Still packed with timeless classics! A roundup of 1970s Japanese graduation songs

HERO (The time to become a hero is now)Kai Band

HERO (The time to become a hero is now)

If you’re looking for a rock number that gives you the courage to step into tomorrow even while carrying a wounded heart, this classic is perfect.

It’s a single released in December 1978 by Kai Band, a group that has led Japan’s rock scene since the 1970s.

Chosen for a watchmaker’s commercial, it’s famous for the legendary episode of being broadcast simultaneously by multiple commercial TV stations right at the start of the new year in January 1979.

Yoshihiro Kai’s passionate vocals and the band’s dramatic sound set listeners’ hearts ablaze.

The lyrics, which affirm doubt and vulnerability while urging, “Now is the time to set off,” will resonate deeply with young people standing at life’s turning points, such as graduation or starting a job.

If you want to turn the anxiety of a new path into strength, give it a listen.

According to the calendarkaze

According to the calendar

The song I want to listen to when I feel the lingering touch of winter is Kaze’s folk duo track “Koyomi no Ue de wa.” It’s included on the classic album “Toki wa Nagaréte…” released in January 1976.

Written and composed by Shozo Ise, this masterpiece overlays the seasonal feeling of it being spring according to the calendar yet still cold with the wavering emotions of young people facing graduation and farewells.

Though it never had any flashy tie-ins, it’s often played at seasonal turning points on the radio and has continued to be loved as a hidden favorite.

Details like worrying about the departure time of the outbound train capture the bittersweetness of a departure that everyone has experienced.

It’s a recommended song for those at a life crossroads or anyone who wants to quietly sink into their memories.

GraduationTHE ALFEE

ALFIE Graduation

A song that conjures a poignant inner landscape, where the seasons quietly turn their pages and past loves and days of youth become buried beneath the snow.

It’s an early track by THE ALFEE, the rock band that has long led Japan’s music scene, included on their first album, “Seishun no Kioku” (“Memories of Youth”), released in July 1975.

This work is also known as the first song written and composed by Toshihiko Takamizawa.

Koji Makaino’s arrangement highlights the beautiful melodies and the introspective world of the lyrics.

More than just a farewell song, it holds both the radiance and the ache of days when young lives burned brightly—tightening the chest with its bittersweetness.

On a night when you want to quietly bask in memories, why not listen to it alone, taking it in deeply?

Graduation PhotoArai Yumi

Graduation Photo – Yumi Arai (Yumi Matsutoya) (Full)

A song from the era when Yuming—Yumi Matsutoya—was active under the name Yumi Arai.

It’s included on the 1975 album COBALT HOUR.

By now, it’s become a definitive graduation song.

The restrained, ballad-like melody conveys an indescribable sadness of graduation.

Hearing that almost divine chorus naturally brings back fond memories and makes you think, “Ah, I had my youth too.” What’s more, this song was also the debut single of the group Hi-Fi Set… it really gives you a sense of the times, doesn’t it?

youthMorita Kōichi to Toppugyaran

Kouichi Morita and Top Gallant — Seishun Jidai (Youthful Days)

The way we remember our school days as adults is different from how we felt while actually attending school, isn’t it? This is one of the signature works by the band Koichi Morita & Top Gallant, released in 1976.

It’s striking for its uptempo yet wistful melody.

The lyrics—suggesting that our feelings about youth change between then and now—are irresistibly relatable.

If you’re a student right now, cherish the “now” you’re living to the fullest.

After you graduate, you’ll surely feel the way this song does.

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Please give me wingskami fuusen

Give Me Wings – Kamifusen [One Hundred Japanese Songs]

It’s a classic graduation song that’s been covered by so many artists you can almost lose sight of the original.

Maybe it’s more of a “graduation ceremony song” than a general graduation song.

Back when there weren’t many songs themed around graduation, it felt like every school sang this one.

The original was released in 1971 by Akai Tori, the folk group that was the predecessor to Kami Fusen.

What’s more, it was put out as the B-side to “Takeda no Komoriuta,” which just goes to show you never know where a hit will be born.

Besides Kaori Kawamura’s 1991 cover, it’s recently gained attention for being used as an insert song in Evangelion.

Parting at 22kaze

Farewell at 22 – Kaze, 1975

No explanation needed for those who spent their youth in the mid-Showa era: this is a signature song by Kaze, the folk duo formed by Shozo Ise of Kaguyahime and Kazuhisa Okubo of Neko, released in 1975.

Even younger listeners who don’t know Kaze might hear this and think, “Oh, I’ve heard this!” The lyrics—“Two people who dated for five years break up, leaving only beautiful memories”—are quintessentially Shozo Ise in their delicate wording.

It carries the same aching poignancy you feel in the classic ‘Nagori Yuki,’ doesn’t it? To fully soak in the nostalgia, I hope you’ll also listen to the Kaguyahime version!