The songs of Pom Poko. Theme song and insert song.
Pom Poko, released in 1994 and directed by Isao Takahata—who is often mentioned alongside Hayao Miyazaki—is the film in question.
Set in a city undergoing rapid urban development, the story follows tanuki who are gradually pushed to the fringes as nature disappears, and who rise up to reclaim their forest.
It’s a work rich in social satire, and even after many years since its release, it still resonates deeply with us.
Here, we’ve compiled the main theme and insert songs from Pom Poko.
Of course, the music is wonderful, but if you haven’t seen the film itself, please do.
It will surely stay with you.
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The Songs of Pom Poko. Theme Songs and Insert Songs (1–10)
In this city in AsiaJōjō Taihūn
A song that warmly depicts scenes of Asian streets and the people who live there, brimming with the charm of Shang Shang Typhoon.
The lyrics, imbued with a wish to turn tears into stars and sad lies into light, resonate deeply.
Released as a single in 1994, it was also included on the album “Around Asia in 80 Days.” It’s also known as the theme song for Toho’s animated film “Pom Poko.” This track empathizes with those who leave their hometowns to start anew elsewhere—recommended for people striving in a foreign land or those who have decided to set off on a journey.
Someone at any timeJōjō Taihūn
The theme song of Pom Poko.
The artist’s name is read as “Shan Shan Typhoon.” Its cheerful, Ryukyuan-inspired sound that evokes a sense of home perfectly matches this work, which portrays the lives of tanuki who, despite their easygoing nature, are forced to reflect on how they should live.
Main Title
How powerful—and short—this piece is! The fact that something only nine seconds long is included as a single track on the CD really gives you pause.
Reading into it, you can hear a man’s shout, the sound of a natural instrument like a flute, and the tones of an artificial instrument, a synthesizer, all blended together.
It’s a composition in which the film’s core theme—the balance between nature and humanity—is harmoniously realized.
That may be why it’s titled “Main Title.”
The Songs of Pom Poko: Main and Insert Songs (11–20)
Ponpoko Raccoon Dog Music
It’s a high-tempo track that really screams “Japanese festival,” and just listening to it puts you in a fantastic mood.
An electric bass—rarely heard among this film’s pieces—joins in, and together with the lively shouts of men and women, it creates a groove unlike anything before.
It’s an exhilarating, festival-style beat that brings to life the fun, quirky tanuki and fills you with excitement.
Undercurrents — Oh, if only we could make the past into the present. (Heisei Tanuki War Ponpoko)
The classical-style title “Tekiryū—Mukashi o ima ni nasu yoshi mogana” can be rendered in colloquial speech as “If only the past could become the present,” a sigh of nostalgia that serves as the title itself.
The meaning of this phrase is something you may find yourself contemplating after watching the film.
And the song itself, too, is truly steeped in nostalgia, carrying the mood of gazing off into the distance.
Lotus Flower—Gonta’s Last Stand (Heisei Tanuki War Ponpoko)
This is the theme song of Gonta, the raccoon dog who continued to oppose humans as a hardliner.
His will is so strong that even in death he returns as a specter, leading to a very memorable scene that symbolizes the film.
The piece that expresses his “gyokusai” (a noble, self-sacrificial death) is deeply painful and sad, yet profoundly brave.
With a heavy, weighty rhythm, the music seems to convey Gonta’s massive build and indomitable spirit.
Hayashi Sessesse
Speaking of hayashi, it’s an ensemble of flutes, drums, and other percussion, and this piece is a lively, joyful example of that traditional Japanese music.
It evokes the atmosphere of Bon dances and harvest festivals.
It’s a richly flavored track characteristic of “Pom Poko,” imbued with a historical and folkloric Japanese ambiance that recalls the raccoons’ unique appearances and their resilience living in nature.