Rudolf Dittrich (1861–1919), an Austrian music teacher who greatly contributed to the introduction of Western music during the Meiji period, came to Japan as the first foreign teacher at the time of the Tokyo Music School's establishment and nurtured many young talents. He is particularly known as the teacher of Koda Nobu, recognizing her extraordinary musical aptitude and strongly encouraging her to study abroad.

This work, Six Japanese Folk Songs, is an arrangement and re-composition based on Western harmony and form, using Japanese folk songs that Dittrich encountered during his stay in Japan as source material. In addition to melodies still popular today, such as “Sakura” and “Gonbei ga Tanemaku,” songs from various regions, including Okinawan folk songs, were selected, demonstrating his deep interest in Japanese musical culture. It is a work of historical significance as an attempt at cross-cultural understanding and musical fusion, and also as a background that supported the starting point of Japanese composers.