Lovely anime song

The songs of Pom Poko. Theme song and insert song.

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

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 (Heisei Tanuki War). Theme and insert songs (21–30)

Joy of Spring

With birdsong drifting in from afar, this delightfully refreshing, up-tempo piece feels wonderfully pleasant.

It carries a touch of country flavor, with an arrangement that makes your heart skip with excitement.

In the natural world, the joy of spring arriving after a long winter must be especially profound; true to its title, “Joy of Spring,” a deep, visceral happiness is expressed to the fullest.

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Homesickness: Awa–Tokyo–Sado

It’s a solo piece for the shinobue in which even the flute’s breathy rasp and the sounds of breathing are captured precisely, making it feel as if you’re listening right there in person.

For the younger generation, without the animated film Pom Poko, they might never have focused so intently on the melodies of traditional Japanese instruments.

Like nature, it’s a precious culture that must not be allowed to die out, and it feels as though the beauty of wagaku—Japanese traditional music—has been packaged into this film as well.

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Profound and unfathomable music

This unsettling track titled “Genmyō Fukashigi Ongaku” (Mysterious, Unfathomable Music) unfolds with high-pitched percussion and the heavy thud of drums, creating a suspenseful mood that feels like something is about to happen.

It carries the atmosphere of music made by tanuki, whose ecosystems, values, and abilities differ from those of humans.

As a female voice joins in, the mood swells even further.

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Swift Wind Shamisen (Heisei Tanuki War Ponpoko)

This track features an ensemble with fast drum beats and the shamisen—a Japanese string instrument known for its flair and ability to convey speed.

While Pom Poko (Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pompoko) generally brings to mind calmer, slower pieces, this song, true to its title “Swift Shamisen,” has an exhilarating sense of drive—it’s a thrilling and stylish piece.

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Dance of Sudden Upheaval

A fierce, traditional Japanese hardcore track, aptly named “Fūun” (“Rising Storm”), it races at a blistering tempo and evokes the spirit of classic performing arts like kabuki—a ninja-like burst of speed in musical form.

As heard in this piece, the razor-sharp kakegoe (call-and-response shouts) represent a groundbreaking technique Japan can be proud of.

The final high notes of the shinobue (bamboo flute) deliver an awe-inspiring, powerful climax.

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In conclusion

We introduced the theme song and insert songs from Pom Poko (Heisei Tanuki War).

Each one was memorable, evoking the tanuki from the film.

Did you find a song that stayed with you? If you liked the music, be sure to watch the film as well.