[Hiroshima Songs] The Heart of Our Hometown Passed Down in Song | A Curated Selection of Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations

Hiroshima I always used to seeyoshida takurou

Takuro Yoshida: Hiroshima I Always Watched

The lyrics to this song were not written by Takuro Yoshida; they were penned by the late Osami Okamoto, known for “Erimo Misaki.” I feel it was highly significant that Yoshida, who didn’t sing anti-war songs during the folk boom of the 1970s, released this song after entering the 1980s.

SanyōdōToba Ichirō

Sanyōdō

Sanyo Road portrays a man who, while harboring a selfish heartbreak, sets out on a journey in pursuit of his dreams.

Sung with a powerful kobushi by Ichiro Toba, the renowned enka master known for Kyodai-bune, it preserves in our hearts the time-honored Japanese culture that is enka.

If you take the tramIshii Anna

If you take the streetcar, full MV.mov

This is Ema Ishii’s second single; she is an artist active mainly in Hiroshima Prefecture.

When it was released in 2010, Ishii was still a high school student, but her powerful, full-bodied vocals—unbelievable for a student—evoke vivid images of Hiroshima.

The Tale of Isamu TeshimaUNICORN

Unicorn: The Isamu Teshima Story

This is a song inspired by Unicorn’s guitarist, Isamu Teshima.

The vocals are also performed by Teshima, and the lyrics, delivered in the Hiroshima dialect, relentlessly blast out his personal creed and way of life.

Unicorn has been active for many years as a band representing Hiroshima, so we can’t take our eyes off what they’ll do next.

a pencilMisora Hibari

a pencil

This is a song by Hibari Misora, the “Queen of Kayōkyoku,” created for her appearance at the first Hiroshima Peace Music Festival.

It depicts the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Having herself experienced the Great Yokohama Air Raid, she is said to have readily accepted the invitation to perform at the festival.

Message — Kotodute (oral message)Porunogurafiti

Message — Kotodute (oral message)

Porno Graffitti, a band with roots in Hiroshima, created this emotional ballad with a sense of mission to their hometown.

The lyrics portray the “first streetcar,” which ran through the city about three days after the atomic bombing, as a symbol for passing memory into the future, and their heartfelt prayer for peace comes through with piercing clarity.

Knowing that the lyrics were written first, and that vocalist Akihito Okano then composed the music as a prayer, makes the weight of the message even more palpable.

Released in April 2025 as the theme song for NHK Hiroshima’s “80 Years Since the Bombing: I Carry It Forward” project, the piece seems to quietly—yet powerfully—ask us, through music, to reflect on the preciousness of everyday life that must be protected.

The sky of Hiroshimasadamasashi

Hiroshima Sky by Masashi Sada

This song centers on the theme of the atomic bombing—an event that remains unforgettable for the people living in Hiroshima.

It is an anti-war song that Sada sings gently yet powerfully, to pass on to the next generation the folly of repeating war.

It ensures we do not forget the fact that this country was indeed engulfed in the flames of war.