Shimauta and Hachigatsu Odori on Amami Oshima | Music and Culture in Everyday Life
Shimauta songs carry Amami’s language and ways of life across generations, while Hachigatsu Odori brings communities together to sing and dance in a circle. Discover the culture and human connections behind the sounds of Amami Oshima.
Culture
August 17, 2026
Amami Experience Editorial Team
About 8 min read
自然 ｜ 2026.08.08 ｜ 奄美エクスペリエンス編集部 ｜ 3分
When traveling around Amami Oshima, there are moments when you feel the island's essence not only through nature, but also through the voices and sounds of the people.
The sound of a shamisen.
The sound of someone beginning to sing.
Voices overlapped in response.
A time when people dance in a circle to the rhythm of the drums.
The island songs and August dances that have been passed down in Amami are not traditional performing arts that only exist on stage.
Behind it all are the language, work, joys and sorrows, prayers, and the connections between people that the villagers live in.
Instead of viewing culture from afar as something that "has always been there," we should understand it as something that has continued to exist within the lives of people in that region.
There is a side to Amami that can be seen from that perspective.
Walking around Amami, you'll find songs woven into everyday life.
Amami's island songs have been passed down through generations, deeply intertwined with the local way of life.
Kagoshima Prefecture recognizes island songs as one of Amami's traditional cultural elements and has compiled "Amami Island Songs to be Passed Down Through Generations" for their preservation and transmission.
The album contains 482 island songs.
The records are divided into six regions: northern Amami Oshima, southern Amami Oshima, Kikaijima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, and Yoronjima.
Just looking at the number 482, it's clear that "Amami Island Songs" cannot be described by a single category.
Different regions have different languages.
Their singing styles are different too.
Even with the same song title, the melody and expression can vary depending on the region.
Rather than one island having one culture, Amami's culture is shaped by the accumulation of small, local communities.
Shimauta Preserves the Language of Shima Communities
When you listen to island songs, you hear words that are different from the standard Japanese you usually hear.
Amami has its own regional dialects, and these are preserved in its songs.
In Kagoshima Prefecture, they have created a teaching material called "Learning Amami Dialect Through Island Songs," which allows people to learn the dialects of each island through the lyrics of island songs. It features representative island songs from six regions, including Kita-Oshima and Minami-Oshima, and introduces the meaning of the lyrics, the words used, and the origins of the songs.
This demonstrates that island songs are not only music, but also a means of conveying words.
A phrase someone has hummed.
Words I've heard within my family and community.
Words that describe the lifestyle and feelings of the past.
Words that we rarely use in everyday life can still be preserved as voices in songs.
Listening to island songs is not just about enjoying the melodies; it's also about listening attentively to the language that the people of that land have used for generations.
Even within Amami, there isn't just one type of song.
When you hear "Amami Island Songs," you might think it's a distinct musical genre.
However, there are differences from island to island and from region to region.
The island songs preserved by Kagoshima Prefecture are recorded in two parts on Amami Oshima alone: 96 songs in the northern part and 116 songs in the southern part.
The words and intonation used vary from region to region.
Therefore, there is no need to represent island songs with a single song that is "typically Amami."
Every land has its own songs.
In each village, there are songs that have been sung within that village for generations.
As introduced in Article 2, "How to Spend Time on Amami Oshima," in Amami, settlements are called "shima." Amami City also considers the traditional performing arts, natural landscapes, and local products that each shima has inherited as its own "regional treasures."
Culture has also developed over generations within each shima community.
August Dance is a time when people gather, sing, and dance.
One cultural tradition that allows you to feel the closeness between island songs and people's lives is the August Dance.
During the August Dance, people form a circle and dance to the accompaniment of songs and drums.
Nowadays, you can see the August Dance at events that attract large crowds, such as the Amami Festival. At the 63rd Amami Festival in 2026, the August Dance was included as one of the official programs on August 1st.
On the other hand, the foundation of that culture is the settlement.
In the Kasari district of Amami City, the August Dance is still performed in many communities as part of events such as "Arasetsu" and "Shibasashi," which take place in the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
This is not just a dance performed on stage, but a time that has continued in places where people live.
When you think about it that way, your perspective on the August Dance changes a little.
The August Dance, which celebrates a bountiful harvest and connects communities.
Arasetsu, a tradition in the Kasari district of Amami City, is held on the first hinoe (丙) day of the eighth lunar month.
They offer miki and kashiki made from newly harvested rice, worship the god of fire, and celebrate a bountiful harvest.
It is said that in the past, people would go from house to house in the village and dance all night long, and nowadays, the tradition has been passed down in many villages, albeit in a modified form, such as dancing in designated places or groups.
Shibasashi, which takes place a certain number of days after Arasetsu, is also a traditional event related to fields and houses.
What's important here is not to simply view it as "an old festival that has remained unchanged."
Farm work.
harvest.
prayer.
Visiting houses.
Singing and dancing together.
The August Dance incorporates various elements of daily life.
The act of people gathering to dance was likely a time to reaffirm the bonds within the community.
The culture that survives is precisely because it differs from one settlement to another.
There isn't just one fixed form for the August dance.
The official Amami Oshima tourism information also mentions that the choreography and songs of the August Dance have unique characteristics depending on the village.
For example, in the Sani settlement of Kasari town in Amami City, the "Sani August Dance" is passed down as a local cultural tradition. The Sani August Dance Preservation Society is registered with Amami City's "One Settlement, One Brand" program, and it has been documented that the dance, which used to be performed by going from house to house, has now evolved into a form where the dancers visit neighboring houses together.
These differences are part of what gives each shima community its own identity.
How to dance.
song.
words.
The rhythm of the drums.
How to proceed with the event.
Instead of comparing the differences to determine "which is correct,"
“This is how the tradition has been passed down in this shima.”
That's my view.
That's an important perspective to have when engaging with local culture.
Inheriting something is not just about preserving the same form.
The term "traditional culture" often conjures up images of things being preserved in the same form as in the past, without changing.
However, actual culture changes along with people's lives.
In the past, the August Dance was performed by visiting houses all night long, but in some cases, it continues today, albeit at different times and locations.
Regarding island songs, Kagoshima Prefecture has cited changes in lifestyles and a decline in the number of people who understand the local language as challenges. They are recording audio and lyrics, and developing teaching materials that can be used in schools and community centers.
The initiative to teach island songs, shamisen, and August dance at school has been featured to this day.
Inheriting a culture doesn't mean returning to the exact same way of life as in the past.
We're looking for ways to pass on our current lifestyle to the next generation.
I believe that this accumulation of experiences is also a form of tradition.
Things to keep in mind when experiencing a culture as a traveler
If you encounter the August Dance or island songs, you might feel the urge to "see them up close" or "take pictures."
However, the appropriate distance to maintain depends on whether the event is for tourists or a local community event.
In particular, community events are also a time for the people who live there.
Is it possible to visit or participate?
May I take a picture?
How far can I go in?
If there are instructions from the local area or organizers, it is essential to follow them.
Even though it's the same "August Dance," the dates and methods of operation may vary depending on the village and the year. Amami City also provides individual schedules for current village events.
Because I don't know, I ask first.
If you are welcomed, cherish that time.
And don't turn culture into just a collection of photos and experiences for your own enjoyment.
It is through respect for the community that encounters with people become truly memorable.
Get to know a place by listening to its songs.
Memories of travel include not only sights but also sounds.
The sound of waves.
The sound of birds in the forest.
The sound of rain hitting the roof.
And then, the sound of people singing.
Even if you don't understand all the lyrics of the island songs, you can still learn that there is a land that gave birth to those voices.
Even if you don't join the circle of the August Dance, there's something to be felt just by watching people singing and dancing together.
Culture is not just what is preserved in a glass case.
People sing.
People are dancing.
Children learn it.
Those who have known for a long time will teach you.
It changes shape little by little as it's passed on to the next person.
The island songs and August dances of Amami Oshima are found within the daily lives of the people.
As mentioned in Article 4, "Walking around Amami Oshima with a Guide," the way we see the same scenery can change when we hear it through the words of someone who knows the area.
The same applies to sound and dance.
Rather than simply viewing it as a characteristic Amami tradition, imagine who has sung the song and which shima communities have passed down the dance.
Then, a song I heard while traveling...
This will serve as an entry point to learning more about the Amami Islands.
If you'd like to learn about experiences you can have on Amami Oshima, from the sea and forests to culture and lifestyle, please also check out " Things to Experience on Amami Oshima ."
