Still packed with timeless classics! A roundup of 1970s Japanese graduation songs
As graduation season approaches, do you ever find yourself wanting to listen to old songs for some reason? Japanese music from the 1970s is full of classics about partings and new beginnings.
Chats with friends, tender first loves, and the mix of excitement and anxiety about the road ahead—songs from that era delicately weave together the complex emotions of youth.
In this article, we’re introducing 70s tracks perfect for graduation season.
We’ve picked a wide range, from songs directly about graduation to pieces that evoke the coming of spring and the brilliance of youth.
Let the nostalgic melodies wash over you as you gently trace back your memories of those days.
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Still packed with timeless classics! A roundup of 1970s Japanese graduation songs (11–20)
GraduationMatsuyama Chiharu
This is a song included on the B-side of the single “Mado” released in 1979.
Even if you’re not a fan, among the many graduation songs, this is a masterpiece that many would call “the best.” The lyrics—“Graduation is sad, and it’s lonely not being able to see everyone anymore, but I still have a future”—capture the unadorned, sincere feelings of youth.
It’s precisely because of that sincerity that so many people can relate.
It’s a track in which you can even feel the ‘vast earth’ that underlies Chiharu Matsuyama’s music.
Lingering Snowiruka
Iruka’s “Nagori Yuki” is moving for the deeply felt emotion she pours into her performance.
Originally released by the folk group Kaguyahime in 1973 and covered by Iruka in 1975 to great success, the song has become an iconic graduation anthem that resonates with many.
Its somewhat wistful yet warm melody and lyrics help explain why it continues to be loved across generations.
The imagery evokes a farewell to Tokyo so vividly that it feels like it accompanies listeners at their own moments of departure.
Even now, many artists continue to cover it, and its beautiful tune remains unfaded by the passage of time.
Strawberry Statement, Once Morebanban
It’s a nostalgic piece that brings back memories of a movie I watched with my sweetheart back in my school days.
It’s a song by BanBan, the folk band led by singer-songwriter Hirofumi Banba, released in 1975.
The lyrics and composition were done by Yumi Matsutoya.
The words—about longing to watch the film I Can’t Stand It (Strawberry Statement) once more, and wondering if you feel the same—really hit home.
If you’ve ever parted ways with a lover at graduation, you’ll probably find it especially relatable.
Let’s say farewell to tearsMorita Kensaku
Known for Kensaku Morita’s heartfelt vocals, this song is cherished as a classic that touches the heart.
The lyrics, depicting the pains of youth, farewells, and the resolve to move forward, are particularly striking.
I think it’s a very warm song that gives you the courage to face life’s hardships.
It was released in February 1971 and used as the theme song for the TV drama “I Am a Man!” Its connection with the drama’s storyline moved many people.
It especially resonates when heard at graduation ceremonies or moments of parting.
It’s a song that, even while holding back tears, lets you feel the strength to never lose hope for the future.
Words of FarewellKaientai
Although the song is credited to Kaientai, Takeda Tetsuya’s presence as the vocalist is so strong that many people may think it’s one of his solo tracks.
It was the theme song for the TBS drama “Mr.
Kinpachi in Class 3B,” which probably contributed to that impression.
Released in 1979, it became a smash hit that swept the nation, winning the Japan Record Award that year and earning a spot on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Takeda Tetsuya himself says this song is about heartbreak, but of course it’s also a classic, definitive graduation song.
For some reason, whenever I sing it, I can’t help but tear up.
Smiling Backkyandīzu
A smash-hit song released in 1978 by the legendary idol group Candies.
It was also their final single, closing the curtain on their activities as Candies.
The lyrics, which liken “setting off with a smile in the spring” to moving house, have a cheerful brightness befitting idols.
The lyricist was the eminent Yoko Aki, whose skill shines in crafting a graduation song that feels anything but sentimental.
Candies’ line “We want to go back to being ordinary girls” remains a famous quote in the Japanese entertainment world.
It’s a song you’ll want to sing brightly at an after-party following a graduation ceremony.
Still packed with timeless classics! A roundup of Japanese graduation songs from the 1970s (21–30)
ShihoriGorin Mayumi
From a single photograph tucked into a half-read book, one quietly looks back on a past love… This is a heart-piercing ballad that paints such a poignant scene.
Written and composed by singer-songwriter Mayumi Itsuwa, this hidden gem appears on her album “Nokoribi,” released in December 1978.
It isn’t a flashy single, but it has remained beloved by fans across time—so much so that a rare live recording was included for the first time on her 2022 best-of album.
The contrast between the gentle spring sunlight and the depiction of parting as someone leaves the room is both beautiful and sorrowful.
Rather than forcing ourselves to forget the past, we tuck it softly into our hearts and move forward.
On a graduation-season evening, why not listen to it alone?