[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]
[Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia (41–50)
Our FailureDoji Morita
It was a song included on Morita Dōji’s second album, Mother Sky, released in 1976, which suddenly came into the spotlight when it was used as the theme song for the 1993 drama High School Teacher.
Morita Dōji had retired in 1983, and a decade after her retirement, the song became a major hit.
[Hometown Songs] A Curated Selection of Popular Japanese Tracks That Fill Your Heart with Nostalgia (51–60)
At HomeMiyuki Nakajima
This is the B-side track of Miyuki Nakajima’s fifth single, “Wakare Uta.” It captures the feelings of boarding a train to return to one’s hometown.
Covered by many famous artists, it’s a Japanese hometown song that touches the heart and soul.
Distant thunderDo As Infinity
This song reminds me of going back to my hometown during Obon.
When I was little, I remember that it often thundered after we visited the graves during Obon.
Banchan’s gentle voice brings to mind my kind mother.
It’s a song I want to listen to when summer vacation comes.
Sanshin FlowerBEGIN
I’m moved to tears and can’t sing it without crying.
It’s a song that fills you with warmth; it has an Okinawan feel, but it also makes you think deeply about your family while remembering your hometown.
I think it’s truly wonderful.
It’s a very beautiful song.
Supernova Express 2016GLAY
As the image song for the Hokkaido Shinkansen operated by JR Hokkaido, the rock band GLAY performed “Supernova Express 2016.” Written by guitarist TAKURO to coincide with the 2016 opening, its lyrics convey heartfelt feelings for his hometown of Hokkaido.
It’s a pop-rock tune quintessentially GLAY, featuring grand, fast-paced sounds that evoke the Shinkansen.
The music video, filmed across Hokkaido’s vast landscapes, is also something people from Hokkaido will especially enjoy.
Let me hear your voiceKousuke Atari
“Koe o Kikasete” is the fourth digital-only single by Takao Nakajima, released in 2022.
Born and raised on Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, Nakajima wrote the lyrics while thinking of the island’s people and scenery.
The song was featured as NHK Radio’s Shinyabin Song from June to July 2022 and reportedly received a strong response from many listeners.
In November 2022, a full 14-track album titled “Koe o Kikasete,” which includes the single, was released.
Thank youDaisuke Ono
This is a song by Daisuke Ono, who is also active as a voice actor.
A mother who lives far away and is hard to see.
Even so, we hope she’ll always be there, a place we can return to.
Many people will relate to the gentle lyrics that sing about feelings for one’s mother.