[Hiroshima Songs] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Curated Selection of Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations

Hiroshima, River of LoveLyrics by Keiji Nakazawa / Composition by Katsuhiko Yamamoto

[Hiroshima Ai no Kawa] Tokiko Kato 55th Anniversary

This is a solemn prayer song born from the only poem left by Keiji Nakazawa, the creator of the manga Barefoot Gen.

You can almost see the scene of countless lights floating on the flow of Hiroshima’s rivers, entrusted with the sorrow of the atomic bombing and hopes for the future.

Released in June 2014, this piece has been cherished as a symbol of peace, sung every year at Hiroshima’s peace events on August 6, the anniversary of the bombing.

It’s a song to listen to when you want to quietly honor the memories etched in history and reflect anew on the preciousness of peace.

Hiroshima I always used to seeTakuro Yoshida

Takuro Yoshida: Hiroshima I Always Watched

The lyrics to this song were not written by Takuro Yoshida; they were penned by the late Osami Okamoto, known for “Erimo Misaki.” I feel it was highly significant that Yoshida, who didn’t sing anti-war songs during the folk boom of the 1970s, released this song after entering the 1980s.

SanyōdōIchiro Toba

Sanyōdō

Sanyo Road portrays a man who, while harboring a selfish heartbreak, sets out on a journey in pursuit of his dreams.

Sung with a powerful kobushi by Ichiro Toba, the renowned enka master known for Kyodai-bune, it preserves in our hearts the time-honored Japanese culture that is enka.

If you take the tramAnna Ishii

If you take the streetcar, full MV.mov

This is Ema Ishii’s second single; she is an artist active mainly in Hiroshima Prefecture.

When it was released in 2010, Ishii was still a high school student, but her powerful, full-bodied vocals—unbelievable for a student—evoke vivid images of Hiroshima.

The Tale of Isamu TeshimaUNICORN

Unicorn: The Isamu Teshima Story

This is a song inspired by Unicorn’s guitarist, Isamu Teshima.

The vocals are also performed by Teshima, and the lyrics, delivered in the Hiroshima dialect, relentlessly blast out his personal creed and way of life.

Unicorn has been active for many years as a band representing Hiroshima, so we can’t take our eyes off what they’ll do next.

Hiroshima HeavenIssei Minami

Hiroshima Heaven

This is Minami’s signature song released in 1980, with activities centered in Hiroshima.

He later became well known for singing the Hiroshima Toyo Carp team song “Sore Ike Carp,” and in recognition of these accomplishments, he received the Hiroshima Citizens’ Award in 2010.

For the people of the prefecture, it could be called a song of the heart.

MONEYShogo Hamada

Money (WE ARE STILL ON THE ROAD.)

A signature song by singer-songwriter Shogo Hamada, known as “Hamasho.” The album that features this track, DOWN BY THE MAINSTREET, is said to be modeled on the industrial zones around Kure City in Hiroshima Prefecture, where Hamada grew up.

You can feel the fervent desire of a man who vows to leave his small town, seize his dreams, and one day return.