[2026] Masterpieces themed on Ehime: from local songs to municipal anthems

Uwajima Counting SongYoshiyama Miki & Daba Misa

It’s a hometown pride song from Uwajima, and just by listening, you get a sense of what the area is like.

It mentions local specialties like mandarins, pearls, and bullfighting—things you can figure out with a bit of research on Uwajima.

But from the tone of the song, it seems women are strong there, and the line about “men who are henpecked” might not be unique to Uwajima.

Ehime SentimentsHinomiyoriko

Eiko Hinomi, Ehime Sentiments

What an incredible vocal power and punchy voice.

It’s certainly a local song, but she herself calls it a hometown song.

Alongside numerous references to places in Ehime Prefecture, you can feel the love for her hometown in this piece.

Yoriko Hinomi runs a music agency in Matsuyama City and also teaches at a vocal school.

Yearning for Matsuyamarabu santos

Matsuyama Yearning (audio only)

Isn’t this a classic mood kayō set in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture? The essence of mood kayō, after all, is a male vocalist with a sweet voice that carries a slightly nasal, sensual allure.

Tsukasa Higuchi, the vocalist of Love Santos, is no exception—his voice is full of allure.

Setouchi BluesHikawa Kiyoshi

Setouchi Blues

There’s the Setouchi Sea Line that connects Hiroshima Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture across the Seto Inland Sea, and in Takamatsu it’s the Shikoku Ferry, right? In the third verse, the place reached is Matsuyama Port in Ehime Prefecture, and although it’s a travel song about searching for a woman he longs to see, this time Kiyoshi Hikawa’s style feels more like mood kayō rather than full-on enka.

On “Uta no Natsu Matsuri,” Hikawa collaborated with Yuzu on ‘Eikō no Kakehashi’ and received rave reviews, and he’s been taking on challenges without being bound by genre.

Uwajima Farewell WavesMizumori Kaori

Uwajima Wakare-nami (1 chorus) Kaori Mizumori

For a song by the queen of local tunes, it feels a bit lacking in place names, doesn’t it? Still, it promotes Uwajima quite well.

The terraced fields are the Yusu Mizugaura stone terraces, offering a stunning landscape, and the Uwa Sea’s deeply indented ria coastline provides an ideal environment for pearl cultivation—one of Uwajima’s specialties.

It’s a beautiful song that links parting with the pearl rafts.

Song of EhimeBONNY JACKS

Song of Ehime

This piece was created in 1973 at the same time as the new prefectural emblem, during the commemorative ceremony for the inauguration of Ehime Prefectural Government.

However, unlike Nagano Prefecture’s song, it’s doubtful that most residents can actually sing it.

It seems the former governor of Ehime and the successor who took office afterward did not get along, leading to the emblem being redesigned.

The song narrowly avoided being abolished, but it’s unclear whether it has truly taken root among the residents in this situation.

To the island of white fragrancebokaro-ban

To the Island of White Fragrance — Fuyumi Sakamoto

This is a song released in 1989 as the image song for Nakajima Town in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.

Due to a later municipal merger, it actually refers to the former Nakajima Town.

I’ve heard that this song is played on the ships of Nakajima Kisen, which operates routes connecting Mitsuhama Port and Takahama Port in Matsuyama with the Kutsuna Islands.

It’s a relaxed and lovely song, and Fuyumi Sakamoto sings it so sweetly with restrained vibrato that you wouldn’t immediately think it’s her.