[Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
Across Japan, there are many “local songs” created around themes like regional climate and traditions, long-standing customs, hometown pride, and specialty foods.
However, few people are likely familiar with songs from places far from their own living area or hometown.
Some might even have spent years in a region without knowing its local songs at all.
In this article, we’ll introduce some highly impactful, must-hear local songs from across Japan that we hope many of you will get to know.
If it’s a place you’ve visited, try listening while picturing the local scenery.
If it’s somewhere you’ve never been, let the song help you imagine the land and the lives of the people who live there.
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[Local Songs] Must-Listen Tracks Filled with Hometown Pride from Across Japan (71–80)
Yufuin SentimentYuji Mitsuki
Yuuji Mitsuki, a native of Oita City, poured his deep love for his hometown into this song, “Yufuin Ujō.” With the dramatic vocals honed at the Shiki Theatre Company, he beautifully captures the gentle, refined atmosphere of this famed hot spring town.
If you listen closely to the lyrics, scenes unique to Yufuin vividly arise in your mind—Lake Kinrin veiled in morning mist, the gentle sway of the horse-drawn carriages.
Though the song tells of the sorrow of parting, a warm sense of home quietly spreads beneath it all.
This piece is like a small story that bottles up the very air of Yufuin.
Play it as a companion on your journey, and the town’s scenery may feel all the more evocative.
Wakakusa Mountain StarmineBURNOUT SYNDROMES
Crafted by BURNOUT SYNDROMES, who champion “youth literature rock,” this song vividly conjures scenes of Nara.
The literary world envisioned by vocalist Kazumi Kumagai meshes perfectly with the majestic landscape of Mount Wakakusa.
From the intro, the festival-like beat and piercing rock sound feel just like a celebration where the mountain burning and fireworks perform together.
Themes such as the warmth of family bonds and the radiance of life are woven in, likely moving many listeners with their imagery.
Listen to this track that dynamically colors the ancient capital’s night sky, and you’ll feel a stirring longing to travel to Nara.
AtamiKroi
Kroi’s “Atami” feels like a snapshot from a carefree trip with close friends.
A breezy, bossa nova–tinged rhythm layered with cool acoustic guitar tones creates an easy, airy feel.
The melody carries a hint of nostalgia, evoking the atmosphere of a retro Showa-era hot spring town.
Its unique blend of languidness and chic pairs perfectly with a slightly faded, film-like sense of nostalgia.
Just listening, you can feel your shoulders relax and sink into the mood of a calm holiday.
[Local Songs] Must-Listen Tracks Filled with Local Pride from Across Japan (81–90)
A large Buddha statue in NaraRekishi
This uniquely Lex-like track makes history feel close to home, saying, “Even the creation of a grand Great Buddha is a project where everyone joins forces.” Set to an irresistibly groovy funk sound, it paints a human drama unfolding behind the scenes of erecting the symbol of the ancient capital, Nara.
You’ll feel the thrill of looming deadlines, someone quietly reading the room and lending a hand—little moments that make you chuckle and that anyone working in a modern team can’t help but relate to.
It gently resonates with the idea that historic achievements are crystallizations of countless people’s hopes.
Many listeners will find their hearts captured by the warmth that makes distant events from long ago feel dear and familiar.
New Nara OndoHaruo Minami
This is a local festival song in which Haruo Minami, known as a nationally beloved singer, powerfully extols the charms of the ancient capital.
His uniquely piercing, beautiful voice and the spirited shouts of “Yoisho!” resonate in the chest, making your heart leap just by listening.
Iconic scenes of Nara—like the Great Buddha and the deer in the park—spring vividly to mind one after another, likely stirring a sense of travel in many listeners.
It’s a masterpiece that leaves you with a warm feeling, as if you’re part of a festival circle from the good old days.
Nara Road NostalgiaKoichi Miura
Koichi Miura, who made his name as a leading figure in literary kayō (art song), pours his inexhaustible love for the ancient capital of Nara into the emotive “Nara-ji Bojō.” His supple, classically trained voice seems to gently invite listeners on a journey to Nara.
Carried by the serene interplay of flute and piano, the deepening hues of autumn in the old capital rise vividly before the mind’s eye.
Whether it rekindles bright memories of a past visit or stirs longing for sights yet unseen, it is sure to move the heart.
When you want to step back from the bustle of everyday life and sink into quiet nostalgia, this may be just the song to keep you company.
Amagi YearningTadashi Mikado
A veteran of classic enka, Tadashi Mikado delivers a richly emotive performance in this travel-themed enka set in Izu.
From the very beginning, you’re gripped by a melancholy yet beautiful melody that evokes the Amagi road at the end of autumn.
The bittersweet feelings of wandering alone through Izu with a lost love in one’s heart perfectly match Mikado’s deeply resonant vocals.
The Japanese timbres reminiscent of koto and shakuhachi vividly paint scenes of a hot spring town veiled in light rain and a wind-swept mountain pass, drawing listeners into the story’s world.
It’s a masterpiece that leaves you steeped in a lyrical afterglow, as if you’ve just watched a short film.