Fight songs from the good old days! Showa-era classics you should listen to when starting school
When you take a step into a new environment, it’s reassuring to have music that gently gives you a push forward.Cheering songs born in the Showa era are filled with a timeless strength and warmth that resonate across generations.Their unadorned lyrics and straightforward melodies gently embrace the mix of anxiety and anticipation that comes with the school entrance season.In this article, we introduce a wide range of Showa masterpieces that are perfect for the milestone of starting school.Whether you want to revel in nostalgia or you’re part of a younger generation discovering Showa classics for the first time, we hope you’ll find a new favorite song!
An old-school fight song! Showa-era classics you should listen to when you enroll (1–10)
Romantic FlightNEW!kome kome CLUB
This piece features lyrics that stir an adventurous spirit—like setting off on a journey with just a single suitcase—and a melody that seems to pierce straight into the sky.
Just listening to it makes your heart leap, filling you with the excitement of wanting to dive into a new world.
In fact, it’s a track that was included on Kome Kome Club’s 1987 album “KOMEGUNY,” and it was later released as a single after being selected in 1990 as the CM song for JAL’s Okinawa travel campaign.
At the time, different versions were released for eastern and western Japan, and it climbed high on the charts.
It’s a wonderful song that gives you a gentle push when you want to take a brave first step—perfect for the school entrance season, when anxiety and anticipation are mixed.
Be sure to give it a listen!
19 GROWING UP -ode to my buddy-NEW!Purinsesu Purinsesu
A perfect song to listen to during the school admission season is this work that brims with the energy of Princess Princess! It sings about friendships that change as we grow and memories of those brilliant days—many listeners will surely feel their hearts swell.
With lyrics by Kyoko Tomita and music by Kaori Okui, it was released as a single in February 1988.
It also opens the album “HERE WE ARE.” Loved for years by fans as one of Puri-Puri’s signature classics, its charm hasn’t faded at all in the Reiwa era.
It’s the perfect track for this time of year, when we carry both excitement for a new environment and a touch of loneliness.
The lyrics, which seem to think back on a former partner, are sure to give a strong push to freshmen setting off on their separate paths.
Paradise GalaxyNEW!Hikaru GENJI
A sparkling track that seems to invite you into a world of adventure filled with dreams and hope.
Lyrics by Ryo Asuka depict the pure hearts that only children possess and fantastical scenes, filling listeners with excitement.
Released in March 1988 as Hikaru GENJI’s third single, this historic hit won the 30th Japan Record Award and topped the year-end charts.
Their dashing image on roller skates became the envy of children at the time and sparked a social phenomenon.
Listen to it when you’re standing at the new starting line of school, caught between anticipation and anxiety.
It’s an eternal anthem of encouragement, beloved across generations, that gives you the courage to take a step toward a shining future.
Say Yes!NEW!Kikuchi Momoko
Say Yes! was released in September 1986 as Momoko Kikuchi’s ninth single, representing the quintessential ’80s idol sound.
This refreshing up-tempo track is also known for its creators: lyrics by Masao Urino and music by Tetsuji Hayashi.
As the title suggests, it carries a positive message that affirms everything, blowing away listeners’ anxieties.
It topped the Oricon charts and The Best Ten, and was later included on the album ESCAPE FROM DIMENSION.
It’s also famous for having been performed on 24-Hour Television prior to its release.
As the season of new school admissions brings a major turning point filled with both anticipation and nerves, her gentle voice and sparkling melody will give you the courage to take that first step!
Smiling BackNEW!kyandīzu
This is a classic by the Candies that vividly brings to mind the room after the moving boxes have been carried out—the color of the tatami left behind and the moment you hand back the key.
Released as a single in February 1978, it became the group’s first and only Oricon No.
1.
A stylish touch in the lyrics is the sprinkling of titles from their past hits.
With words that say goodbye with a smile and heartfelt gratitude, it’s sure to resonate deeply with anyone setting out on a new path.
The trio’s beautiful harmonies and bright melody turn the anxieties of a new life into hope.
It’s a song that gives you the courage to take that first step on a spring day before the entrance ceremony.
I look up as I walkNEW!Sakamoto Kyu
An immortal masterpiece crafted by the celebrated Japanese duo Rokusu ke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura, and powerfully sung by Kyu Sakamoto.
Its lyrics, which urge you to hold back your tears and keep your head up, gently support those anxious hearts stepping into a new environment during the school entrance season.
The single was released in October 1961.
It caught fire in popularity after being featured on NHK’s “Yume de Aimashou,” and was even adapted into a film by Nikkatsu.
Abroad, it became known as “Sukiyaki,” and its remarkable achievement of reaching No.
1 on the U.S.
Billboard chart in 1963 is well known.
It’s a song that makes you feel like moving forward—even on lonely nights—while whistling, a timeless anthem of encouragement loved across generations.
It’s a track we hope everyone about to set out on a new path will listen to.
In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthNEW!Matsuyama Chiharu
Some of you may picture the majestic nature of Hokkaido.
This is an encouraging song about life by folk singer Chiharu Matsuyama.
After being included on the album “A Song Made for You,” released in June 1977, a newly recorded version was produced in 1998 as the B-side to the single “I Love You Most in This World.” Its powerful message—grab happiness with your own two hands—continues to spur on those who are trying to take on a challenge.
Featured on the soundtrack of the drama “The Ugly Duckling” and used in numerous commercials, it has become a long-loved standard.
As the school admission season brings a leap into new environments, be sure to give this classic a listen to blow away those anxious feelings.