The Iichiko commercial song. A popular jingle.
Speaking of the TV commercials for Iichiko, the barley shochu from Oita Prefecture, they’ve been on the air for many years.
The cool, subdued narration set against footage from around the world has earned a devoted following.
The music used in Iichiko’s commercials has drawn attention alongside the visuals as well, featuring a variety of songs—primarily by Billy BanBan and Fuyumi Sakamoto, among others.
In this article, we’ll introduce all the songs that have been featured in Iichiko’s commercials so far!
They’re all tracks that really tug at the heartstrings and invite a touch of nostalgia, so take this opportunity to give them another listen!
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Iichiko’s commercial songs: Popular commercial songs (21–30)
Original songHIDEYA KOJIMA
Here is the first installment in the commercial series that visualizes the world of Iichiko’s station posters: the “Scenery With You” episode.
It’s said to depict meeting, parting, and reuniting with someone important, and it’s crafted in a way that really tugs at your heart.
It feels like a fully fledged theatrical anime, making it incredibly compelling to watch.
The beautiful piano melody in the background is by Hideya Kojima.
Desert Rosebiriibanban
This is the Oasis edition that aired in 1999.
With its expansive desert and camels, it perfectly matches the mellow background music.
For a moment you can’t tell what the commercial is for, but you can’t help getting absorbed in the beautiful, nature-rich imagery.
The CM song is Billy BanBan’s “Sabaku no Bara” (Desert Rose), which fits the visuals perfectly.
In the end, when the iichiko bottle tumbles down the sand dune, you go, “Ah, it’s an iichiko commercial!”
Unrequited love is fine.Gōruden Bonbā
This is a commercial video from 2013 for iichiko’s Hita Zen Koji version, known as the “Napoleon of the Downtown.” It opens with a fantastical waterfall, beautifully spraying mist, and as the camera slowly zooms in, it begins with Koji Matoba intensely practicing waterfall meditation—an image with full impact.
The song is a cover by Fuyumi Sakamoto of “Kataomoi de Ii,” originally released by Golden Bomber in 2014.
It’s a visual work that showcases the appeal of this CM series: what first seems like a mismatch mysteriously grows on you as you watch.
For now, just like this.biriibanban
This commercial layers iichiko over the world’s beautiful landscapes, gently expressing the richness contained within it.
Here, it portrays the scenery of England, and as we journey through its lush greenery, it evokes the idea that iichiko supports the traveler.
Further emphasizing the gentle atmosphere of this leisurely journey is Billy BanBan’s “Ima wa, Kono Mama.” Both the sound and the vocals feel like a soft, intimate whisper, and that calm air creates a distinctive sense of weightlessness.
To say goodbyebiriibanban
In the 1993 “Aegean Sea” edition, a day on the beautiful Aegean unfolds.
From the slightly pale morning sea, to the sun rising and the water gleaming a vivid blue, and finally the sea bathed in the colors of sunset, the scenes are so beautiful they soothe the heart.
Along the way, shots of someone reading a book and a large ship cruising across the Aegean convey an unhurried flow of time.
The commercial’s BGM is Billy BanBan’s signature song, released in 1972 and a major hit; with this song, they appeared in that year’s 23rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
The younger brother, Susumu Sugawara, once had mixed feelings because the song was written by an external lyricist and composer, but as an unfading masterpiece, it has naturally been covered by many artists—as well as by the duo themselves—and continues to be sung across generations.
I’ve always liked you.biriibanban
This is a commercial released in 2010, featuring beautiful seascapes from Belize, a country in Central America.
The CM song is a cover of Fuyumi Sakamoto’s “Zutto Anata ga Suki Deshita” performed by Billy BanBan.
In iichiko commercials, it’s common for Billy BanBan and Fuyumi Sakamoto to cover each other’s songs, and spotting those differences can be part of the fun.
Both versions are wonderful—the passionate, emotionally charged rendition by Sakamoto and the wistful rendition by Billy BanBan.
A Season Too Latebiriibanban
Because the Iichiko commercials are filmed on location overseas, just watching them makes you feel like setting off on a trip, doesn’t it? The “Ireland” installment from the 1994 commercial series also stirs viewers’ wanderlust with its beautiful lakeside scenery.
It begins with a view looking down over the lake, then cuts to a close-up of a small rowboat.
Instead of simply moving in closer to the boat, the ad intersperses scenes of forest animals, and only afterward shows a bottle of Iichiko placed at the boat’s bow—a wonderfully sly touch.
And the final scene is perfect too: accompanied by the narration, “Let’s take our time and talk once in a while,” the bottle of Iichiko floats gently on the water’s surface, wavering in the light.
