A Nationwide Compilation of Timelessly Beloved Railway Songs

Spring, Summer, Autumn, WinterSakushi: Kouzai Naoki, Miura Tokiko / Sakkyoku: Hattori Takayuki

JR Freight Company Song “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter”

The company song of JR Freight, established in 2006 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the company’s founding.

Based on original lyrics written by an employee selected through an in-house contest, hitmaker Tokiko Miura refined the words, and Takayuki Hattori completed the piece with a grand orchestration.

It depicts freight trains racing across the country throughout spring, summer, autumn, and winter, alongside seasonal scenes of skies, seas, and winds.

In March 2017, Aika Hirota of Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku covered the song, and it was included on the album “JNR to JR: A 30th Anniversary of JNR Privatization Tribute Album.” It is loved beyond the boundaries of the company.

Hometown Aizu LineSakushi: Baba Seizō/Sakkyoku: Meguro Masatoshi/Uta: Baba Seizō

Hometown Aizu Line

This piece is cherished as a community support song that celebrates a third-sector railway line in the Aizu region.

The lyrics and vocals are by Seizo Baba, the composition by Masatoshi Meguro, and the arrangement by Kuniyoshi Igarashi.

It was included on the compilation album “Tekka: Songs of Railway Companies,” released by King Records in October 2009.

The lyrics convey love for the region and depict Aizu’s nature and seasonal scenery.

Please listen while picturing the landscapes of Aizu.

Aonami Travel SentimentSakkyoku: Oshimura Susumu / Uta: Okan’s

Aonami Line Official Image Song (Cheering Song) “Aonami Travel Sentiment”

This is a song set on the Aonami Line of the Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit.

It was composed by Susumu Oshimura, who runs a dental clinic in Nakagawa Ward, Nagoya, while actively engaging in local music activities, and it is performed by Okan’s, a female duo belonging to a local community revitalization volunteer group.

In May 2005, it won first place in a listener poll for a Tokai Radio program project and subsequently became the official image song of the Aonami Line, even being played on station platforms.

The lyrics mention real station names such as Arako Station and Komoto Station, and feature a succession of local icons including Enku Buddhist statues, Toshiie Maeda, and historical sites related to Matsu, intertwining the scenery along the line with the everyday thrill of life.

red trainSakushi: Kishida Shigeru/Sakkyoku: Kishida Shigeru/Utai: Quruli

Quruli – Red Train

This is a railway anthem born from a collaboration between Quruli, a rock band from Kyoto, and Keikyu Corporation.

The lyrics carefully weave in station names and streets along the Keikyu line, and the brisk sound is pleasantly resonant.

Fans will love that the actual VVVF inverter sound of Keikyu trains is used in the intro.

Since its single release in September 2005, it has been adopted as the approaching train melody at Haneda Airport Station and Shinagawa Station, so many people have probably heard it at the station.

The song conveys a palpable love for the red trains that connect the city and the suburbs.

Sotetsu Railway Company SongSakushi: Fujiura Takashi/Sakkyoku: Koseki Yuji

Sagami Railway Company Song

Composed in September 1967, this song was created by the master Showa-era duo of Hiroshi Fujiura (lyricist) and Yuji Koseki (composer) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sagami Railway’s founding.

While opening with imagery of the natural landscape of Sagamino, it builds into a powerful march that sings of ideals such as unity and mission, with a memorable refrain that repeatedly invokes the company name.

In recent years, it has been included in the compilation “Yuji Koseki Hidden Gems: Company Anthems and Corporate Songs,” and has been reappraised as a work that transcends corporate boundaries.

Minobu Line Railway SongSakushi: Ozawa Hajime/Sakkyoku: Ta Umechi/Uta: Fumei

Minobu Line Railroad Song Ver. 1

This song was produced in 2016 by the Minobu Line Railway Song Association.

A body called the Minobu Line Railway Song Promotion Council has been active, and citywide promotion efforts are underway in Fujinomiya.

It is also being sold at junior high and high schools within the city.

The association was selected for Fujinomiya City’s FY2016 Project to Promote Citizen Activities such as NPOs.

Railway Song (Descent into Ōshū)Sakushi: Shigama Totsuji / Sakkyoku: Shigama Hitoji / Uta: Dāku Dakkusu

Railway Song: Intellectual Education, Volume 1 (Descent into Ōshū)

This is a song about the Tohoku Line, composed in 1900 (Meiji 33).

It has never been released on CD or other formats; only records still exist.

The lyricist, Totsuji Shikama, was a musician from Sendai who introduced the mandolin to Japan and later became a mandolin instructor.