[80s Graduation Songs] Nostalgic Classics & Hits That Have Become Standards

Graduationsaitou yuki

Graduation Yuki Saito

Big-name artists like Yutaka Ozaki, Atsumi Kurasawa, and Momoko Kikuchi have all released songs titled “Sotsugyo” (“Graduation”).

It seems everyone has deep feelings about this milestone in life.

Yuki Saito’s “Sotsugyo” is also one of the major hits that brings back memories of the ’80s.

Lyrics along the lines of “On graduation day, if I don’t show tears like everyone else, people might think I’m cold.

But I want to show my tears only to you” capture a time when the era itself was still innocent.

Even just reading the lyrics gives off a nostalgic Showa-era vibe.

It makes me want to listen and reminisce about the old days.

youthMorita Kōichi to Toppugyaran

Koichi Morita and Top Gallant “Youthful Days” 1976 (original audio)

This is a masterpiece that beautifully captures the unique atmosphere of the pre-graduation season and the bittersweet feelings of leaving a familiar room.

Released in August 1976 as a single by Koichi Morita and Top Gallant, the band led by composer Koichi Morita, it gradually became a major hit over time and earned a spot on the following year’s NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

The lyrics by Yuu Aku portray not only the inner conflicts of youth in the thick of their adolescence but also the preciousness of days looked back upon in adulthood, resonating deeply with a wide audience.

In later years, the song inspired a drama and was also embraced as the theme for variety shows.

It’s a track that offers courage and a sense of kinship not only to those who fondly remember their student days, but also to anyone about to leap into a new world.

GraduationOzaki Yutaka

Yutaka Ozaki “Sotsugyo” (Graduation) – LIVE CORE Complete Edition: Yutaka Ozaki in Tokyo Dome, 1988-09-12

This song, which sings about the hazy, helpless frustration of student days, will probably resonate especially with those who had a mischievous school life.

It’s a passionate graduation song by Yutaka Ozaki that speaks for students’ feelings.

Maybe graduating from school is nothing more than a passing point.

In the truest sense, graduation might be being released from the peculiar haze of being a student—the cramped life, the watchful eyes of others—being freed from all that and becoming truly free.

Yet beyond that freedom lies another kind of constraint.

Perhaps the song is teaching us that this is how we grow into adults.

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Farewell, youthogura kei

Kei Ogura “Farewell, Youth” (1976)

It’s a classic you want to listen to during graduation season, when the scent of parting hangs in the air.

Written by singer-songwriter Kei Ogura—who produced numerous hits while working as a bank employee—this song was included on the B-side of his 1971 debut single “Shiosai no Uta.” It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1975 and later featured in an NTT commercial in 1993, remaining beloved across generations.

The farewell words, which deliberately refrain from calling out to a youth that has already passed, convey a dignified yet profound sense of sorrow.

With the warmth of folk and a universal melody that sinks into the heart, this piece gently accompanies both adults who look back fondly on days gone by and students about to set off on new journeys in the spring of new beginnings.

The PeopleYamashita Tatsuro

Tatsuro Yamashita “Soubo (The Masses)” / “Odoroyo, Fish (Dance, Fish)” Music Video

Released in 1988 as a key track that closes out the album “Boku no Naka no Shonen,” this song is, as its title “Sōbō” suggests, a grand and powerful ode to life that affirms the lives of the nameless.

Many may remember it from its use in a JACCS Card commercial at the time.

A new music video was released in November 2020, and the song continues to be loved across generations.

Yamashita Tatsuro’s hallmark, richly layered choral work is breathtaking—it stirs the heart with every listen.

It’s a song that can turn anxiety into hope when you’re at life’s crossroads, such as graduation or starting a job.

A gentle yet strong push on the back for all who are moving toward the future.

Words of FarewellKaientai

Okuru Kotoba

A classic of the graduation season, this is a famous song by Kaientai that just about everyone in Japan has hummed at least once.

It carries not only the sadness of parting, but also a profound message that knowing sorrow can make us kinder—one that warms the heart every time you listen.

Released as a single in November 1979, it was used as the theme song for the first season of the drama “Mr.

Kinpachi in Class 3B,” starring Tetsuya Takeda, and it became a runaway hit, reaching No.

1 on the Oricon charts.

It was also included on the album “Wajin-den,” and has been loved for many years.

Though it’s actually a song about heartbreak, its bittersweet yet gentle words offer courage to anyone setting out on a new journey.

It’s truly a Japanese standard, a song passed down across generations.

As a personKaientai

Hitotoshite

When it comes to the theme song of “Mr.

Kinpachi in Class 3-B” Season 2, this is probably the track many people think of.

Following their previous smash hit, this single by Kaientai was released in November 1980.

Much like the drama’s worldview, which tackled social issues of the time, it explores a profound theme: acknowledging human weakness and folly, yet choosing to love and live on.

The introspective lyrics by Tetsuya Takeda and the warm, heartfelt melody crafted by the members truly resonate.

It may not be a flashy anthem, but it’s a timeless classic you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to at life’s turning points—such as graduation—when you pause and reflect.

Now that we’re adults, why not listen to it again and see how it mirrors your own life?