[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.
- [2025] Masterpieces that sing of Hokkaido: The enduring heart of our homeland passed down in song
- [Songs of Saitama] A Wealth of Humor-Filled Classics! Local Anthems Packed with Love for Saitama
- [Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Kyoto Songs] Masterpieces that sing about Kyoto — songs themed on the ancient capital. The enduring heart of our hometown passed down in song.
- A famous song about Fukuoka. The heart of the hometown passed down through song.
- A classic song that celebrates Niigata. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- Songs about Tokyo: A Collection of Popular J‑Pop Classics [2025]
- Introducing Classic Songs About Shizuoka: Local Anthems and Popular Hits [2025]
- [Songs of Kagoshima] The heart of our hometown carried on in song | A curated selection of classic tracks that embody Kagoshima
- A classic song about Nagano. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- A classic song that sings of Nagasaki: the enduring heart of our hometown
- Songs related to Mie Prefecture. Beloved local tunes of Mie that continue to be cherished.
[Local Songs] Must-listen tracks filled with hometown pride from across Japan (31–40)
Yaite, yaite, SagaSelf-styled Tourism Association
This is a lovable track that captures the charm of Saga Prefecture with the sprightly sounds of guitalele and ocarina, paired with lyrics that are sure to make you chuckle.
Created by the duo Miura Jun and Anzai Hajime under their unit “Katte ni Kanko Kyokai” (The Unofficial Tourism Association), the song parades a series of local icons, from Yobuko’s squid to Arita porcelain and the Yoshinogari archaeological site.
The uniquely witty lyrics make you feel as if you’re traveling through Saga just by listening.
The track is part of a project in which they traveled nationwide to create local songs, and it’s included on the album “Katte ni Kanko Kyokai Vol.
3: Gotochi Song CD Kanketsu-hen,” released in February 2008.
Their production style—recording at inns while on the road—likely contributes to the song’s warm yet laid-back vibe.
It’s recommended not only for those connected to Saga, but also for anyone who wants to feel uplifted on a drive.
Be sure to experience this humor-filled world for yourself!
Dive into EspañaSelf-styled Tourism Association
A delightful piece of local pop bursting with the scent of the sea and sparkling humor.
It briskly links the breath of the ama divers, the morning at Meoto Iwa (the Married Couple Rocks), and even Ise udon and Matsusaka beef, all while letting a quiet affection for the hometown seep through behind the laughs.
Styled as a musical that borrows the guise of a tourist guide, this song conjures vivid scenes of Mie as you listen.
Released in February 2008, it was included after its appearance on the album “Katte ni Kankō Kyōkai Vol.
2” (2004), and later on the album “Katte ni Gotōchi Song 47+1: Japan Nationwide Ryokan Recordings.” Composed by Jun Miura and produced by the Katte ni Kankō Kyōkai.
There were no tie-ins.
This work is perfect for before or after a trip to Ise-Shima, or whenever you want a hometown song to lift your spirits.
Recommended for those who want to enjoy local culture with a light touch or brighten their mood with a comical regional tune.
Shima PeninsulaIchiro Toba
A locally rooted enka that rises with the scent of the tide and the shimmer of pearl rafts.
Born and raised by the sea, Ichiro Toba’s voice vividly portrays Wagu, Oshima, Maehama Fishing Port, and the “Shiokake Festival,” powerfully conveying pride and human warmth.
The weight of someone from Toba City in Mie Prefecture with experience in deep-sea fishing resonates, letting you feel, almost on your skin, the heat of the port’s labor and festivities.
In some years the event draws around 10,000 visitors, and there is a monument inscribed with the song at Shima Fureai Park.
Released as a single in August 2001, with lyrics by Ryuichi Satomura, composition by Katsuhiko Miki, and arrangement by Masakane Tsuta.
It was included on the October 2001 album “Ichiro Toba: Complete Collection,” and later on the album “Kono Michi.” The B-side is “Daio no Shippu” (Gale of Daio).
It was performed at the 52nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2001.
This track is recommended for coastal drives or nights when you’re thinking of your hometown.
Its surging rhythm stirs your memories.
Nara would be good.D.W. Nicholls
D.
W.
Nicols’s “Nara Nara Ii yo” charms with a sound as warm as spring sunshine.
Many will remember it as a track from the mini-album Smile 3 that has continued to be loved at live shows.
With vocalist Daisuke Watanabe’s gentle voice, a straightforward affection—“Nara is just the best”—is sung with plenty of humor.
The imagery conjures up the Great Buddha and the deer, as if you were strolling through the ancient capital with someone dear to you.
Anyone who has spent calm, happy moments like that will surely relate.
Yamato Nadeshika (deer pun)Le Siana
One of the signature songs by Le Siana, Nara’s first local idol group, is “Yamato Nadeshika.” The title cleverly combines “Yamato,” an old name for the ancient capital, with “shika,” meaning deer—the symbol of Nara—making it a song brimming with love for the region.
Its upbeat melody, colored by tones reminiscent of traditional Japanese instruments, carries a festive sense of exhilaration.
Listening to its boundlessly bright sound may put you in a joyful mood, as if you’re energetically dashing through the streets of the old capital.
Cherished by fans for many years and passed down through countless performances, this classic is also a perfect travel companion for anyone planning a visit to Nara.
[Local Songs] Recommended Tracks Filled with Masterpieces and Hometown Pride from Across Japan (41–50)
Nihondaira Calling YouColumbia Rose
When it comes to local songs celebrating Nihondaira, the beautiful scenic spot in Shizuoka, this is the one! It was released in 1961 by the first Columbia Rose, who took the country by storm as a masked singer.
Set to a bright, lighthearted waltz, the song portrays a tour-bus worker who pours herself into her job with hope in her heart and develops a faint crush on the people she meets along the way.
The first Columbia Rose’s clear and charming voice perfectly matches the protagonist’s earnest feelings.
You can almost see the tea fields spreading below and the glitter of Suruga Bay, and the song wraps you in a rising excitement that swells with the promise of a journey.
Yamato Love SongNanako Kawanami
“Yamato Koibana,” sung by Nanako Kawanami—who also serves as a tourism ambassador for Nara City—evokes the world of the Manyoshu, portraying a steadfast love that remains unfaded even after a thousand years.
The song feels like the very story of her fresh start under a new stage name.
Her silky, lustrous voice invites listeners into the romantic history of the ancient capital.
As you listen to the grand, lyrical melody, scenes of antiquity spring to mind, and you may find yourself utterly entranced.
Why not overlay your feelings for someone special onto this timeless love that transcends eras?