Spring songs to color the season of meetings and partings—recommended for the Yutori generation

cherry blossomDA PUMP

DA PUMP / Sakura MV+SPOT (short ver.)

A track notable for lyrics that weave in the beauty of Japan’s four seasons and language.

While DA PUMP is often associated with dance and party songs, they have many pieces that showcase ISSA’s powerful vocals; in this one, he delivers beautiful lyrics and a melody that evoke life and traditional Japanese aesthetics.

Created to express life through a theme of wa (Japanese harmony), it was released in March 2019.

It was used as the opening theme for TBS’s CDTV in February and March 2019, and reached No.

5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It’s a moving song perfect for spring, the season of meetings and farewells.

Cherry Blossom BookmarkAKB48

[MV full] Sakura no Shiori / AKB48 [Official]

Released in February 2010, this track showcases a new side of AKB48.

Centered on themes of parting and new beginnings, the exquisite ballad eschews flashy dance performances in favor of tender vocals and harmonies.

In addition to serving as the theme song for the TV Tokyo drama “Majisuka Gakuen,” it also secured multiple tie-ins, including the AOKI “AOKI × AKB48” commercial song.

It surpassed 300,000 copies in first-week sales—the first time in seven years for a female group—and topped the Oricon weekly chart, becoming a major hit.

With a heartwarming melody and lyrics perfect for the spring season, it’s a song that makes you want to sing it at graduations, farewell gatherings, and other moments of parting with loved ones.

SakurabitoSun Set Swish

SunSet Swish – Sakurabito [Official Video]

This ballad sings of a fleeting farewell in the season of cherry blossoms and the hope of new encounters.

It’s a gem released by SunSet Swish in January 2010 and served as an ending theme for the anime BLEACH.

Set to an elegant arrangement of piano and strings, the song poignantly expresses memories that fade with the arrival of spring, and it is also included on the album Yūgure Maestro.

As the 21st anime tie-in for the series, it delves more deeply into themes such as partings amid battles and the bonds between comrades.

It’s a heartwarming track that keeps you company under the cherry trees, when the season makes you think of someone dear.

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.

Season of BeginningsMakihara Noriyuki × Hanaregumi

Season of Beginnings

A duet by Noriyuki Makihara and Hanaregumi that beautifully captures the conflicting emotions of spring—anticipation and unease, fluttering excitement and impermanence.

Released digitally on April 30, 2025, it received an exclusive early airplay on FM COCOLO starting April 1 of the same year.

With their rich vocals blending seamlessly, the song is a gem that seems to sonically paint the very scenes of spring.

Makihara’s melody and lyrics, paired with Hirokazu Ogura’s gently expressive guitar arrangement, are exquisite.

It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when early spring leaves you unsettled, or when nostalgia and hope set your heart trembling.

Morning of the BeginningOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Morning of the Beginning [Official Audio]

This is a song that captures the arrival of spring with a refreshing touch.

It portrays the mingled feelings of excitement and anxiety that come with a new life, alongside scenes like the sky visible from a station exit and a tree-lined avenue.

The protagonist strives to move forward while staying true to themselves in a new environment, offering moments anyone can relate to.

The track appears as the first song on the mini-album “Report,” released in April 2017, and is one of the defining works from Official HIGE DANDism’s indie era.

Vocalist Satoshi Fujihara wrote and composed it based on his experience entering high school, crafting a pop-rock number that’s perfect for the start of a new school term or a new chapter in spring.

It’s recommended for those who feel both anticipation and unease before a fresh start, or who want a push as they embark on a new life in spring.

Its brisk rhythm and bright melody line will give you the courage to take that first step forward.

10-year cherry blossomsAKB48

[MV full] 10nen Zakura / AKB48 [Official]

A heartwarming AKB48 song that accompanies the season of graduations and farewells.

Its lyrics, depicting friends vowing to reunite in ten years, beautifully capture the universal loneliness of parting and the hope for the future.

Released in March 2009, the track became the group’s first to reach the Oricon Top 3.

It’s a gentle push for those taking a new step with the arrival of spring, and is also recommended as background music for send-offs and graduation ceremonies.