[Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
When you think of songs about Osaka, what tunes come to mind? While traditional local songs have become fewer, there are still many moving classics like Dreams Come True’s “Osaka LOVER” and Masaki Ueda’s “Kanashii Iro Yane.” From songs filled with the determination not to lose to Tokyo, to nostalgic hometown ballads, tracks that name-check local places, and even playful, humorous numbers—there’s a wide variety.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected “songs of Osaka” across a broad range of genres, from enka and kayōkyoku of the ’70s–’80s to recent J-pop.
We present masterpieces brimming with Osaka’s unique warmth and humanity, as well as passionate tales of love.
- [Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
- The soul’s cry woven into Japanese elegies: unraveling supreme masterpieces that resonate with the heart.
- [Kyoto Songs] Masterpieces that sing about Kyoto — songs themed on the ancient capital. The enduring heart of our hometown passed down in song.
- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
- [Hyogo Songs] A Collection of Local and Love Songs Set in Hyogo
- Railway songs from across Japan: Japanese classics themed around trains.
- A classic song about Oita. The enduring spirit of our hometown [2025]
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Hiroshima Songs] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Curated Selection of Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations
- The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
- Japanese sign-language songs; sign-language song(s)
- A classic song that sings of Nagasaki: the enduring heart of our hometown
- [Let's Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous songs related to festivals.
[Osaka Songs] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes (41–50)
Two of us in OsakaAya Matsuura
A track included on Aya Matsuura’s second best-of album, “Aya Matsuura 10TH ANNIVERSARY BEST.” Released in 2010 as a 10th anniversary commemorative album.
This is the first time the song has appeared on CD.
Unlike the idol-style image typically associated with Aya Matsuura, it’s a local Osaka song that exudes a mature, seductive vibe.
[Osaka Songs] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes (51–60)
Rainy MidosujiOuyang Feifei
Based on an instrumental piece released by The Ventures in June 1971, lyrics and an arrangement were added, and a version sung by Fifi Ouyang was released in September 1971.
As the title suggests, the song is set on Osaka’s Midosuji Avenue, and nearby place names also appear in the lyrics, allowing listeners to imagine where the characters in the song are moving about.
Covered by many artists, it is a sultry piece loved not only as a local-themed song but also as a mood kayō (romantic popular ballad).
youTeena Karina
At first glance, the artist’s name might make you think they’re from overseas, but it’s actually a play on her real name—she’s Rina Tanaka from Ikeda City in Osaka Prefecture.
While Osaka place names don’t appear in the song, the heartfelt wish to be with someone special is sung in Kansai dialect.
The use of a dialect deeply rooted within her conveys the purity of the feelings embedded in this song.
In addition to this track, two other songs have been released as part of her Kansai-dialect love song trilogy: “Akan” and “Shimota.”
Woman of OsakaThe Peanuts
The Peanuts were a twin duo famous for songs like their signature hit “Koi no Vacance,” active from the 1960s to the 1970s.
“Osaka no Onna” is a 1970 track that, unusually for the Peanuts, carries a nostalgic mood with an enka flavor.
While it doesn’t mention many place names, the lyrics do reference Kitashinchi—an upscale district known for its lively dining and nightlife—evoking scenes of romantic encounters between men and women in such settings.
With Emi and Yumi’s harmonies, it feels like a local song that conveys a more subdued, refined side of Osaka.
Husband and Wife RoadAurora Teruko
A song performed by Michiko Kawai, also known as Aurora Teruko, in the 1996 NHK morning drama series “Futarikko.” She appeared as Aurora Teruko, a character modeled on Reiko Kano, the “Diva of Tsutenkaku,” and sang this original song within the drama.
It became a major hit, selling over 850,000 copies, and led to her appearance at the 48th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 1997.
Osaka SOULKobukuro
This well-known track by the duo Kobukuro served as the theme song for the Osaka Marathon.
It features Kobukuro’s signature upbeat sound and lyrics that convey a burning passion to push toward the finish line.
The driving drumbeat and the rich use of instruments—trumpet, guitar, strings, and more—evoke images of Osaka’s lively downtown, Tsutenkaku Tower, and Osaka Castle.
Since Kobukuro hails from Sakai City, the song brims with hometown pride.
If you’re from Osaka, it’s the kind of song that makes you want to sing it at karaoke!
Osaka Things II ~Suchiko ver.~MK-twinty
The moment the intro starts, it lifts your spirits with a melody line everyone has surely heard before.
The lyrics were written by Succi—also known as Suchiko from Yoshimoto Shinkigeki.
Above all, MASUMI-chan and KANA-chan singing with bright, energetic smiles is the best.