoi no, yoi yoi yoi!

Awasho nah, Nakanori san,
Awasho yaritaya, nanjara hoi!
Tabi mo soete, yoi yoi yoi!
Chorus: Hah, yoi yoi yoi no, yoi yoi yoi!

...

References

^ Japan Magazine: A Representative Monthly of Things Japanese. Japan Magazine Company. 1925. p. 395.
^ Faier, Lieba (2009). Intimate Encounters: Filipina Women and the Remaking of Rural Japan. University of California Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-520-25214-1.

[1] Japan Magazine: A Representative Monthly of Things Japanese. Japan Magazine Company. 1925. p. 395.

[2] Faier, Lieba (2009). Intimate Encounters: Filipina Women and the Remaking of Rural Japan. University of California Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-520-25214-1.