How does Kenshi Yonezu's "Yodaka" connect to Kenji Miyazawa's "The Nighthawk Star"?

Kenshi Yonezu's "Yodaka", written as the theme song for the movie Kingdom: Flame of Destiny.

Seeing this title, perhaps some of you were reminded of Kenji Miyazawa's fairy tale "The Nighthawk Star".

"The Nighthawk Star" is about a bird shunned by society that continues to fly into the sky in its loneliness.

Kenshi Yonezu's "Yodaka" brings to mind those who, starting from a place of having nothing, try to move forward while carrying their wounds and anger.

And then there is "Kingdom," where characters carry their respective beliefs and clash their souls in a world of war.

How are these three things connected?

In conclusion, it can be confirmed through the artist's own statements that the roots of the motif of Kenshi Yonezu's "Yodaka" lie in Kenji Miyazawa's "The Nighthawk Star."

However, "Yodaka" is not a song that simply turns the story of "The Nighthawk Star" into lyrics.

The existence of the "nighthawk," which had long remained within Kenshi Yonezu, connected with the world of "Kingdom" and the figure of its protagonist, Shin, and was born as a song with new meaning.

Kenshi Yonezu himself states that "The Nighthawk Star" is at the root

In an interview with Billboard JAPAN published in July 2026, Kenshi Yonezu explained regarding the motif of "Yodaka" that he believes its roots are in Kenji Miyazawa.

Furthermore, he also stated that he was not directly influenced by "The Nighthawk Star" in a way that turned its content directly into a song.

The idea is that by repeatedly engaging with Kenji Miyazawa's works, the existence of the "nighthawk" became deeply ingrained in him. And when that word appeared during the process of creating the song, it could not be replaced by any other title. [1]

Therefore, to express it most accurately, it would be as follows:

Kenshi Yonezu's "Yodaka" is not a direct adaptation of Kenji Miyazawa's "The Nighthawk Star." However, "The Nighthawk Star" is clearly at the root of its title and central imagery.

The observation that "the nighthawk in 'The Nighthawk Star' and Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka' might be related" is not a mere coincidence, but a perspective supported by the artist's own statements.

The meaning embedded in Kenji Miyazawa's "The Nighthawk Star"

The protagonist of "The Nighthawk Star," the nighthawk, is disliked and mocked by other birds because of its ugly appearance.

The nighthawk was not disliked because it did something mean to someone.

It is neither a strong bird nor a terrifying bird.

Simply because its appearance differs from the birds around it, it is unilaterally excluded from the community.[2]

Furthermore, the hawk is displeased that the name 'Yodaka' (nighthawk) contains the same 'taka' (hawk) as its own name, and pressures the nighthawk to change it.

There is a composition here that goes beyond a mere argument between birds.

It is a composition where those with power attempt to strip the weak of their names, their dignity, and even their self-perception of who they are.

The nighthawk suffers, wondering why it must be hated so much even though it has done nothing wrong.

Even so, it refuses to discard its name or adopt the name forced upon it by others.[2]

In that, there is a resistance to never letting go of being oneself until the very end.

On the other hand, the nighthawk itself eats small insects to survive.

While contemplating the pain of being killed by a stronger bird, the nighthawk realizes that it, too, has lived by taking other lives.[2]

Therefore, 'The Nighthawk Star' is not a simple story where 'the weak are good and the strong are evil.'

It depicts the sorrow that living itself leads to harming other lives.

Eventually, the nighthawk leaves the ground and continues to fly, aiming for the far heights of the sky.

Its wish is not easily granted. Yet, it continues to fly while enduring cold and suffering, and in the end, it becomes a star that emits a blue light.[2]

Multiple meanings can be read into this ending.

One is that an existence deemed worthless by society becomes a light that no one can extinguish.

Another is gaining dignity through one's own choices rather than through evaluations given by others.

And finally, that suffering and loneliness do not simply disappear, but transform into a different form of light.

However, this is not a bright success story.

There is deep loneliness and pain before the nighthawk becomes a star.

The light emitted by 'The Nighthawk Star' is at once beautiful and deeply sorrowful.

The meaning embedded in Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka'

The figure depicted in Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka' is also not a perfected hero standing in the light from the very beginning.

What comes across from the song as a whole is the image of those who rise up from a place of having nothing, carrying wounds, anger, emptiness, and aggression, yet still trying to move forward.

However, this section is not an official line-by-line explanation of the lyrics' meaning by Kenshi Yonezu himself.

Therefore, the following is not a reproduction of the lyrics, but one interpretation based on the song as a whole and statements from the artist and the film production team.

While Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk basically flies through the sky alone, in Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka', one can feel multiple beings carrying similar wounds and voids present.

They do not necessarily understand each other completely.

In some cases, they hurt and fight each other, yet they are still flying under the same dark sky.

In that respect, there is a major difference from Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk.

A person who has been hurt is not always able to be kind to others.

The experience of being insulted, excluded, and cornered can sometimes turn into anger or violence directed at someone else.

In that sense, 'Yodaka' can be considered a song about wounded people, and at the same time, a song that observes the cycle where wounds create new wounds.

Director Shinsuke Sato of the film also stated that from the completed 'Yodaka', he felt the shared wounds and pain held by those fighting as enemies.

Furthermore, he received the sadness of how the cycle of resentment makes the battle something that cannot be simply divided into justice and evil, and he expresses 'Yodaka' as the embodiment of a lonely soul.[3]

This indicates that 'Yodaka' is not a simple song of victory.

It is neither a purely brave battle song nor a heroic song that praises only the protagonist.

It is a song about those who must fight, moving forward while carrying their respective wounds, anger, and loneliness.

Even so, this song does not end in despair alone.

There is a power to keep moving forward, even while carrying wounds and anger.

It is not an innocent hope that knows nothing of suffering.

The power and will of life that remain even after knowing despair and absurdity.

Just as Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk continued to fly into the sky while still wounded, it feels as though Kenshi Yonezu's nighthawk is also trying to fly forward while carrying its wounds, rather than pretending they do not exist.

What did Kenshi Yonezu project onto the protagonist, Shin?

In an interview, Kenshi Yonezu explained that when creating 'Yodaka,' he focused his gaze particularly on the protagonist, Shin, among the many characters in 'Kingdom.' [1]

Shin was not a person who possessed status, wealth, or a privileged environment from the beginning.

Starting from a position of having nothing, he set a monumental dream of becoming a Great General under the Heavens and carved out his own path through his own strength.

Kenshi Yonezu overlaps his own starting point with this gritty growth of Shin.

The experience of growing up in a rural area, encountering the world of the internet, and eventually posting works on Nico Nico Douga.

It was by no means a sophisticated environment, nor was he given rich facilities or special education from the start.

Even so, in that chaotic place, he encountered much music and video, and nurtured his creative power.

Kenshi Yonezu looks back on that place as a "beloved hometown" that raised him, even if it wasn't refined. [1]

Shin, too, is not from a prestigious background.

He was not recognized as a hero from the beginning either.

What he has is the wish to become a Great General, his own body, his weapon, and the connections with the people who advance with him.

This figure of someone who has nothing, yet creates pride while remaining unrefined and carves out their own pathis likely at the heart of 'Yodaka'.

Similarities and differences between 'The Nighthawk Star' and 'Yodaka'

What the two works have in common is that they depict beings who have been cast out from the center of society.

Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk is despised because of its appearance.

From Kenshi Yonezu's nighthawk, one can feel the figures of those who were born in places with nothing and live while carrying wounds and anger.

Neither are beautiful, strong, or righteous heroes from the start.

Rather, it depicts that even within beings whose value others refuse to acknowledge, there is a dignity that cannot be taken away.

However, there is a difference in the direction they move.

Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk leaves behind the world of violence and predation on the ground, ascending to the heights of the sky to become a star.

This can be read as transcendence from the reality of the earth.

On the other hand, Kenshi Yonezu's nighthawk remains in a world of mud, anger, and conflict, while moving forward within that reality.

This is a resistance that seeks to survive within reality, rather than leaving it behind.

If Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk becomes light at the end of a lonely flight, Kenshi Yonezu's nighthawk represents beings who, while embracing the danger of hurting one another, still attempt to fly in the same sky.

If "The Nighthawk Star" is a story depicting the transcendence of a lonely soul, then "Yodaka" can be considered a song for lonely souls surviving the battles of the earth.

Why is it the theme song for "Kingdom: Flame of Destiny"?

From here on, out of consideration for those who have not yet seen the film, I will consider only the scope already made public in official trailers and work introductions.

What is depicted in "Kingdom: Flame of Destiny" is a large-scale battle on which the survival of the Qin state depends, where the Qin army and the coalition forces of the six states clash.[4]

However, at the heart of this work is not merely the intensity of large armies colliding.

Official introductions and comments from the production team emphasize the hope and darkness that have been inherited, the sorrow of war that cannot be explained by justice and evil alone, and the clashing of the souls of each individual character.[3][4]

On the battlefield, even if divided into enemies and allies, each person has a past, things they want to protect, and scars they have carried.

It is not a simple composition where only one side has pain and the other has nothing.

Memories of being hurt can become the strength to carve out a future, or they can give birth to new hatred.

This is not an explanation regarding the ending of the film, but the theme of the entire work that the production team has indicated since the announcement of the theme song.

That is likely why Director Sato stated that he felt the same scars and pain shared by enemies in "Yodaka".[3]

Furthermore, producer Shinzo Matsuhashi explained that from the completed "Yodaka," he felt a strong human core at the center of a grand world.

And it has been officially revealed that they changed the subtitle to "Flame of Destiny" inspired by the song from the subtitle originally under consideration.[3]

'Yodaka' is not just a song added to the end of the film.

It is a song that expresses the human soul at the heart of the work, to the extent that it influences the very title of the film.

What is being questioned in 'Kingdom' is not just who is the strongest.

What does a wounded person turn their wounds into?

Do they turn them into hatred?

Do they turn them into the strength to protect those they hold dear?

Do they remain bound to the past?

Or do they move toward a new future while carrying their wounds?

Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka' resonates deeply with the world of 'Kingdom' as a song for those standing on the threshold of that choice.

The thread running through the three works: 'Wounds can become either light or darkness'

Kenji Miyazawa's 'The Nighthawk Star', Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka', and the film 'Kingdom: Battle of Souls'.

What the three works have in common is that they do not depict the souls of the wounded as simple victims or villains.

The nighthawk, while scorned as ugly, protects its own dignity and becomes aware of the pain of other lives.

From Kenshi Yonezu's 'Yodaka', one can feel the presence of those who, while carrying wounds and anger and remaining far from perfect, still try to keep flying.

In 'Kingdom', those wounded in the chaos of war stand on the battlefield, each holding different beliefs.

The wound itself does not determine whether a person is good or evil.

A wound can become a chain of hatred.

It can also become the strength to protect someone.

It can also become a light to inspire oneself and move through the darkness.

Kenji Miyazawa's nighthawk was not recognized for its value by anyone on the ground.

Even so, he does not discard his name, and in the end, he becomes a star that no one can extinguish.

Kenshi Yonezu's nighthawk is also not a chosen hero from the start.

He is awkward, wounded, filled with anger, and possesses nothing.

Even so, he does not abandon his wish and continues to fly through the dark sky.

That is likely why "Nighthawk" is not a simple heroic song that only praises the protagonist.

For those standing on the battlefield, those carrying loneliness, and those desperately trying to move forward from having nothing at all.

I believe it is a song of wounds, struggle, and rebirth aimed at all of them.

Experience the powerful world where "Nighthawk" resonates at the movie theater.

The currently showing "Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle" features an astonishingly star-studded cast including Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto, Nana Seino, Shun Oguri, Koichi Sato, Hiroshi Tamaki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Yuki Yamada, Takumi Saitoh, Kei Tanaka, Jun Shison, Ayaka Miyoshi, and Mizuki Yamashita.[5]

Personally, I think Jun Shison as Mouten and Fuju Kamio as Ouhon are must-sees because they fit the atmosphere of their roles perfectly.

The largest scale in the series where the Qin state and the six states clash, action that makes you feel like you've stepped onto the battlefield, and a human drama that conveys the intensity of the characters.

The appeal of "Kingdom," which brings the magnificent world of the original work to life as a live-action film, has expanded even further this time.

And with Kenshi Yonezu's "Nighthawk" playing after the story concludes, the loneliness, wounds, and lingering soul of the characters should remain deeply with you, beyond just the intensity of the battle.

This work is also being screened in IMAX, MX4D, 4DX, and other formats, and has been produced so that you can experience the realism of the battlefield with a large screen and three-dimensional sound.[4]

While it depends on the size of the movie theater, for a large screen, I think a seat slightly behind the middle is sufficient in terms of front-to-back positioning. If you are too far forward, your eyes might get tired. As for the left-to-right position, I recommend the center as much as possible.

A gorgeous cast, magnificent visuals, breathtaking action, a captivating story, and Kenshi Yonezu's "Nighthawk."

This is a film that I want you to experience in a movie theater, not just on a home screen.

Amidst the powerful visuals and sound that envelops your whole body, please experience the world of "Kingdom" and the resonance of the soul infused into "Nighthawk."

Reference Materials

[1] Kenta Terunuma. "<Interview> Kenshi Yonezu: Gazing at the Sanctuary of Fiction through 'Nighthawk' — The 'Beloved Hometown' in the Original Landscape of Creation," Billboard JAPAN, July 15, 2026.

[2] Kenji Miyazawa. "The Nighthawk Star," Aozora Bunko. Source text: "New Edition: Night on the Galactic Railroad," Shinchosha, 1989.

[3] "Kingdom" Film Production Committee. "Theme Song Information: Kenshi Yonezu 'Yodaka'," Official Website for the film "Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle," 2026.

[4] "Kingdom" Film Production Committee. "Official Website for the film 'Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle' - Latest News," 2026.
Contains information on the large-scale battle between the Qin state and the six states, the Coalition Army arc, the July 17, 2026 release date, and screening formats including IMAX, MX4D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and SCREENX.

[5] "Kingdom" Film Production Committee. "Official Website for the film 'Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle' - Cast & Staff," 2026. (Lists cast and production staff, including Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto, Nana Seino, Jun Shison, Fuju Kamio, Ayaka Miyoshi, Mizuki Yamashita, Yuki Yamada, Kenji Sakaguchi, Etsushi Toyokawa, Kei Tanaka, Takumi Saitoh, Hiroshi Tamaki, Koichi Sato, Shun Oguri, and others.)