[Spring Songs] Moving tracks to hear in April: tear-jerking masterpieces of spring

seasonikimonogakari

Ikimono-gakari 'Season' Sing Video

In spring, where meetings and farewells intersect, we sometimes feel a vague anxiety that casts a shadow over the heart and a melancholy for which we can’t find a reason.

Gently accompanying that indistinct sense of unease and loneliness is Ikimonogakari’s “Kisetsu” (“Season”).

Included on the album “WE DO,” this song is a tender ballad spun with the warm melodies so characteristic of Ikimonogakari.

Having created many spring-themed songs, Ikimonogakari uses this track to portray the anxieties and loneliness that everyone feels in spring, as well as a bright sense of hope—embracing the full range of emotions that arise in the heart.

It’s a song that delivers a gentle warmth to your heart, no matter what you’re feeling.

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SAKI

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Sakura AleAdachi Kana

Kana Adachi “Sakura Yell”

This song, sung by singer-songwriter Kana Adachi, was released in February 2018, just before she graduated from high school.

The down-to-earth lyrics she wrote as a high schooler perfectly capture students striving to make their futures bloom.

Many listeners were likely encouraged by the lyrics that embrace imperfection as room to grow and felt a push to think, “I’ve got to do my best too!” It’s a springtime cheer-up song recommended not only for students but for adults as well.

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Hane Keisuke

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April windElefanto Kashimashi

April wind

This is a song that sings about how feeling the April breeze somehow makes you feel like you can do your best.

It was released in 1996 as the B-side to Elephant Kashimashi’s single “Kanashimi no Hate” and was used in a commercial for Toshiba Multimedia.

It’s a song we hope both those who want to meet someone special in April and those whose April encounter has since become someone special will listen to.

Feel the spring breeze and listen while thinking of someone important to you.

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sasashina

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cherry blossoms drifting awayUtada Hikaru

[Highest Audio Quality] EVA 3.0/3.33 ED 'Sakura Nagashi' – Hikaru Utada [Japanese/Chinese Lyrics]

“Sakura Nagashi” by Hikaru Utada, which also serves as the theme song for Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.

It’s one of the tracks on her sixth album, “Fantôme,” released in September 2016.

While the lyrics tie in with the film’s content, it’s also said that they may reflect the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 and the passing of Utada’s mother in August 2013.

It’s a sorrowful yet warm song that feels like it stays by your side and cries with you in difficult times.

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HATSUMI

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Sakura rollFunatsu Mahiro

Masato Funatsu “Sakura Roll” Official Lyric Video

With the arrival of spring, the song that makes me want to listen is Masho Funatsu’s “Sakura Roll,” released in March 2021.

The title is a coined word that blends “sakura” (cherry blossoms) with a smartphone’s “camera roll,” a clever touch that layers the fleeting season with the enduring nature of memories.

This piece, graced by the soothing sound of acoustic guitar, features high school singer Ren on chorus; the overlap of their voices creates a beautiful harmony where warmth and wistfulness coexist.

The lyrics capture a contemporary feeling—the desire to etch fleeting moments into the heart like photographs—and gently resonate with those facing graduation or a new chapter in life.

It’s a highly recommended song to send with gratitude, while reflecting on days spent with friends or a loved one.

cherry blossomberii guddoman

Very Good Man – “Sakura” Music Video (Everyone’s Graduation Album Ver.)

This is a medium-tempo number by Berry Goodman, a three-member vocal unit from Osaka, that evokes the warmth of spring.

Rather than dwelling on the sadness of parting, the lyrics cherish feelings of gratitude and hope for the future, lifting listeners’ spirits.

Included on the concept album “Spring Spring Spring,” released in March 2017, the song was also used as the ending theme for MBS’s “ENT.” An MV was created using photos gathered through a listener-participation project, making it a track that has grown alongside everyone’s memories.

It’s perfect for graduations where you’ll miss your friends, or when you want to give someone a push as they head to a new place.

Believe in unchanging bonds and consider gifting this song that gives you the courage to move on to the next stage with a smile.

Even though it’s springKashiwabara Yoshie

Harunanoni

This is a poignant, emotionally rich song that conjures up scenes from a graduation ceremony.

Released by Yoshie Kashiwabara in January 1983 as her 14th single, the song was written and composed by Miyuki Nakajima.

While those around her are thrilled by the arrival of spring, the lyrics delicately portray—through a restrained vocal delivery—the feeling of being left behind.

It peaked at No.

6 on the Oricon charts and won the Gold Prize at the 25th Japan Record Awards.

The song also led to her first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Rather than relying on flashy climaxes, this ballad draws you in with the spaces between the words and the shadows in its melody, making it perfect for the walk home after a graduation ceremony or for quietly gathering your thoughts before a new beginning.