A breakup song sung by an idol. A collection of bittersweet love songs.

A Lonely Graduation CeremonyAsaka Yui

Hitoribocchi No Sotsugyoshiki (2015 Remaster)

On the morning of graduation, feelings that end without ever being spoken—here’s a song that Yui Asaka renders with delicate nuance.

Included on the album “Star Lights,” released in February 1987, the record marked a major leap in her career, peaking at No.

8 on the Oricon charts.

This track is a gently paced ballad that carefully sketches scenes of school life—classroom seats, yearbook messages—while quietly tracing the emotions of someone who couldn’t confess their love.

Though not showy, its structure beautifully conveys the spring atmosphere and the subtle flutter in one’s chest.

It’s a number that gently stands beside anyone facing graduation, and anyone carrying feelings they couldn’t put into words.

Even though it’s springKashiwabara Yoshie

Harunanoni

A bittersweet yet beautiful song about feelings for someone you’ll no longer be able to see after graduation.

Released in January 1983 as Yoshie Kashiwabara’s 14th single, it is one of her signature tracks, written and composed by Miyuki Nakajima.

It peaked at No.

6 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and won the Gold Award at the 25th Japan Record Awards.

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

Its worldview—where the brightness of spring cruelly intersects with the pain of parting—strikes straight to the heart.

Rather than going for flashy drama, the piece is memorable for its steady progression, where the melody calmly unfolds and the emotional shadows gradually deepen.

Revisited every graduation season, it continues to be loved across generations.

It’s recommended for moments when, on the cusp of a new beginning, you want to pause and gather your thoughts.

Graduation of Unrequited LoveAKB48

Unrequited Love Graduation (Team K Ver.)

Let me introduce an AKB48 number that marks the passage of time at graduation and portrays an unspoken one-sided love.

Released in March 2007 as part of Team K’s 3rd Stage “Nounai Paradise,” it’s a song that has been passed down in theater performances.

You can laugh within your circle of friends, yet say nothing in front of the person you like as graduation day draws near.

Those bittersweet feelings are carefully spun over a gentle, mid-tempo melody.

Rather than flashy production, the arrangement treasures the afterglow of the words, quietly seeping into the listener’s heart.

This work captures a moment of youth swaying between the fear that love might end unfulfilled and the desire to express your feelings anyway.

It’s a number we recommend not only to those about to graduate, but also to anyone who wants to remember who they were back then.

Lost and Found at the Graduation CeremonySKE48

“Lost and Found at the Graduation Ceremony” Music Video / SKE48 White Team [MV full / HD]

A graduation day, that special day, is something that slips by in the blink of an eye before you even notice.

This song, included as a coupling track to SKE48’s fifth single “Banzai Venus,” released in March 2011, delicately portrays the bittersweet emotions that well up at such turning points.

Set against scenes like a schoolyard with cherry blossoms dancing and the spring breeze, the lyrics touch the heart by using the metaphor of a “forgotten item” to express feelings that were close by yet went unnoticed.

With Jurina Matsui as center and the cross-team Shirogumi members singing, it becomes a universal piece that anyone can overlay with their own experiences.

It’s a song that those who know the hollow emptiness after a graduation ceremony will especially want to hear—one that accompanies your memories of spring.

GraduationHikaru GENJI

Hikaru GENJI Graduation (1988)

Let me introduce a classic by Hikaru GENJI, released in November 1987 as the B-side to the single “Garasu no Jūdai.” With lyrics by Ryo Asuka and music by CHAGE—a truly star-studded team—this work is a coming-of-age ballad that movingly captures the milestone of graduation.

The lyrics not only convey the sorrow of parting but also weave in the hope of taking a new step forward, leaving a deep impression on the heart.

On Music Station in September 1995, the group performed the song with a memorable staging in which the members removed their roller skates and placed them on the stage, bringing many fans to tears.

It’s a track that showcases the group’s delicate emotionality—another facet of their appeal beyond their dazzling performances.

A deeply moving song recommended not only for those facing graduation, but for anyone experiencing a farewell with cherished friends.

Graduationsaitou yuki

Yuki Saito “Graduation” MV

Although it was released as her debut single in 1985, this classic by Yuki Saito is still loved as a staple of the graduation season.

Written by Takashi Matsumoto and composed by Kyohei Tsutsumi—the legendary duo—the song peaked at No.

6 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold about 264,000 copies.

It was also featured in a commercial for Myojo Foods, drawing significant attention at the time.

The lyrics portray a delicate inner conflict between the “expected tears of graduation” and the singer’s true feelings.

Rather than sweet ideals, it strikingly captures the real face of adolescence: moving on to the next season without fully sorting out one’s emotions.

The arrangement, weaving in melodica and saxophone, beautifully evokes the atmosphere of school.

It’s a perfect song for those who feel reluctant to show their tears, or who prefer to greet their departure quietly.

uniformMatsuda Seiko

uniform

Originally released in 1982 as the B-side to the eighth single “Akai Sweet Pea,” this song has long been cherished as one of Seiko Matsuda’s hidden masterpieces.

With lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto, music by Kureta Keiko (the pen name of Yumi Matsutoya), and arrangement by Masataka Matsutoya, it was created by a stellar team.

The lyrics portray the feelings of the protagonist walking beside the person they like amid a sea of umbrellas on graduation day, brimming with the bittersweet tension between the desire to confess and the urge to hold back.

It masterfully condenses the universal theme of the end of student days into just 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

Despite being a B-side, its quality is such that Seiko Matsuda herself said it was “as complete as an A-side.” In 1984, it was included on the compilation album Touch Me, Seiko, which collected coupling tracks and reached No.

1 on the Oricon weekly chart.

It’s a song I highly recommend to those setting out on a springtime journey or anyone nostalgic for their school days.