[Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
Across Japan, there are many “local songs” created around themes like regional climate and traditions, long-standing customs, hometown pride, and specialty foods.
However, few people are likely familiar with songs from places far from their own living area or hometown.
Some might even have spent years in a region without knowing its local songs at all.
In this article, we’ll introduce some highly impactful, must-hear local songs from across Japan that we hope many of you will get to know.
If it’s a place you’ve visited, try listening while picturing the local scenery.
If it’s somewhere you’ve never been, let the song help you imagine the land and the lives of the people who live there.
- A roundup of regional enka songs: classic hits that feature places from all across Japan in their lyrics.
- [Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
- [2026] Masterpieces that sing of Hokkaido: the heart of a beloved homeland passed down in song
- Introducing famous songs about Shizuoka: Local anthems and popular tracks [2026]
- [Songs of Saitama] A Wealth of Humor-Filled Classics! Local Anthems Packed with Love for Saitama
- Songs related to Mie Prefecture. Beloved local tunes of Mie that continue to be cherished.
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Kyoto Songs] Masterpieces that sing about Kyoto — songs themed on the ancient capital. The enduring heart of our hometown passed down in song.
- A famous song about Fukuoka. The heart of the hometown passed down through song.
- A classic song that celebrates Niigata. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- Songs about Tokyo: A collection of popular J‑Pop classics [2026]
- Masterpieces that sing of love. Recommended popular songs.
- [Songs of Kagoshima] The heart of our hometown carried on in song | A curated selection of classic tracks that embody Kagoshima
[Local Songs] Must-Listen Tracks Filled with Hometown Love from All Over Japan (21–30)
It was rainy again in Nagasaki today.Maekawa Kiyoshi & Kuuru Faibu
Truly, whenever I went to Nagasaki, it was always raining.
Even if it’s a metaphor for a broken heart, I think it’s well expressed.
With persuasive vocals and lyrics, it’s a song that could leave a lasting impression even on people who aren’t fond of enka.
I think it’s a good song that lets you imagine the scenery, like cobblestone streets.
Yanagase BluesMikawa Ken’ichi
It used to just feel like a song for a lively nightlife district, but when I listened closely, I realized it’s actually a sad song.
There are many breakup songs, but Mikawa’s dry voice and matter-of-fact delivery make the sadness even more poignant.
It was the first time I felt sadness from Mikawa.
I realized it’s not just bluntness…
Mie Nishi Elementary SchoolThe Shiawase
It’s a song that straightforwardly paints the soil and scenery of Mie, spreading the scent of home through your chest.
Dirt roads through rice fields, a deep indigo sky, even the weight of a school backpack come to life, as childhood memories and the flutter of first love blend with the beat of the present.
The melody is warm, swelling into a chorus that feels like your view opening up.
Written and composed by Riku Nakai “B.B.”, sung by The Shiawase, it was included on the December 2019 album Kotatsu, with a music video released in March 2020 in response to the planned Victor Rock Festival.
It also aired on JFL presents FOR THE NEXT and CROSS FM.
It’s a companion for when you want to recall your school commute or take a deep breath of Mie’s air.
Listen to it while traveling, and the scenery will feel even more vivid.
I love this town.mucchī
A gentle melody that evokes the sea breeze of Ise and the Suzuka mountain range spreads warmly in the heart.
Centered on encounters and mutual support, this civic song straightforwardly weaves pride in daily life and hope for the future.
Its simple, warm wording that unites the spirit of a city after consolidation is also part of its charm.
It was designated as the civic song of Tsu City in February 2009.
Available in the original male vocal version, a female vocal arrangement, and various formats such as choral and wind ensemble; in May 2009, choral and wind ensemble versions were recorded live at a concert in the Mie Prefectural Cultural Center.
The song is also used for the city’s disaster administration radio system, school chimes, the time signal at City Hall and Ast Tsu, and as telephone hold music.
For school and workday mornings, family drives, and trips to and from festivals.
This work gently accompanies those moments when you pause and want to feel the everyday warmth rooted in Mie.
The Bride of SetoKoyanagi Rumiko
Set in the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, this 1972 release portrays a young woman’s wedding journey.
It is one of the signature songs by Rumiko Koyanagi, who debuted with “Watashi no Jokamachi” in 1970 and won the Best New Artist Award at the 13th Japan Record Awards.
The song delicately captures the complex emotions of a bride heading toward her beloved—an intermingling of resolve and anxiety.
Widely embraced by audiences, it also won the 3rd Japan Kayō Awards.
Why not listen to it while picturing the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea, celebrating the start of a new chapter in life?
Tsugaru Love WomanNiinuma Kenji
Above all, the realism of the continuously falling snow is astounding.
You can see the character of snowbound Tsugaru, and the sorrow of a woman in love that shows through the snow makes it feel all the more so.
I don’t think anyone but Niinuma could fully sing a song about such unending snow.
I consider it a masterpiece.
It’s been a song I can’t forget since the first time I heard it.
The Great Cedar of SugiMiyama Hiroshi
This song was performed by Hiroshi Miyama, the “Vitamin Voice” born in Kochi, as a heartfelt tribute to his hometown.
Composed by his mentor, Masamasa Nakamura, it’s a grand life-themed enka inspired by the three-thousand-year-old ‘Great Cedar of Sugi’ towering over his local town of Ōtoyo.
The anecdote that Miyama himself piloted a drone to film the music video also speaks volumes about his extraordinary love for his hometown.
He overlays his own life onto the great cedar that has “withstood blizzards, storms, and drought,” and vows to show a “proud, shining figure” to someone dear to him.
That straightforward resolve blends perfectly with Miyama’s warm vocals, gently infusing listeners with the strength to face tomorrow.