The songs of Pom Poko. Theme song and insert song.
Pom Poko, released in 1994 and directed by Isao Takahata—who is often mentioned alongside Hayao Miyazaki—is the film in question.
Set in a city undergoing rapid urban development, the story follows tanuki who are gradually pushed to the fringes as nature disappears, and who rise up to reclaim their forest.
It’s a work rich in social satire, and even after many years since its release, it still resonates deeply with us.
Here, we’ve compiled the main theme and insert songs from Pom Poko.
Of course, the music is wonderful, but if you haven’t seen the film itself, please do.
It will surely stay with you.
The Songs of Pom Poko. Theme Songs and Insert Songs (1–10)
Mr. Raccoon Dog, won't you play with me?
A short track featuring a distinctly folk-like child’s voice singing a Japanese “fushi.” It leaves a strong impression with a folkloric atmosphere, like an old hand-play song or a lullaby passed down through generations.
In a film themed around the struggle for habitat between tanuki and humans in the natural world, this opening song—where a human says, “Tanuki-san, won’t you play?”—gives you something to ponder.
chemical reconstruction
The song has a title, “Chemical Revival,” that gives a distinctly high-tech impression, but the music itself features Japanese taiko drums, percussive instruments, and a Japanese flute melody.
Some listeners may have thought it sounds quite tanuki-like—and that’s exactly right: here, “chemistry” (kagaku) is a play on words meaning the art of transformation practiced by tanuki (bake-gaku).
With that in mind, the use of drums makes perfect sense for this track.
Pom Poko Main Theme “Genki-bushi”
Set in Japan’s mountain regions—and in the Heisei era at that—this work is portrayed with a worldview that feels especially close to our everyday lives among Studio Ghibli films.
That sense of realism is a hallmark of director Isao Takahata, and this piece of music, true to its title “Genki-bushi” (“Lively Tune”), is a fun track filled with spirited shouts and the sounds of drums.
Yet the sharp little kick of spice beneath all that liveliness is quintessentially Ghibli.
Life of a tanuki
Within the world of Pom Poko, the raccoons’ richly individual and unique characters, along with the preciousness and fragility of life lived in nature, serve as the main themes of the story.
Among them, the piece titled “Tanuki no Kurashi” (“A Tanuki’s Life”) is a beautiful song with a relaxed tempo and an emotionally resonant melody.
Listen to it while picturing their gentle, peaceful way of life.
The Twin Stars: Song of the Star Traveler
What’s captivating about the music in this play is that it features many non-electric instruments like flutes and drums.
It wonderfully conveys the richness of nature and the landscape through instruments, and this particular piece is themed around “stars.” What’s remarkable is that instead of using synthesizers, it represents the stars with the high tones of metallic instruments.
The beauty of the stars as seen from the mountains is conveyed perfectly.
Elegy (Heisei Tanuki War Ponpoko)
In this film, created by the duo of directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the depiction of death is striking—and cruelly so.
When it comes to the relationship between humans and nature, and the compromises living beings must make, the story brings forth a great deal of sorrow and hatred.
Amid all this, the piece titled “Elegy” may well be the track that most symbolizes the work.
Someone at any timeShang Shang Typhoon
The theme song of Pom Poko.
The artist’s name is read as “Shan Shan Typhoon.” Its cheerful, Ryukyuan-inspired sound that evokes a sense of home perfectly matches this work, which portrays the lives of tanuki who, despite their easygoing nature, are forced to reflect on how they should live.