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The Wind Rises songs: 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!

The Wind Rises, a Studio Ghibli film released in 2013.

If you remember that time, you likely recall the news that director Hayao Miyazaki would retire after this film, which caused quite a stir.

The protagonist, Jiro Horikoshi, is absorbed in building airplanes.

And the heroine, Nahoko Satomi, fights illness.

Their relationship, the story itself, and the historical backdrop—all of it sinks deep into the heart.

Many viewers probably found themselves in tears by the end.

This article compiles the many famous pieces of music used in The Wind Rises.

Each and every one is profoundly moving.

The Wind Rises songs. Theme and insert songs (21–30)

paper airplaneJoe Hisaishi

In the film, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Jiro Horikoshi, folds and flies a paper airplane.

This is the soundtrack that plays then.

It’s a light, airy sound that evokes the buoyancy of a paper plane riding the wind and soaring into the sky.

Because the dynamics are so well-defined, you can imagine all kinds of paper planes—some tossed about by gusts, others gliding on a gentle breeze.

Brimming with impact, this track may leave you wanting to launch a paper airplane yourself by the time it ends.

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Naoko (Proposal)Joe Hisaishi

This is the piece that plays when the protagonist, Jiro Horikoshi, proposes to his girlfriend, Naoko.

It begins with a slightly anxious, quiet tone, but midway it transforms dramatically into a soaring, string-driven sound! The high registers are delicate, making you feel joyful while also somehow at ease.

The grand, happiness-filled sound will make anyone listening feel happy too!

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Naoko (I want to see you)Joe Hisaishi

Among the many tracks themed around Nahoko in The Wind Rises soundtrack, this one in particular carries a sense of unease—a gloomy, overcast feeling as if dark clouds are gathering.

Titled “Nahoko (Longing to See You),” it vividly conveys Nahoko’s inner world: her despair, and yet her resilient spirit as she defies fate and lives with strength.

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windJoe Hisaishi

“Hachi-shi Tokutei” refers to the aircraft that was actually built when the Navy issued Mitsubishi a design order for a new twin-engine long-range reconnaissance plane.

It also appears in the show.

This is the song for that new model aircraft.

It carries a somewhat cute atmosphere.

Doesn’t the mid-tempo rhythm and bouncy melody put you in a cheerful mood? Be sure to listen for where this piece is used in the show.

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Caproni (A Designer’s Dream)Joe Hisaishi

Caproni (The Designer's Dream) Piano Performance – from the film The Wind Rises –

Caproni (The Designer’s Dream) Joe Hisaishi

This is the theme song of Caproni, the aircraft designer who appears in the film The Wind Rises.

The piano’s freely roaming notes beautifully capture his elusive yet dignified character.

You can feel the longing people once had for the dream of flying.

Like a European marching song, it’s a fun piece that fills listeners with excitement.

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Journey (Parting)Joe Hisaishi

Journey (Farewell) Piano Performance — from the film “The Wind Rises”

Tabiji (Farewell) Joe Hisaishi

This is the piece Journeys (Farewell), used in the film The Wind Rises.

Saying goodbye to someone dear is heartbreaking for anyone.

The steadfast strength Nahoko showed Jiro at the end did not cast him into utter despair; instead, it gave him the courage to go on living.

It’s a song that lets you feel a kind of freshness alongside profound sadness.

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Journey (Kingdom of Dreams)Joe Hisaishi

Journey (The Kingdom of Dreams) Piano Performance – from the film “The Wind Rises”

Tabiji (The Kingdom of Dreams) Joe Hisaishi

This piece is titled “Journey (Kingdom of Dreams).” Ever since he was a child, Jiro dreamed of becoming an aircraft designer.

Caproni, the German designer he admired, often appeared in Jiro’s dreams to offer him advice.

In dreams, impossible things that defy ordinary logic can happen.

This is a song that carries listeners into a mysterious world—just like Jiro’s dreams.

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