[Akita Songs] A Collection of Gem-Like Local Tunes Filled with Love for Hometowns

Soar, Akita kids!Yu Tsukumo

Soar, Akita kids!

A hopeful cheering song that powerfully supports the children of Akita as they stride toward the future.

Yuu Tsukumo’s emotionally rich vocals blend with a lively, energetic chorus to warmly embrace listeners’ hearts.

Created in May 1999 as the image song for Meitoku Elementary School, the piece carries a special warmth unique to Yuu Tsukumo, who values bonds with the community—evidenced by the story that the school’s own students took part in the recording.

It’s a classic filled with kindness and vitality that gently stays by your side when you feel homesick or want to reconnect with a pure, sincere heart.

Obako Pilgrimage SongAyako Fuji

Obako Pilgrimage Song – Aya Fuze & Miho Asobana

This song, inspired by Akita’s place names and scenery, sings of lingering feelings for a lost love and a heartfelt yearning for one’s hometown.

The protagonist, chasing the traces of a beloved, travels through places of memories as if on a pilgrimage.

The images of the Oga Peninsula at sunset and the narrator’s heart mirrored in the seagulls may tug at listeners’ hearts as well.

Released as a single by Aya Fuj i in May 1996, it beautifully blends a melody rich in Tohoku sentiment crafted by Ikuzo Yoshi and Aya Fuj i’s gently resonant vocals.

It’s a classic that vividly evokes Akita’s landscapes—perfect for moments of nostalgia for home.

Akita Prefectural AnthemTamezo Narita

Akita Prefectural Anthem

The Akita Prefectural Anthem is a work composed by Tamezo Narita, a composer who left behind many celebrated masterpieces in Japan.

Brimming with the charms of Akita—its abundant nature and the traditional culture that people have steadfastly preserved—it is loved not only by prefectural residents but by many others as a song that symbolizes Akita.

It can rightly be called a quintessential local song that moves listeners, even those who are not from Akita.

Oga PeninsulaTakeshi Kitayama

[MV] Takeshi Kitayama / Oga Peninsula

Set against the majestic natural backdrop of the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture, this song captures the blazing spirit of a man who keeps his passion hidden within.

Landmarks from the peninsula appear in the lyrics, and just by listening, you can vividly picture the rugged scenery of the Sea of Japan.

Released in August 2007, the single’s coupling track, “Yume Ichizu,” was also used as the theme song for a period drama on TV.

Thanks to this song, Takeshi Kitayama served as the Oga Peninsula Tourism Ambassador and performed the piece at that year’s NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

For anyone standing at a crossroads in life and about to take on a challenge, this is a song that gives a powerful push forward.

Words of OigataMating Rhythm feat. Neji

“Words of Oigadano” Mating Rhythm feat. Neji [MV]

A single overflowing with hometown love where the warmth of the Akita dialect blends comfortably with ska’s cheerful rhythm.

It’s a collaborative track by the Akita-based ska band Mating Rhythm and the comedy duo Neji, who are also from the prefecture.

The creators’ gentle wish to cherish and pass on a fading hometown tongue comes through vividly in the bright sound.

Released in April 2017 as one of the tracks on the single “Tooku Hand Clap,” it may resonate with listeners who feel a special kind of affection in dialect speech.

For those who’ve left Akita and are doing their best elsewhere, this song will surely lift your spirits.

Wonderful Hachi-kunAkira Inaba

Wonderful Hachi-kun -Music Video-

It’s a heartwarming local song filled with love for the city of Ōdate.

Akira Inaba, a native of Ōdate, wrote both the lyrics and music himself, using humorous words to portray the city’s adorable mascot, as well as local specialties like kiritanpo hot pot and Hinai-jidori chicken.

The lively chorus sung by local kindergarteners adds a sense of warmth that feels like the whole community coming together.

This piece is included on the concept album “Minna Issho ni! Gotōchi Character Taisō,” released in July 2016, and it’s also cherished as a tourism PR song for Ōdate City.

Brimming with charm that brings a smile to every listener, it vividly conjures up the tranquil scenery of Akita.

Sky of DreamsYu Tsukumo

Sky of Dreams / Yuu Tsukumo

This is a work by Yu Tsukumo that moves the heart with the passion of fireworks artisans who set Akita’s night sky ablaze and their love for their hometown.

Since 1988, this piece has been cherished as the opening theme of the National Fireworks Competition, enveloping the venue in emotion at the exact moment a Niagara fireworks display—spanning roughly 500 meters—ignites.

It is included on albums such as “Akita Sanka II” and is also used as the departure melody at Omagari Station.

For those with roots in Akita, or anyone longing to feel the warmth of the land, this work may well feel like a spiritual home in itself.