A classic song celebrating Oita. The enduring spirit of our hometown [2026]

The world’s first spaceport has been decided for Oita Prefecture.aberiyou

The world's first spaceport has been decided to be in Oita Prefecture — Aberyo

Released by ABE Ryo in 2021, this song takes on the wildly imaginative theme of Oita Airport becoming the world’s first spaceport.

Set to an upbeat, comical sound, it delivers biting social satire—featuring energy-saving plans to launch rockets from passenger planes and a governor who “gushes about a 10-billion-yen economic boost.” At the same time, the skillful inclusion of real challenges—like flights being canceled due to an eruption of Mount Aso—really stands out.

With its unique take on the broad theme of regional revitalization, the song invites listeners to joyfully imagine Oita’s future.

Be sure to listen while reading the lyrics!

Hell EstheticianKatte ni Kankō Kyōkai

Oita Prefecture Local Song 'Hellish Esthetician' / Unofficial Sightseeing Association

This is a playful local song about Oita Prefecture by the duo Miura Jun and Hazama Hajime, known as the Self-Styled Tourism Association.

The striking title, “Hell’s Esthetician,” is said to be inspired by Beppu Onsen’s famous ‘Hell Tour.’ The lyrics parade the names of the various ‘hells,’ delivered in an irresistibly upbeat, festival-like tune.

In between, it also slips in local specialties like Bungo beef and dango-jiru, which might surprise some listeners with the sheer density of information.

Give it a listen as a companion for your trip to Oita, and your journey might become even more enjoyable.

Hometown ŌnoSakushi: Kudō Emiko / Sakkyoku: Hirao Masaaki

Bungo-Ōno City Image Song “Furusato Ōno”

This song was created to gently accompany everyday life in Bungo-ōno City, Ōita Prefecture.

The lyrics were written by Emiko Kudō and the music composed by Masaaki Hirao, and every evening this gentle melody plays over the municipal disaster-prevention broadcast system.

Locals, of course, know it well, and some of you may have heard it during a visit to the city.

With the warm, nostalgic tone so characteristic of Hirao, the melody seems to paint in sound the grand nature and unhurried flow of time in Bungo-ōno.

Filled with deep affection for the region, this piece truly deserves to be called a “gift to one’s hometown”—a song that resonates in the heart.

Yufuin SentimentMitsuki Yuuji

Yuji Mitsuki, “Yufuin Ujo (Yufuin Sentiment)”

Yuuji Mitsuki, a native of Oita City, poured his deep love for his hometown into this song, “Yufuin Ujō.” With the dramatic vocals honed at the Shiki Theatre Company, he beautifully captures the gentle, refined atmosphere of this famed hot spring town.

If you listen closely to the lyrics, scenes unique to Yufuin vividly arise in your mind—Lake Kinrin veiled in morning mist, the gentle sway of the horse-drawn carriages.

Though the song tells of the sorrow of parting, a warm sense of home quietly spreads beneath it all.

This piece is like a small story that bottles up the very air of Yufuin.

Play it as a companion on your journey, and the town’s scenery may feel all the more evocative.

Strolling Trip around the Kunisaki PeninsulaSara Naomi

Strolling Trip around the Kunisaki Peninsula

This is a song about the Kunisaki Peninsula, located in the northeastern part of Oita Prefecture and selected as one of Japan’s 100 hidden scenic spots.

It is one of the tracks included on Naomi Sagara’s 2010 best-of album, “Golden☆Best Deluxe.”

Bungo Minato-machiKawano Natsumi

Natsumi Kawano “Bungo Port Town”

This song portrays the poignant feelings of a woman anxiously waiting at her hometown port for someone who has set off across distant seas.

The “Bungo” in the title is the old provincial name for what is now Oita Prefecture, and the singer, Natsumi Kawano, hails from Tsukumi City, which is known as a port town.

Perhaps her deep affection for her own hometown is woven into her voice.

The foreign imagery in the lyrics—such as the Southern Cross—only serves to highlight the loneliness of the port where the heroine waits, as well as her unwavering love.

Many listeners may find themselves empathizing with the longing for someone dear who is far away.

It’s an emotionally rich piece that vividly evokes the scenery of Oita’s ports.

all alonekaguya hime

Kaguya-hime Alone 2005

This song, included on the B-side of the single “Boku wa Nani o Yattemo Dame na Otoko desu” released by the folk group Kaguyahime in 1972, is about Takenaka Station in Ōita City.

It was also included on the album “Hajimemashite.” This video features a version performed in 2005.