Heisei-era graduation songs roundup: iconic youth anthems from the ’90s to the 2010s

Blown by the windElefanto Kashimashi

Elephant Kashimashi – Blown by the Wind [Official Video]

This is a coming-of-age song that portrays the premonition of parting and a turning point in life.

Hiroji Miyamoto of Elephant Kashimashi weaves his innermost feelings into lyrics that flow naturally.

Strikingly using the contrast between the sun and the moon to depict a journey of departure that stretches on forever, this work was released as a single in November 1997.

Selected from the album “Run Toward Tomorrow – Moonlit Songs,” it also became a memorable piece as the theme song for Glico Almond Chocolate’s commercial.

It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when you want to linger in the afterglow of a faint romance, when you’re about to take a new step forward, or when a touch of sentimentality finds its way into an ordinary day.

Spring ~spring~Hysteric Blue

Haru ~spring~ (春~spring~)

A refreshing song that evokes the beginning of spring and may bring back memories of your school days.

The lyrics, which depict the season of farewells and new beginnings, are sure to resonate with those facing graduation.

Released in January 1999, the track was used as the ending theme for TV Asahi’s “Mokugeki! Dokyun” and captured the hearts of many.

Known as one of Hysteric Blue’s signature songs, it also appeared on the Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

It’s recommended for times when you want to savor the feeling of welcoming a new season on the spring breeze, or to listen to during graduation season.

Filled with nostalgia and hope, this work continues to be loved by many even today.

It’s goodbye, but it’s not goodbye.yamadakatsutenai Wink

It's goodbye, but it's not goodbye.

This song is known as a classic you’ll want to listen to during graduation season.

It’s a breezy pop tune packed with the full charm of Yamada Katsutenai Wink, guaranteed to lift your spirits when you hear it! The lyrics depict the emotions of two people parting ways, evoking a strong sense of youth that’s truly wonderful.

Although the word “sayonara” is repeated throughout the song, it actually carries a message of promising to meet again.

Released in February 1991, the track peaked at No.

2 on the weekly Oricon chart.

It’s sure to tug at your heartstrings when played at farewells with important people—like graduation ceremonies or send-off parties.

Goodbye once moreChekkāzu

Goodbye once more

A gem-like ballad that gently weaves the pain of parting, set against a scene of lights drifting beyond the window and ice clinking in a glass.

Among The Checkers’ band sound, it’s a masterpiece that delicately portrays the feelings of a grown-up love.

Fumiya Fujii’s poignantly resonant vocals and Naoyuki Fujii’s beautiful melodies tenderly enfold the end of a love that still lingers with regret.

Upon its release in November 1990, the song reached No.

7 on the Oricon charts, and it was also included on the album “THE CHECKERS THE BEST,” soothing the hearts of many listeners.

It’s a track I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear with the arrival of spring.

Why not listen alone on a quiet night and immerse yourself in cherished memories?

GraduationNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

TSUYOSHI NAGABUCHI – Sotsugyou

This song, “Sotsugyo” (Graduation), famous as Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s graduation song, was released in 2009 and created that same year together with students and alumni at Kagoshima Minami High School, his alma mater in Kagoshima Prefecture, which he visited.

The combination of Nagabuchi’s powerful presence and the graduates’ raw, honest feelings hits you straight in the heart.

If you’re about to graduate, you’ll surely understand these emotions all too well.

It’s a graduation song that will remain in your memories for years to come.

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utatane

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FriendKetsumeishi

Ketsumeishi “Tomodachi”

This is a Ketsumeishi song that portrays a deep bond with friends that doesn’t change over time, along with the wish for each other’s happiness.

The harmony between hip-hop sounds and the acoustic tones of guitar and strings conveys a gentle, calming warmth.

The way it looks back on memories with friends one by one is striking, and the sheer abundance of words characteristic of hip-hop feels like an expression of emotions overflowing beyond control.

With a message that calls on each person to live strongly along their own path, it’s a perfect song for the moment of setting off at a graduation ceremony.

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kappamaki

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YellKobukuro

Kobukuro “YELL ~Eru~”

This is a song by Kobukuro that seems to send a congratulatory message to someone setting out on a new path, along with wishes for a happy future.

The fresh, acoustic guitar–centered sound conveys a bright hope for what lies ahead.

The low, pulsing phrase at the beginning also communicates a sense of strength to take a step forward.

With a clear, uplifting atmosphere that seems to sweep away the anxieties of a new departure—felt in both the vocals and the sound—it’s a track that gives you the power to move positively into the future.

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kappamaki

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