[Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
In the midst of hectic days—living alone away from your familiar hometown or spending each day with a new family—you may suddenly recall the nostalgic scenery of the place you grew up.
Even if you want to go back, circumstances may keep you from doing so right away.
.
.
In times like these, why not rest your heart by listening to classic songs that sing of home?
In this article, we’ve compiled songs themed around “hometown,” focusing on timeless J-POP classics.
Let yourself be wrapped in nostalgia and enjoy these exquisite masterpieces that may gently bring warm tears to your eyes.
- [Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
- Japanese shoka (school songs). Nostalgic tunes, songs of the heart.
- The soul’s cry woven into Japanese elegies: unraveling supreme masterpieces that resonate with the heart.
- [2025] Masterpieces that sing of Hokkaido: The enduring heart of our homeland passed down in song
- A famous song about Fukuoka. The heart of the hometown passed down through song.
- Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies
- Japanese sign-language songs; sign-language song(s)
- [Hyogo Songs] A Collection of Local and Love Songs Set in Hyogo
- [2025] Masterpieces Themed on Ehime: From Local Songs to Municipal Anthems
- [Akita Songs] A Collection of Gem-Like Local Tunes Filled with Love for Hometowns
- [Hiroshima Songs] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Curated Selection of Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations
- [Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Masterpieces from Across Japan, Brimming with Local Pride
- Songs about Tokyo: A Collection of Popular J‑Pop Classics [2025]
[Songs of Hometown] A Curated Selection of Popular Japanese Tracks That Fill Your Heart with Nostalgia (31–40)
MotherKariyushi 58
A heartwarming song whose title means “mother” in the Okinawan dialect.
Released in July 2006 as Kariyushi 58’s debut single, it was initially available only in Okinawa and later issued nationwide.
At the time of their debut, the band was facing the possibility of being dropped by their label after not achieving the results they’d hoped for, but this work straightforwardly sings of gratitude and regret toward one’s mother.
In December 2006, it won the Newcomer Award at the 39th Japan Cable Music Awards—an exceptional feat for an indie artist.
Set to a comfortable melody that blends warm Okinawan music with reggae and rock, it poignantly portrays the parent–child relationship from childhood to adulthood.
It may well make you think of your mother back home and fill you with nostalgia.
Lingering Snowdolphin
On the station platform waiting for the train, the protagonist faces a farewell with someone dear while anxiously watching the clock.
Set against an unseasonal snowfall in early spring, the piece gently portrays the end of youth and anxieties about the future.
Created by Shozo Ise at the age of 22 as his first work, it was included on Kaguyahime’s album “Sankaidate no Uta” (Poems of a Three-Story Building), and was later memorably covered by Iruka.
Iruka’s version was released in March 1975 on the album “Iruka no Sekai” (Iruka’s World) and reached 11th place on that year’s Oricon annual chart.
It is a song that resonates with those who have left their hometowns to live in the city or who have experienced parting from someone important.
Northern SpringMasao Sen
Kitaguni no Haru (Spring in the Northern Country) is a lovely song whose lyrics depict a man living in the city receiving a package from his hometown and reminiscing about his family and an old romance.
Released in 1977 by enka singer Masao Sen, its nostalgic atmosphere drew attention and ultimately led to a massive hit, selling over three million copies.
The lyrics feature the protagonist opening his heart as he yearns for the northern region, and people from Tohoku in particular may find it especially relatable.
Incidentally, the song’s success earned Masao Sen a spot in the 28th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Nostalgic JonkaraTakashi Hosokawa
Takashi Hosokawa’s “Bokyō Jongara” is striking for its powerful Tsugaru shamisen sound.
Released in 1985 as Hosokawa’s 27th single, the lyrics, which express the feelings of a protagonist whose hometown is in the Tsugaru region, really resonate.
It’s also a song where you can fully enjoy Hosokawa’s high-toned, captivating vocals.
He performed it five times on the year-end NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, and even closed the show in its 46th edition in 1995.
It’s a familiar piece for people from Aomori Prefecture, so why not listen to it while thinking of your hometown?
I'll walk home.Kazuyoshi Saito
This is a single released by Kazuyoshi Saito in June 1994, which reached No.
60 on the Oricon weekly chart.
Since it was played on Ponkikkies, I think it’s fairly well known.
It’s a rock number that’s very characteristic of Saito, but it’s the kind of song that makes you feel nostalgic—something you’d want to listen to in the car on the road back to your rural hometown.
[Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia (41–50)
KikyogaokaKen Hirai
A warm song that evokes nostalgia and familial love.
Ken Hirai’s gentle vocals portray parents watching over and tenderly embracing their child, richly singing of a child’s growth and the unchanging love of those who care for them.
Released in October 2013 as a digital-only single and used as the tie-in song for the commercial commemorating the 45th anniversary of Misawa Homes, this is a track you’ll want to listen to while reminiscing about your hometown.
Listening to it together as a parent and child may deepen your bond.
hometownsong
Blue mountains, clear waters, and memories of childhood play.
The melody that gently enfolds the nostalgic scenery of one’s hometown and feelings for family and friends far away possesses a universal appeal that resonates with everyone.
First published in 1914 as a Ministry of Education song, this piece was created by Tatsuyuki Takano and Teiichi Okano, richly reflecting the rural landscapes and lives of Japan at the time.
It was sung at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, moving many people.
Its simple, memorable melody in G major and triple meter continues to be sung at life’s milestones such as graduation and coming-of-age ceremonies.
With lyrics and melody that evoke homesickness, it is a song that stands by all who live away from their hometowns—truly a work that symbolizes the heart of Japan.