[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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- Songs related to Mie Prefecture. Beloved local tunes of Mie that continue to be cherished.
[Local Songs] Recommended Masterpieces and Tunes Filled with Hometown Pride from Across Japan (11–20)
Omiya SunsetSpitz
A lyrical track that depicts a date between lovers set in Omiya at dusk.
It was released to the world as the B-side to Spitz’s single “Yume Oi Mushi,” which came out in October 2001.
Its warm acoustic sound and Masamune Kusano’s gentle vocals resonate pleasantly.
While the song portrays a couple who seem happy at first glance, the lyrics also convey the protagonist’s anxieties and doubts.
Listening to it when visiting a place filled with memories of your partner might help you immerse yourself even more deeply in the song’s world.
Harbor Yoko, Yokohama, YokosukaRyudo Uzaki
A classic Showa-era hit set in Yokohama and Yokosuka that portrays Yoko, a free-spirited woman.
Released in April 1975, it topped the Oricon charts for five consecutive weeks.
This million-selling song is known as one of Ryudo Uzaki’s signature works.
It was also featured in a Fujifilm commercial in 1997 and is loved by people of all generations.
The lyrics, deeply reflecting the exotic port-town atmosphere and the social backdrop of the time, are particularly striking.
If you visit Yokohama, Yokosuka, or other port towns, be sure to give it a listen.
Cape TappiKaori Mizumori
This is a celebrated song by Kaori Mizumori that overlays the poignant emotions of a heartbroken woman onto the desolate natural scenery of Aomori.
Released as a single in October 1999, it was also included on the album “Kaori Mizumori Complete Collection ~Tappi Misaki~.” Set at the northernmost tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula, the piece powerfully conveys the sorrow of a protagonist traveling alone while carrying feelings for someone she cannot forget.
Give it a listen when you want to immerse yourself in the travel atmosphere of Japan’s northern regions and the lyrical storytelling unique to enka.
Tottori Sand DunesKaori Mizumori
Since her debut in 1995, Kaori Mizumori has been beloved as the queen of regional songs.
Her signature work, Tottori Sand Dunes, was released in 2003 and has been highly praised for its beautiful melody and lyrics, winning the hearts of many listeners.
Set against the majestic scenery of the Tottori Sand Dunes, the song explores the theme of lost love, resonating deeply with those who hear it.
In particular, the lyrics, which delicately depict the conflict between love and loss, evoke strong empathy from many people.
Mizumori’s clear, transparent voice and the emotionally rich melody are sure to soothe the listener’s heart.
Song of YokkaichiHideshi Ito
A rustic folk song that feels like filling your lungs with Mie’s air.
It gently reflects the breath of the city and the presence of sea and mountains, awakening memories of home.
The song weaves in place names and scenes of everyday life, wrapping the heart of homecoming in the soft resonance of acoustics.
The vocals are intimate, as if speaking to you, and the chorus opens brightly like a horizon.
Its arrangement shines even in a simple voice-and-guitar performance, and it’s incredibly easy to hum along to.
Included on the 2007 album “Let’s Go Home (Uchi e Kaerō).” Hideshi Ito’s 2003 “Grandfather’s Clock – ZuZu Version” reached No.
17 on the Oricon overall chart and sold over 200,000 copies, and this work stands out in that lineage of “local-themed series.” Perfect for road trips, drives home, or evening strolls.
Highly recommended!
Mie Prefecture Arare OndoHot.
It’s a song that makes you want to hum along on a journey, with the heartbeat of the hometown woven into it.
From Ise Grand Shrine and the Kumano Kodo to the pearls of Ago Bay and the peaks of the Suzuka Mountains, Mie’s landscapes are painted one after another in a traditional ondō rhythm, bringing smiles as listeners nod at all the local “so true!” moments.
Pride in one’s hometown and a gentle wish to share it outward seep into the call-and-response, and you can feel the energy behind the video production that toured 29 cities and towns.
Released in January 2018 and included on the 2020 album “Song‑Letter: A Poem’s Tidings.” The video is featured on Mie Prefecture’s tourism promotion site “Tsudzuki…,” and it shines with the upbeat pop sensibility characteristic of Atsu from Tsu City.
Perfect for local festivals and tourism events, and a reassuring home song for those living away from Mie.
[Local Songs] Must-Listen Tracks Filled with Hometown Love from All Over Japan (21–30)
Treasure Huntkururi
This song is drawn from a warm perspective that discovers small joys shining in cityscapes and everyday life.
After the members of Quruli actually visited Kōhoku Town in Saga Prefecture and experienced its rich nature and culture, their impressions were sublimated into a melody filled with the delight of finding a treasure.
Released in August 2022, the piece was created as the theme song commemorating the 70th anniversary of Kōhoku Town’s incorporation.
It has also been adopted as the station jingle at Kōhoku Station, the town’s gateway, gently blending into the daily lives of local residents.
When you’re a little tired from hectic days, it’s lovely to listen closely to the gentle tones spun by Quruli and try searching for the “treasures” right by your side.