Lovely anime song

Songs from From Up on Poppy Hill. Theme song and insert songs.

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!

From Up on Poppy Hill, released in 2011, was directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki.

It’s a coming-of-age story set in Showa-era Japan, imbued with a sense of romance and retro charm.

While its historical backdrop gives you a lot to ponder, the film has an easygoing feel that lets you savor that era of Japan with both your eyes and ears.

In this article, I’ve put together the main theme and insert songs from From Up on Poppy Hill.

By all means, don’t just listen to the songs—watch the film itself as well.

You’ll enjoy the music in this article even more that way.

Songs from From Up on Poppy Hill. Theme song and insert songs (1–10)

A heart yearning for motherSatoshi Takebe

A heart longing for one’s mother

Mother Love - Satoshi Takebe

You’ve probably seen the sun reflecting on a river and turning it golden as it sets.

This piece lets you feel that kind of natural beauty.

The track itself is very short, but paired with its sparse notes, it’s packed with a tender sense of longing.

The slow, flowing melody feels like a real canal.

Doesn’t it make you want to walk along a riverside where the sunset is beautiful while listening to this song?

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I look up as I walkKyu Sakamoto

Walk, Looking Up – 'Sukiyaki' – Kyu Sakamoto (Sakamoto Kyu) 1961.avi

I Look Up as I Walk by Kyu Sakamoto

An insert song from the Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill.

Ue o Muite Arukō is sung by Kyu Sakamoto, and in the film it is used in a scene where the song is heard coming from a television.

The person who recommended this track was Producer Suzuki, who spent his youth in 1963, the year in which the film is set.

After watching this work and hearing this song, didn’t many people feel a wave of nostalgia?

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With love. UmiAoi Teshima

(Viet sub + lyrics) With Love, the Sea – ai wo komete umi

With love. Kaideshima Aoi

The song “With Love, Umi,” included in the From Up on Poppy Hill song collection, is recognized among fans as a long-distance love song about Kazama, who has gone far away, and Umi, who waits for his return.

Looking at the title and lyrics, you can indeed feel Umi’s unwavering feelings.

It’s a song that makes you hope they trust each other even while apart and walk toward a bright future.

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Songs from From Up on Poppy Hill. Main theme and insert songs (11–20)

Dawn ~ The Breakfast Song (Film Version)Satoshi Takebe

From Up on Poppy Hill - Daybreak / Morning Breakfast Song - Satoshi Takebe

Dawn ~ Breakfast Song (Movie Version) Satoshi Takebe

Every morning, our protagonist Umi raises a flag in a spot visible from the route to school.

Here’s the soundtrack for that moment: a tune whose cheerful accordion melody and timbre linger in your ears.

The melody is incredibly catchy—you’ll remember it after just one listen.

Before the music kicks in, you can hear snippets of everyday life, and there are curious percussive sounds, too—full of playful touches.

Be sure to make this track your companion on your walk to school.

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Welcome to the Latin QuarterSatoshi Takebe

Here’s the soundtrack that welcomes you when you enter the boys’ cultural club facility, “Quartier Latin.” It’s mid-tempo, but its bouncy shuffle rhythm is super jazzy and incredibly stylish.

With instruments like saxophone and trumpet, it sounds like a ska band! This chic song is a perfect match for the atmosphere of Quartier Latin—definitely a must-listen!

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Quartier LatinSatoshi Takebe

How to play Quartier Latin by Satoshi Takebe on piano sheet music

Satoshi Takebe, Quartier Latin

An extremely important building in the film is the boys’ cultural club facility, “Quartier Latin.” It’s already quite dilapidated, sparking a debate over whether it should be torn down.

Here is the theme song for that history-filled building.

As you’d expect from an old structure, it exudes a very nostalgic atmosphere.

It’s a curious track whose tempo changes partway through.

Be sure to listen to it while taking in the appearance of Quartier Latin as shown in the film.

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spring cleaningSatoshi Takebe

Big Cleanup (Piano) ~ from the film 'From Up on Poppy Hill' ~

Satoshi Takebe, the Great Cleanup

In the film, the protagonists do a big cleanup to protect the boys’ cultural club building, “Quartier Latin,” whose demolition has been under debate.

It’s a really fun song with a tempo that rises and falls.

The deep bass gives a sense of the weight of a historic building.

When you clean, don’t you often start off sluggish and gradually get more motivated? This song captures that feeling perfectly—highly recommended!

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