Lovely anime song

Songs of Studio Ghibli: List of Theme Songs, Insert Songs, and BGM from Ghibli Music

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

Studio Ghibli films, enjoyed by both adults and children, are also famous for their wonderful music.

Every work features songs that perfectly fit the story and leave an unforgettable impression after just one listen.

We’ve gathered not only the popular theme songs and insert songs from Studio Ghibli works, but also image songs that bring back memories of famous scenes and evocative moments.

If you want to listen to Ghibli’s masterpieces or hear again the song that played in that one scene, be sure to check these out!

From Up on Poppy Hill (1–10)

EscapeAoi Teshima

Escape / Aoi Teshima -cover-

Aoi Teshima - Escape

The piano rhythm at the beginning already puts you in a cheerful, excited mood, doesn’t it? This is “Escape,” a track included in the Kokuriko-zaka kara Song Collection.

Aoi Teshima often sings gentle, mellow songs, but these light and cute tunes suit her wonderfully too.

When you’re worn out by the many constraints of everyday life and feel like you need to break free, listening to this will really lift your spirits.

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Breakfast SongAoi Teshima

From Up On Poppy Hill – Breakfast Song (Asagohan no Uta) Morning Breakfast Song

The breakfast singer, Aoi Shima

This is also an insert song from From Up on Poppy Hill.

It’s the kind of song that makes you look forward to breakfast.

If you listen to it when you’re hungry, you’ll get even hungrier.

The food that appears in Ghibli films always looks so delicious that if we could step into the anime, we’d definitely want to go eat it, right?

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signal flag(s)Satoshi Takebe

[Piano] Signal Flags / Satoshi Takebe (from the soundtrack of “From Up on Poppy Hill”)

Signal flag Satoshi Takebe

Set in the Showa era just before the Tokyo Olympics, From Up on Poppy Hill.

This is a single brimming with nostalgia that perfectly suits the film’s backdrop.

The gentle, soothing piano melody is beautiful.

Just like the title “A Heart Longing for Mother,” it has a certain warmth and an embracing atmosphere that is truly calming.

It’s a comforting piece that gives a sense of security—how about making it your last song before bed?

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Canal at DuskSatoshi Takebe

Evening Canal (From Up on Poppy Hill) Satoshi Takebe - Piano Performance

Twilight Canal Satoshi Takebe

If you want a boost of energy in the morning, this one’s for you! The protagonist, Umi, makes breakfast for seven people every day, and this song is packed with the hustle and joy of that routine.

Its bouncy, rhythmic tempo and catchy, memorable melody are guaranteed to lift your spirits.

You’ll never get bored, thanks to the completely unpredictable song structure.

Be sure to listen for your own favorite melody!

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A heart yearning for motherSatoshi Takebe

A heart longing for one’s mother

Mother Love - Satoshi Takebe

You’ve probably seen the sun reflecting on a river and turning it golden as it sets.

This piece lets you feel that kind of natural beauty.

The track itself is very short, but paired with its sparse notes, it’s packed with a tender sense of longing.

The slow, flowing melody feels like a real canal.

Doesn’t it make you want to walk along a riverside where the sunset is beautiful while listening to this song?

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When I was in my first loveAoi Teshima

The Little Owl’s Favorite Song: When First Love Began

When I First Fell in Love by Aoi Teshima

One of the insert songs in this work is “In the Days of First Love.” It’s a track perfectly suited to its title, beautifully matched by Aoi Teshima’s pure vocals.

In the film, it plays during the scene where Umi and Shun grow closer.

The song’s lyrics were written by Gorō Miyazaki and Hiroko Taniyama, the music was composed by Hiroko Taniyama, and the arrangement was by Satoshi Takebe.

It’s a gentle song that evokes the bittersweet feeling of remembering a first love in youth.

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The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (11–20)

A nostalgic feeling, like listening to a children's song.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, the final film directed by Isao Takahata. We’ll introduce everything from the theme song that perfectly matches the story’s mood to that track fans have been buzzing about as “scary”! They’re all songs that feel like listening to children’s music—somehow nostalgic. Related articles:Song(s) from The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Theme song and insert song(s).

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (1–10)

nursery rhymeIsao Takahata

Solo Chorus Club: Children's Song [meru@smule]

Isao Takahata’s Warabe-uta (Children’s Songs)

This song, which appears many times throughout the film, was composed by the director, Isao Takahata himself, with the lyrics co-written with screenwriter Riko Sakaguchi.

The words evoke scenes of mountains, rivers, skies, and rice fields.

Even though you shouldn’t have heard it before, it somehow feels nostalgic.

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