Kaze Tachinu - Hikoukigumo May 2026

Matsutoya wrote the lyrics after the death of a childhood friend who suffered from muscular dystrophy.

She likened her friend’s short life to a "vapor trail"—a white line in the sky that is brilliant for a moment before disappearing. Kaze Tachinu - Hikoukigumo

"Hikoukigumo" (Vapor Trail) is the hauntingly beautiful theme song to Hayao Miyazaki’s 2013 film, The Wind Rises ( Kaze Tachinu ). While the film is a fictionalized biography of aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi, the song itself has a deep, independent history that perfectly mirrors the movie’s themes of fleeting beauty and the pursuit of dreams amidst tragedy. The Origin: A Childhood Elegy Matsutoya wrote the lyrics after the death of