Lovely anime song

Songs from Whisper of the Heart: 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!

This time, we’re featuring the theme song and insert songs from the Studio Ghibli film “Whisper of the Heart.” When you think of “Whisper of the Heart,” it has to be “Country Road,” right? That melody that makes you want to hum it without thinking.

For those who’ve seen the film, it’s an especially memorable song.

The bittersweet relationship between the protagonists, Shizuku and Seiji Amasawa.

Just writing this introduction makes me want to watch it again.

If you listen to the songs collected in this article, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.

Songs from Whisper of the Heart. Theme and insert songs (21–30)

Chasing the catYuji Nomi

Chasing Cats / Yuji Nomi: Piano (Solo) / Advanced

Yuji Nomi chasing a cat

As the title “Chasing the Cat” suggests, this is the music from the very beginning of the story, in the scene where Shizuku runs after the cat.

It also features strings and is a perfect fit for the film’s theme.

It’s a piece that brings to mind the cat’s sullen little face—the one that led her up that hill and opened the door from ordinary days to a life that felt touched by magic.

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Lost ForestYuji Nomi

The Lost Woods (from “Whisper of the Heart”)

Yuji Nomi of the Lost Woods

In the scene where Shizuku is urged on by Baron’s voice, the piece “The Lost Forest” is used.

What kind of impression did this scene leave on you? It’s a grand orchestral composition that deepens the scene’s impact—something like fear, yet somehow different.

If you don’t recall the scene, please watch the film again and listen to the music.

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old woodblock printYuji Nomi

Do you remember the scene where this piece is used? It’s only 15 seconds long, but it plays during the scene introducing the “old woodblock print” that was used as an illustration in the book.

The print depicts a person making a violin in prison, and this track invites you to savor everything as if to portray that image—the profound, weighty low tones and even the lingering resonance until the sound fades into complete silence.

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Earth HouseYuji Nomi

An insert song set in the small antique shop “Chikyūya,” where the story takes place.

Is it a gut guitar and harp, or perhaps a multi-string guitar? The balance between the warm tones and the shimmering timbre is exquisite.

Music for a space with retro interiors and an antique atmosphere.

It evokes light filtering through the trees, and—like the work itself—has a sound that, curiously, doesn’t feel dated.

Perfect as sunny daytime BGM.

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dawnYuji Nomi

A piece by Yuji Nomi, who is in charge of the music for Whisper of the Heart.

From here on, he continued to participate in Studio Ghibli works.

This track plays in the final scene.

The intro of the ending version of Country Road connects directly from the outro of this Dawn.

Try listening to the soundtrack straight through without shuffling the track order.

The world of the film will seep deeper into you.

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A ConfessionYuji Nomi

This song, which feels both beautiful and mysterious, is titled “Confidences.

” Its arrangement is delightfully lively, with a strong emphasis on high tones that creates a rousing sense of exhilaration.

Even if it’s not a full-on fantasy film, this track energizes the opening of the work, which is rich enough in fantasy—ranging from the magical, sudden moments that appear in the otherwise ordinary school life of Shizuku and her friends.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced the theme song and insert songs from Whisper of the Heart.

What did you think? This work depicts the pure dreams and romance of middle schoolers, and I feel the music, too, is full of a mysterious charm that reflects the sensitive hearts of boys and girls.

I’m sure many of you, upon listening to the songs, were reminded of Shizuku and Seiji—straightforward and never giving up.