First Remake in 50 Years! The Long-Awaited Soichi Futami Version of 'Kunitomi Ondo' is Complete!

Kunitomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture (Mayor: Toshio Hitaka) is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. To commemorate this, the classic Bon Odori song 'Kunitomi Ondo,' originally created in 1977 (the town's 20th anniversary), has been covered by Soichi Futami, an enka singer and Kunitomi Town hometown ambassador, for the first time in about 50 years. It is included in the best album 'Yamabiko Best Plus,' released today, June 3rd, by Nippon Crown.

Hometown Ambassador Appointment Ceremony in 2023 held before a large audience

Mr. Futami performed on the main stage at the Kunitomi Town Comprehensive Citizens' Festival last October. When he performed 'Kunitomi Ondo' on that occasion, many residents expressed a desire to hear his version, leading Mr. Futami and his agency to respond to these requests.

'Kunitomi Ondo' is a town citizens' dance song created alongside the town song for the 20th anniversary, with the hope that hearts would naturally connect and become energy to greatly expand Kunitomi's future. It has been beloved by residents for many years, danced in circles at local youth association Bon Odori festivals, summer festivals in each district, and sports days at elementary and junior high schools.

Through this album, we hope residents will once again feel the charm of their hometown, and together with Soichi Futami, the Kunitomi Town hometown ambassador, we will promote the town's appeal across the country.

Additionally, this album includes the song 'Kunitomi no Kaze,' written and composed by Mr. Futami under his real name, So Futami.

◆ Comments

Comment from Soichi Futami:

'I have created an album full of my hometown, Kunitomi Town. 'Kunitomi no Kaze,' my first attempt at writing lyrics and composing, incorporates famous places and events in the town, expresses the warmth of Kunitomi, and has a melody that makes you want to visit Kunitomi Town. I hope it becomes a song that everyone finds themselves humming, just like 'Kunitomi Ondo.'

Comment from Mayor Toshio Hitaka:

'I am very happy that 'Kunitomi Ondo,' which has been loved by residents for so long, has been reborn with Mr. Futami's 'Yamabiko Voice' at this major milestone of the 70th anniversary. I hope this song becomes an opportunity to deepen affection for our hometown.'

◆ Album Overview

Title: Yamabiko Best Plus

Release Date: June 3, 2026 (Wednesday)

Publisher: Nippon Crown

Catalog Number: CRCN-41587

Price: 3,300 yen (tax included)

◆ About Kunitomi Town

A town with a population of approximately 17,000 located in central Miyazaki Prefecture. It is rich in valuable cultural assets, such as the Honjo Kofun Group (a national historic site) scattered throughout the townscape, and is a warm-hearted town where history and culture breathe within beautiful nature. Characterized by a warm climate year-round, it is a treasure trove of ingredients including mangoes, dried radish (kiriboshi daikon), green peppers, Fuyu persimmons, and rice, nurtured by the sun of southern Miyazaki, as well as Miyazaki beef and charcoal-grilled chicken. Recently, there has been bright news in the industrial and entertainment fields, such as Rohm Co., Ltd., which produces SiC power semiconductors, aiming to establish a new production base in the town, and Soichi Futami, an enka singer from the town, being appointed as the first hometown ambassador.

◆ Kunitomi Town Furusato Tax Return Gifts (Mangoes, Dried Radish, Miyazaki Beef, Charcoal-Grilled Chicken, etc.)

You can view the return gifts via links on the town's website.

https://www.town.kunitomi.miyazaki.jp/main/administration/hurusato/page001255.html

◆ Inquiries

Kunitomi Town Hall, General Strategy Division, Hometown PR Section

TEL: 0985-75-3126

Email: kikaku@town.kunitomi.miyazaki.jp

URL: https://www.town.kunitomi.miyazaki.jp/