Japanese folk music

Japanese folk music, known as min'yō, is the body of regional work songs, festival songs and dance songs transmitted across Japan for centuries, sung in local dialects over shamisen, shakuhachi, taiko drums and shinobue flute. Repertory tied to fishing, farming and Bon festivals varies sharply by prefecture, from Hokkaido's Esashi Oiwake to the Tsugaru tradition of Aomori. Twentieth-century masters such as blind shamisen virtuoso *Takahashi Chikuzan* brought min'yō to concert halls, and modern groups including *Minyo Crusaders* recast the songs in cumbia, reggae and Afrobeat arrangements for new audiences.