[Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
In the midst of hectic days—living alone away from your familiar hometown or spending each day with a new family—you may suddenly recall the nostalgic scenery of the place you grew up.
Even if you want to go back, circumstances may keep you from doing so right away…
In times like these, why not rest your heart by listening to classic songs that sing of home?
In this article, we’ve compiled songs themed around “hometown,” focusing on timeless J-POP classics.
Let yourself be wrapped in nostalgia and enjoy these exquisite masterpieces that may gently bring warm tears to your eyes.
- A classic enka masterpiece about one's hometown. A wonderful song that evokes thoughts of home.
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- Japanese sign-language songs; sign-language song(s)
[Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia (41–50)
homeayaka
“Home,” a track on singer-songwriter Ayaka’s album Funtale, features warm lyrics that convey the importance of family.
The gentle piano in the intro and her clear, transparent voice strongly evoke the warmth and irreplaceable joy of having family.
The music video, which uses childhood photos to evoke the love of family, enhances the song’s appeal even further.
Why not give it a watch?
[Hometown Songs] A Curated Selection of Popular Japanese Tracks That Fill Your Heart with Nostalgia (51–60)
Distant thunderDo As Infinity
This song reminds me of going back to my hometown during Obon.
When I was little, I remember that it often thundered after we visited the graves during Obon.
Banchan’s gentle voice brings to mind my kind mother.
It’s a song I want to listen to when summer vacation comes.
Sanshin FlowerBEGIN
I’m moved to tears and can’t sing it without crying.
It’s a song that fills you with warmth; it has an Okinawan feel, but it also makes you think deeply about your family while remembering your hometown.
I think it’s truly wonderful.
It’s a very beautiful song.
Supernova Express 2016GLAY
As the image song for the Hokkaido Shinkansen operated by JR Hokkaido, the rock band GLAY performed “Supernova Express 2016.” Written by guitarist TAKURO to coincide with the 2016 opening, its lyrics convey heartfelt feelings for his hometown of Hokkaido.
It’s a pop-rock tune quintessentially GLAY, featuring grand, fast-paced sounds that evoke the Shinkansen.
The music video, filmed across Hokkaido’s vast landscapes, is also something people from Hokkaido will especially enjoy.
cherry blossom colorAnjura Aki
Angela Aki’s fifth single.
It’s probably a song many of you have heard, as it can be considered one of her signature tracks.
It is said to express her feelings about Washington, her second hometown where she spent her youth.
The arrangement was handled by Seiji Kameda.
Let me hear your voiceNaka Kousuke
“Koe o Kikasete” is the fourth digital-only single by Takao Nakajima, released in 2022.
Born and raised on Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, Nakajima wrote the lyrics while thinking of the island’s people and scenery.
The song was featured as NHK Radio’s Shinyabin Song from June to July 2022 and reportedly received a strong response from many listeners.
In November 2022, a full 14-track album titled “Koe o Kikasete,” which includes the single, was released.
Thank youOno Daisuke
This is a song by Daisuke Ono, who is also active as a voice actor.
A mother who lives far away and is hard to see.
Even so, we hope she’ll always be there, a place we can return to.
Many people will relate to the gentle lyrics that sing about feelings for one’s mother.