[2025] Masterpieces Themed on Ehime: From Local Songs to Municipal Anthems

A city that leads into the futureLyrics and composition: Kosetsu Minami

A Town Leading to the Future (Minami Kōsetsu) Takurō Semitori

The image song “A City Leading to the Future” was created to commemorate the founding of Shikokuchuo City.

The lyrics and music are by Kosetsu Minami, a master of the folk scene.

You can almost picture the people of the newly unified city joining hands and walking toward the future.

Minami’s gentle guitar tones and warm vocals harmonize beautifully with the message wishing for a bright future for the new city.

It has also taken root in the community—highlighted by performances with a choir at the city’s commemorative ceremonies.

It’s a heartwarming song that brings citizens together, making them feel, “I’m glad to live in this city.” A proud local anthem of Ehime that inspires thoughts about the future of one’s hometown.

GAIYA ON THE ROADRyudo Uzaki

Gaia on the Road - Ryudo-gumi

This song by Ryudo Uzaki is a powerful track that resounds through the Uwajima Ushioni Festival in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture.

Its blood-stirring sound—like a fusion of rock and festival music—matches perfectly with the fervor of the “Gaiya Carnival.” It’s also noteworthy that it features the Uwajima dialect, with phrases like “dogai mo kogai mo.” The vigorous calls shake the listener’s soul, giving a visceral sense of being at the very heart of the festival’s whirlwind.

It’s sure to grab the hearts not only of people from Uwajima, but of anyone who wants to feel the fiery spirit of Ehime.

Iyo Banzaifolk song

Iyo Banzai

Iyomanzai, a traditional performing art of Matsuyama that has continued since the Edo period, is a celebratory song infused with pride in the hometown and wishes for people’s happiness.

In the lively back-and-forth between the tayu and Saizō, famous spots like Matsuyama Castle and Dogo Onsen are sung one after another, as if you were traveling to these landmarks through music.

The spirited chant of “Ha—yassai yassai” alone makes your heart leap and fills you with the energy of a festival.

It’s a piece that symbolizes Ehime—warmth carefully preserved by the local people, packed into the sounds of shamisen and drums.

Song of Kamijima TownTaro Hakase

Song of Kamijima Town

This is the image song for Kamijima Town in Ehime Prefecture, created by Taro Hakase, one of Japan’s leading violinists.

After actually visiting the town, Hakase turned the emotions he felt from its scenery and the character of its people into music—resulting in a special piece written exclusively for Kamijima.

The gently played violin melody evokes the calm sound of the Seto Inland Sea’s waves and the pleasant breeze that sweeps through the islands.

Listening to it, you can almost see the sunlit, shimmering sea and the lush, green islands.

It’s a gem of an instrumental piece that lets you feel the warm atmosphere of Kamijima Town through music.

Chief wardenHarumi Miyako

Harumi Miyako - Chō-Usa-ja (Niihama Taiko Festival)

This is a song sung during the Niihama Taiko Festival, and it’s said that participants get even more fired up by Harumi Miyako’s powerful vocals.

First, what does the unfamiliar word “chō-osaja” mean? “Chōsa” refers to a taiko float fitted with carrying poles, and “ja” can be taken as something like “ya” or “you know.” So think of it as a chant meaning, “The taiko float is coming through!” or “It’s the taiko float!” Rendered in standard Japanese, it somehow sounds a bit flat or lacking in punch.

Ozu Citizens' Song ~ One Hundred Years From Now, We AreReiko Kato

Song of the Citizens of Ōzu ~100 Years From Now, We... From Ōzu~

This song is included on the B-side of Reiko Kato’s “An Ordinary Day,” and it was created by Ōzu City in Ehime Prefecture in January 2015 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the municipal merger.

The title “100 Years Later” conveys a wish that even after we are reborn, Ōzu City will remain as blessed with nature as it is today.

Ehime SentimentsYoriko Hinomi

Eiko Hinomi, Ehime Sentiments

What an incredible vocal power and punchy voice.

It’s certainly a local song, but she herself calls it a hometown song.

Alongside numerous references to places in Ehime Prefecture, you can feel the love for her hometown in this piece.

Yoriko Hinomi runs a music agency in Matsuyama City and also teaches at a vocal school.