[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] Must-Listen Tracks Filled with Hometown Love from All Over Japan (21–30)
I love this town.Mucchi
A gentle melody that evokes the sea breeze of Ise and the Suzuka mountain range spreads warmly in the heart.
Centered on encounters and mutual support, this civic song straightforwardly weaves pride in daily life and hope for the future.
Its simple, warm wording that unites the spirit of a city after consolidation is also part of its charm.
It was designated as the civic song of Tsu City in February 2009.
Available in the original male vocal version, a female vocal arrangement, and various formats such as choral and wind ensemble; in May 2009, choral and wind ensemble versions were recorded live at a concert in the Mie Prefectural Cultural Center.
The song is also used for the city’s disaster administration radio system, school chimes, the time signal at City Hall and Ast Tsu, and as telephone hold music.
For school and workday mornings, family drives, and trips to and from festivals.
This work gently accompanies those moments when you pause and want to feel the everyday warmth rooted in Mie.
Would you like some Noto?Fuyumi Sakamoto
Since her debut in 1987, Fuyumi Sakamoto has had a profound impact on the Japanese music scene with her unique sensibility.
Her signature work, “Noto wa Irankaine,” released on May 9, 1990, as her seventh single, captivates with lyrics that celebrate the scenery of the Noto Peninsula.
The song received high acclaim upon its release and was performed at the 41st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Through Sakamoto’s vocals and the lyrics, one can feel a deep love and respect for the Noto Peninsula, likely stirring a strong sense of nostalgia in listeners.
Whether you’ve visited the Noto Peninsula or not, why not imagine its beautiful nature and the lives of its people through this song?
A solitary journey to MichinokuJoji Yamamoto
Released in 1980, “Michinoku Hitori Tabi” became the song that brought Joji Yamamoto’s name into the spotlight.
It tells a story of a heartbreaking farewell and a powerful love that believes in reunion.
The loneliness of the man in the lyrics and his poignant longing are sure to touch listeners deeply.
For those who have experienced parting, or who wish to reflect on deep love, this song will hold special meaning.
Joji Yamamoto’s warm voice and the emotionally rich melody deliver a moving experience like no other.
News from BizenSaori Nonaka
A heartwarming song brimming with the charms of Bizen City in Okayama Prefecture.
Released in October 2024, it was created as the city anthem to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bizen’s municipal merger.
The lyrics and composition were crafted by Okayama-born artists Reiji Mizuki and Chiaki Oka.
The lyrics are striking for incorporating Bizen’s symbolic colors: the blue of the Seto Inland Sea, the red of Bizen ware pottery, and the green of nature.
Saori Nonaka’s clear, expansive vocals vividly portray the city’s beautiful nature and rich history.
The more you listen, the more your affection for Bizen City is sure to grow.
A city that leads into the futureLyrics and composition: Kosetsu Minami
The image song “A City Leading to the Future” was created to commemorate the founding of Shikokuchuo City.
The lyrics and music are by Kosetsu Minami, a master of the folk scene.
You can almost picture the people of the newly unified city joining hands and walking toward the future.
Minami’s gentle guitar tones and warm vocals harmonize beautifully with the message wishing for a bright future for the new city.
It has also taken root in the community—highlighted by performances with a choir at the city’s commemorative ceremonies.
It’s a heartwarming song that brings citizens together, making them feel, “I’m glad to live in this city.” A proud local anthem of Ehime that inspires thoughts about the future of one’s hometown.
Ferry to MatsuyamaKozo Murashita
It’s a song deeply connected to Ehime, sung by Kozo Murashita—known for classics like “Hatsukoi.” Set on a ferry traveling from Hiroshima to Matsuyama, it paints a heart-wrenching scene of parting.
The beautiful Seto Inland Sea bathed in the evening sun seems only to accentuate the protagonist’s helpless sorrow.
In the wonderful lyrics, woven by Murashita’s tender, wistful voice, one can’t help but feel profound love.
Listening to this bittersweet melody while on a sea voyage would surely etch the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea even more deeply into your heart.
Scarred KaruizawaBread and butter
This early masterpiece, released to the world in September 1969 as a debut single, is a song about a summer romance at a resort.
Its lyrics depict moments in Karuizawa with a woman in a black lace gown, beautifully expressing the bittersweetness of a sweet love in a heavenly place that eventually becomes wounded like fallen leaves.
With poetic lyrics seamlessly fused with a refined melody, the piece is praised as a pioneering work that bridged folk and pop.
It’s a perfect song for those who like to picture the scenery of Karuizawa or nostalgically look back on a past romance.