Okubukako’s famous and popular songs
Let me introduce songs by singer-songwriter Hanako Oku, who made her major debut in 2005 after performing street live shows.
Hanako Oku is known for her beautiful, charming voice, and her song “Garnet” was used as the theme song for the film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, perfectly matching the movie’s atmosphere.
While she primarily performs in a keyboard or piano-and-vocals style, she actually majored in trumpet at a music university during her college years.
Although she usually doesn’t play the trumpet at live shows, it seems she performs the trumpet herself in the instrumental break of “Niji no Mieru Ashita e.”
That song is also included in this playlist, so please take a listen to her rare trumpet performance.
Oku Hanako’s Best and Most Popular Songs (1–10)
loveOku Hanako
A track included on the second album, TIME NOTE.
It’s a song themed around unrequited love, where the narrator witnesses the person they like being with their partner.
The lyric “I was pained by your smile I’d never seen before” pierces the heart.
Winter FireworksOku Hanako
It was released in 2014 as Okuda Hanako’s 13th single.
The song centers on the bittersweet unrequited love of a woman who falls for a male friend, capturing the frustration of wanting to confess after his casual remarks but being unable to, and the overflowing emotions that anyone who’s experienced a one-sided love can relate to.
First loveOku Hanako
It’s their 10th single, and although the title seems like a symbol of innocence, it’s actually a heartbreak song about desperately trying to cut off feelings for someone you loved and continue on as friends.
The lyric that says, “I thought I knew everything, but the one thing I didn’t know was that you don’t love me anymore,” is truly wrenching.
Wedge -Kusabi-Oku Hanako
It was released in 2015 as Hanako Oku’s 15th single.
The song dates back to her indie days, and the music video was filmed at the Matsumoto Memorial Music Guest House in Tokyo.
Positioned as a single commemorating the 10th anniversary of her major-label debut, it’s a song whose poignant heartbreak lyrics really resonate.
GarnetOku Hanako
Among Oku Hanako’s singles, this fourth single is the best-selling, and it was chosen as the theme song for the Kadokawa-distributed film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
It’s a song about graduation and parting with a lover, and the lyric “Let’s etch into our hearts the days we spent so we won’t have to remember them” is heart-wrenching.
The city where I was bornOku Hanako
It’s a song included on Hanako Oku’s second album, “TIME NOTE,” released in 2007.
Chosen as the commercial theme song for the Chiba Destination Campaign, it’s a warm piece that reaffirms that even when you leave your hometown and work hard elsewhere, there are people back home who are waiting for you, supporting you, and cheering you on.
Gentle flowerOku Hanako
It was selected as the image song for the JA Kyosai Assistance Dog charity campaign as their debut single.
There’s also a backstory that Mamoru Hosoda, the director of the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, happened to hear the track from a staff member and decided to ask for it as the theme song.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to on your way home from a part-time job or work, or when you’re struggling with life.
As an aside, the live audio in the video is such high quality that if you’re not looking at the screen, you could mistake it for a CD.
Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako
It’s a song included on Hanako Oku’s fourth single, released in 2006.
It was used as an insert song in the Kadokawa-distributed film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Originally considered as a candidate for the theme song, it ended up being chosen as an insert song because there was a scene in the film that suited it perfectly.
I want you to tell me you love me.Oku Hanako
It was released in 2008 as Hanako Oku’s eighth single.
The lyrics express a woman’s lingering feelings for the man she broke up with and her earnest wish to start over, resonating with women who have experienced heartbreak.
The yearning of a woman who longs to hear him say he loves her is deeply poignant.
Color of TearsOku Hanako
Okubukako, known for her translucent vocals and delicate sensibilities.
Featured on her April 2005 indie album “Okubukako vol.best,” this song vividly paints the memories of a lost love.
Carried by a gentle yet powerful piano melody, her crystal-clear voice resonates throughout.
The everyday moments we took for granted suddenly press upon the heart as cherished memories.
That universally familiar ache sinks deeply into the listener’s soul.
It’s a song for anyone who’s experienced heartbreak or parting—and for those moments when you want to look back on memories with someone special.