What is the title of the theme song from Studio Ghibli’s The Wind Rises?

The theme song from Studio Ghibli’s The Wind Rises is Hikōkigumo.

Hikōkigumo was written and performed by Yumi Matsutoya, who was credited at the time under her married name, Yumi Arai. The song was originally released in 1973, decades before The Wind Rises, and Hayao Miyazaki selected it for the 2013 film because its imagery resonated with the story’s themes of flight, dreams and loss.

The song’s title is often rendered as Hikōkigumo or Hiko-Kigumo in Roman letters, while English materials may translate it as “Vapor Trail.” It should not be confused with “The Name of Life,” the well-known theme associated with Spirited Away. The Wind Rises follows aircraft designer Jirō Horikoshi and was Miyazaki’s final feature film before his retirement announcement in 2013.