[Okayama Songs] A roundup of local anthems and classic hits brimming with hometown pride!
When people think of Okayama, many might picture its mild climate—earning it the nickname the Land of Sunshine—or its famous specialties like white peaches and Muscat grapes.
However, when it comes to songs that celebrate this charming region, some may be surprised to find they don’t know many.
In fact, there are plenty of wonderful pieces themed around Okayama, filled with love for the region and depictions of its landscapes and everyday life.
In this article, we’ve gathered songs that sing of Okayama.
Whether you have ties to Okayama or have yet to visit, we hope you’ll experience the appeal of this place through music.
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- A roundup of regional enka songs: classic hits that feature places from all across Japan in their lyrics.
[Okayama Songs] A comprehensive introduction to local tunes and famous tracks brimming with hometown love! (1–10)
Amazing Okayama!Katsuragi Yuki
A local song sung in a husky voice by singer Yuki Katsuragi, who hails from Kawakami Town in Okayama Prefecture.
The dialect word mongee, meaning “amazing,” makes a powerful impact and conveys a strong sense of hometown pride.
Also keep an eye out for the footage of Yuki Katsuragi wearing a sailor-style school uniform.
I want to accompany you.Katte ni Kankō Kyōkai
This song, created by the “meddlesome” duo Miura Jun and Anzai Hajime as part of their Unofficial Tourism Association for Okayama Prefecture, expresses the desire to “be your companions,” likening themselves to the three retainers from the Momotaro legend.
The lyrics are brimming with playful spirit, sprinkling in puns and proper nouns like the white-walled townscape of Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Quarter, the sunset at Mount Washuzan, Sesshū, and Yuko Arimori—like a tourism brochure reimagined in a pop style.
If you’re from Okayama, or planning a trip there, listening to it is sure to heighten your travel mood.
In everyone’s heartsYuki Saori
Selected in 1982 by the Okayama Prefectural Cultural Foundation as a beloved prefectural song, it is probably the most famous piece themed around Okayama.
The composer was Asei Kobayashi, and the vocalist at the time was Saori Yuki.
Even today, it is sung by various artists and cherished as a song that symbolizes Okayama.
Incidentally, neither of the two is from Okayama.
[Songs of Okayama] A Showcase of Local Anthems and Beloved Classics Brimming with Hometown Pride! (11–20)
Chilly Spring InnMizumori Kaori
This is an enka song performed by Kaori Mizumori, known as the Queen of Local Songs, set in the Mimasaka region of Okayama Prefecture.
The lyrics weave in proper place names such as Okayama, Mimasaka, and the Yoshino River, overlaying the scenery of Yunogo Onsen with the emotions of parting.
Titled with the seasonal word hanabie, which refers to a chill in the air during spring, the lyrics strikingly contrast the warmth of the hot springs with the coldness of lingering attachment.
It was released in October 2011 as a track on the album Kayō Kikō X: Shōnai Heiya Kaze no Naka.
It’s a recommended song for those who want to feel the landscapes of Okayama and the atmosphere of its hot spring towns, or who wish to dwell on a bittersweet tale of farewell.
News from BizenNonaka Saori
This is the city song created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bizen City’s merger in Okayama Prefecture.
It was released in October 2024.
The lyrics weave in three colors—red representing the flames of Bizen ware, blue representing the Seto Inland Sea, and green representing the satoyama woodlands—vividly portraying the region’s nature and industries.
Blending the emotional depth of enka with a familiar, hymn-like melody, it’s a piece that anyone can hum along to.
Saori Nonaka’s clear, expansive vocals warmly sing of Bizen’s landscapes—the Seto sea, silhouetted islands, and stands of trees.
The song has become beloved as a locally rooted piece, sung in unison by all participants at city ceremonies.
Shimotsui Otaki Madakana BridgeNakamura Mitsuko
Shimozui, a port town in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture.
Set in this place that once flourished as a calling point for Kitamaebune trading ships, the song traces the feelings of a woman living in the red-light district.
Sung by Mitsuko Nakamura, it vividly portrays the emotions of a geisha yearning for the return of the sailing ships, with a title drawn from the name of a real bridge in the area.
After being included on the March 2006 album “Yarō-tachi no Uta,” it was released as a single in August of the same year.
The classic enka world woven by Tadashi Kitajō’s lyrics and Tetsuya Gen’s melody is perfect not only for those who love the region’s history and climate, but also for anyone who resonates with the atmosphere of a port town and a woman’s single-hearted love.
applausechiaki naomi
This is a signature song by Naomi Chiaki, a singer from Okayama Prefecture.
It was promoted with the tagline that it was based on Chiaki’s real-life experience in Kamogata Town, but there’s a surprising twist: the lyricist actually wrote it without knowing that story.
It seems the truth is that the lyrics just happened to coincide with her real experience by chance.