A classic song about Kumamoto. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.

Sweet Home KumamotoYashiro Aki

Aki Yashiro / Sweet Home Kumamoto

When it comes to singers from Kumamoto, it has to be Aki Yashiro from Yatsushiro! This is a track from an album released in 2015.

She’s likely singing while reminiscing about her nostalgic hometown of Yatsushiro.

It’s a very enjoyable song—light, soft, and stylish blues.

Otemoyan

Otemoyan “Kumamoto Prefectural Folk Song”

Otemoyan is a folk song that has been passed down in Kumamoto since long ago.

Considered a representative Kumamoto folk tune, it’s a piece you often hear at festivals in the region.

The term “otemoyan,” referring to a woman with prominent rouge on her cheeks, comes from this song.

Many different artists have performed it, so it could be fun to compare the various versions.

together; along with; bothWANIMA

WANIMA – Together (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

A signature song by WANIMA, the band from Kumamoto, that delivers a passionate message: “Precisely when times are tough, let’s lift our heads and move forward together!” Just listening to it stirs the heart—its powerful sound and warm words strike a chord, filling you with the bonds of friendship and hope for tomorrow.

Featured on the single JUICE UP!! released in August 2016, it captured many hearts as the CM song for Nivea Kao’s 8×4.

The track also carries prayers for the earthquake that struck their hometown of Kumamoto during production, singing earnestly of the preciousness of life and love for one’s roots.

It’s a heartwarming anthem that stands by you at life’s turning points or when you’re feeling low, offering strong, encouraging support.

Happy KumamonKumamon

Happy Kumamon [Official]

It’s a number featuring Kumamon’s lively singing voice that instantly lifts your spirits, like the sun rising in your heart.

The bouncy melody that makes you want to sing and dance along, and the bright lyrics inviting everyone to go find happiness together, are sure to bring smiles to listeners’ faces.

The song was first unveiled in March 2014 when it was included on the album “Let’s Play with Kumamon! ~Drawing Songs and Play Songs~.” A multilingual version was added to the 10th anniversary album released in March 2020, “Kumamon 10th ANNIVERSARY CD & PHOTO BOOK ~Happy & Surprise~,” spreading its charm to even more people.

If you’re a Kumamon fan, you already know this one, right?

Woman of the Land of FireSakamoto Fuyumi

The 10th Woman of the Land of Fire — Fuyumi Sakamoto

This is a song by Fuyumi Sakamoto, known for skillfully singing about women’s burning passions, as in the classic “Yozakura Osome.” It expresses the powerful feelings of a woman consumed by a fleeting love: “If you hold a woman, do it with the resolve to embrace fire!” Are women from Higo Province, Kumamoto, all passionate like this?

Battens and BaterenKatte ni Kankō Kyōkai

Kumamoto Prefecture Local Song “Batten Bateren” / Unauthorized Tourism Association

When the spirit and warmth of Kumamoto are rendered by Jun Miura and Hajime Anzai, they turn into such a delightful and heartwarming local song.

This track sings about Kumamoto’s specialties and history—like horse sashimi, Mount Aso, and Amakusa Shirō—with affection, humor, and nostalgia.

The gentle tone of Miura’s guitalele and the cozy sense of place created by the “Ryoka-roku” inn recordings feel truly comforting.

It was included on the album “Vol.

1” in January 2003, and later featured on the February 2008 album “Katte ni Kankō Kyōkai Katte ni Gotōchi Song 47+1.” How about giving it a listen when you want to rediscover Kumamoto’s charm or are in the mood for music that warms the heart?

Hang in there, Kumamoto!Hayashida Kenji

Keep pushing, Kumamoto — for everyone.

An anthem born from the heartfelt wish for recovery after the Kumamoto earthquakes, bringing together the hopes of many.

Kenji Hayashida carefully transformed the real voices and earnest wishes of those affected into lyrics, creating this work together with the people of Kumamoto.

As symbolized by the Kumamoto dialect word meaning “hang in there,” it carries a warm yet powerful message of encouragement that speaks directly to the listener’s heart.

Included on the mini-album “Minna no Oto-gasane” released in January 2017, the song is deeply connected to support for the disaster-stricken areas, including Kumamoto Castle.

Enriched by the pure voices of the NHK Kumamoto Children’s Choir, it powerfully conveys undying love for one’s hometown and the bonds of people facing hardship.

It’s a song that gently stays by your side when your heart is about to break or when you long for human warmth, giving you a push toward tomorrow.