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

#33Mebius

Mebius “Smile” ~Hiroshima Toyo Carp Ryosuke Kikuchi’s Life Theme Song~

This is the song used as the walk-up music for Ryosuke Kikuchi of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

The title, of course, comes from Kikuchi’s jersey number.

Mebius, a sister duo from Hiroshima, delivers a refreshing up-tempo tune, with perfectly matched harmonies that pump up Kikuchi’s entrance.

Hiroshima HeavenMinami Issei

Hiroshima Heaven

This is Minami’s signature song released in 1980, with activities centered in Hiroshima.

He later became well known for singing the Hiroshima Toyo Carp team song “Sore Ike Carp,” and in recognition of these accomplishments, he received the Hiroshima Citizens’ Award in 2010.

For the people of the prefecture, it could be called a song of the heart.

Ferry to MatsuyamaMurashita Kōzō

Kozo Murashita - Ferry to Matsuyama

The late Kozo Murashita, known for his song “First Love,” also has a hidden gem called “The Ferry to Matsuyama,” which poignantly sings of a heartbreaking farewell between lovers.

Although Hiroshima and Ehime are only about 60 km apart across the Seto Inland Sea—not a great distance—crossing the water makes it feel far away, which, I think, lends even greater depth to the lyrics’ sense of sorrow.

Winds of the Aki-nadaReemondo Matsuya

Raymond Matsuya / The Wind of Akinada

After releasing this song independently in 2008, Raymond Matsuya made his major-label debut at the astonishing age of 59—a true late-blooming singer-songwriter.

The lyrics are lovely, portraying with purity a woman waiting for her loved one who is expected to come from Hiroshima.

Hiroshima StoryKadokawa Hiroshi

Hiroshi Kadokawa “Hiroshima Story”

A mature, emotionally rich number that serenely sings of Hiroshima nights, it evokes a moody memory of a man and woman’s encounter.

Kadokawa is a veteran enka singer who debuted in 1976, but it’s said that in high school he was a member of the baseball team at Koryo High School.

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.

Hiroshima, River of LoveKatō Tokiko

"Hiroshima: River of Love" Massive Riverside Chorus on August 6 — First Event — Filmed in 2015 (70 years after the bombing)

This is a message song praying for everlasting peace, with lyrics written by the late Keiji Nakazawa, author of Barefoot Gen, set in Hiroshima, which was devastated by the atomic bomb.

Ms.

Kato, known for the classic Shiretoko Ryojo and for voicing Gina in the Studio Ghibli film Porco Rosso, delivers a powerful performance.