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 and insert songs (21–30)

flagAoi Teshima

Aoi Teshima - Flag.wmv

Aoi Hashijima

This is the song “Flags,” included in the From Up on Poppy Hill song collection.

Speaking of flags, in the story she raised maritime signal flags in her yard every morning to honor her father, a sailor who died after hitting a mine during the Korean War.

After watching the film and then reading this song’s lyrics, it feels like a song that portrays Kazama’s feelings as he wrote a poem about the girl who actually raises the flags.

It also seems as if her father is gently watching over her—though maybe I’m reading too much into it… It’s a very gentle song that resonates deeply in the heart.

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spring breezeAoi Teshima

Aoi Teshima, Spring Breeze

From the “From Up on Poppy Hill Song Collection,” this is Aoi Teshima’s “Spring Wind.” Around the time when Umi and Shun began to develop feelings for each other in the story, there was an episode suggesting they might be siblings.

Shun tried to remain just friends with Umi, and Umi followed his lead.

In the end, Umi learned the truth about Shun’s parentage and realized it had been a misunderstanding, and this song may be about the resolve she found at that moment.

It’s a ballad with a very quiet, wistful melody that leaves a strong impression, yet the lyrics convey a powerful determination.

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Red riverbedAoi Teshima

Aoi Teshima, The Red Waterbed

One of the songs included in Kokuriko-zaka kara Kashu is Aoi Teshima’s “Akai Mizusoko” (Red Waterbed).

This song is about Umi’s father, a sailor whose ship met with disaster and went missing.

It conveys a mix of complex emotions—grief over the loss of a loved one who will never return and anger toward the war that caused it.

The lyrics depicting her final memories of her father are especially moving—they bring uncontrollable tears.

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rainAoi Teshima

Ame – Aoi Teshima

Aoi Ametsujima

This is “Rain,” Aoi Teshima’s song included in the From Up on Poppy Hill song collection.

Both the lyrics and the melody evoke a profound sadness.

It brings to mind the scene in the film where Umi and Kazama stand in a daze after learning they’re actually brother and sister.

“Rain” feels like a cry—or perhaps a plea—from Umi, crushed by an inescapable reality.

Listening to it is quite heartbreaking.

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Red River Valley (Chorus)Satoshi Takebe

Here is the song everyone sings in the film to send off Hokuto-san: “The Red River Valley.” Although originally an American folk song, it is beloved in Japan as one of its school songs.

Hayao Miyazaki is said to have sung it in a chorus during his high school days.

There are Japanese lyrics by poets such as Kanji Kobayashi and Hiroo Sakata, but the version of “The Red River Valley” used in the film features newly adapted lyrics by director Goro.

It is a song filled with feelings for someone setting off on a journey.

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Weather GirlSatoshi Takebe

Weather Girl (Piano) ~ from the film 'From Up on Poppy Hill' ~

Weather Girl Satoshi Takebe

In the film, the signal flags play a very important role.

Every morning, the protagonist, Umi, raises these flags for her missing father.

This song is filled with that aching feeling.

The piano melody, played in a relatively high register, is exquisitely beautiful.

Its slow tempo amplifies the sense of sorrow and delicacy.

It’s a song imbued with Umi’s feelings as she continues to raise the signal flags while thinking of her father.

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recollectionSatoshi Takebe

[Piano] Reminiscence / Satoshi Takebe (from the soundtrack of “From Up on Poppy Hill”)

Reminiscence Satoshi Takebe

This one is recommended for those who want to listen to something relaxing and soothing.

The flowing, calm melody makes you feel more at peace the more you listen.

It’s a slow-tempo ballad, but the melody has plenty of notes packed in at times, so you won’t get bored and can enjoy it to the end.

Another highlight is that it’s not a monotonous ballad!

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