A Nationwide Compilation of Timelessly Beloved Railway Songs
The nostalgic sound of the steam whistle and melodies that have been loved across time.
Songs related to railways—beginning with the Railway Songs—carry a warmly familiar charm.
They evoke memories encountered at stations and on trains, scenes of departures and homecomings, images that anyone can relate to.
So in this article, we’ll be compiling railway songs from all over Japan! We’ll feature a variety of works, from early pieces to modern ones.
These are the songs of the railway that are deeply etched in our hearts.
- [Train and Shinkansen Song] Popular with kids! Vehicle song
- A classic song about Nagano. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- [Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
- Classic travel songs. Travel tunes that color your journeys—perfect for both the everyday and the extraordinary.
- A classic Japanese folk song passed down through generations of acoustic performances
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- A roundup of regional enka songs: classic hits that feature places from all across Japan in their lyrics.
- [Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks
- A lineup of classic hits! Karaoke songs recommended for the yutori generation
- Today's recommended ballads: A carefully curated selection of heartwarming, gem-like masterpieces!
- [Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
- A classic song about Kumamoto. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- [Let's Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous songs related to festivals.
Timelessly Beloved Railway Songs Compendium [Nationwide] (41–50)
Song of the Nankai Electric Railwaysakushi sakkyoku: miki torirō/ uta: ban kumiko
This is a Nankai Electric Railway commercial jingle used in the late 1950s to 1960s.
Back then, the trains were green, so the phrase “green train” appears in the lyrics, but today trains run in different colors.
Toriro Miki, who wrote and composed the song, also created many commercial jingles for other railway companies.
Between the sky and the wavesSakushi: Aoi Rinko / Sakkyoku • Henshoku: Aizawa Tomoyuki / Uta: Accent
This is one of the songs included on a CD containing support songs for the Aonami Line, released by Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit Co., Ltd.
The CD was produced as a commemorative item in limited quantities and is no longer being distributed.
In addition, the Aonami Line has been undertaking activities to boost ridership, such as featuring local idols in promotional campaigns.
Railway Song (Yamanote Line)sakushi: Shimoyama Kei/sakkyoku: Obaichi/uta: Kuinetto
This is a song that gained attention after being performed on the music education program “Quintet.” The lyrics are extremely simple: they just sing the names of stations on the Yamanote Line, and there are two versions—one for the inner loop and one for the outer loop.
It was also used in a pharmaceutical company’s commercial in the 1970s.
In conclusion
In the world of railway songs, there’s a wide variety—from pieces that weave station names into the lyrics to company anthems.
These tunes have journeyed alongside the histories of railway companies across the country.
The next time you board a train, the departure melodies and background music you hear on the platform are sure to have stories of their own hidden within them.