Fight songs from the good old days! Showa-era classics you should listen to when starting school

19 GROWING UP -ode to my buddy-NEW!Purinsesu Purinsesu

Princess Princess '19 Growing Up -Ode to My Buddy-'

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.

Romantic FlightNEW!kome kome CLUB

Romantic Flight

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!

Paradise GalaxyNEW!Hikaru GENJI

Hikaru Genji - Paradise Galaxy (1988)

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！

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!

Let’s say farewell to tearsNEW!Morita Kensaku

Let's say farewell to tears

It’s a classic whose clean, resolute lines—choosing not to show sorrow or frustration to others and likening them to the sky as if to wash them away—pierce the hearts of young people who put on a brave face and keep looking forward.

Packed with the brilliance and bittersweetness of youth, its melody brims with energy that feels like a powerful push on the listener’s back.

Released as a single in March 1971, it spread through living rooms as the theme song of the Nippon TV drama “Ore wa Otoko da!” starring Kensaku Morita.

Mirroring the straightforward protagonist devoted to kendo, this piece has become a timeless staple of motivational songs.

Especially recommended for the school admission season, when hope and anxiety are intertwined and you need the courage to take a new step.

It’s a track for anyone who wants to fire themselves up while feeling the heat of that era.

Ah, life has its tearsNEW!Satomi Kotarō

Ah, life has its tears — including the elusive third verse.

When a new chapter of life begins, everyone’s heart is filled with both anxiety and anticipation, isn’t it? At times like that, there’s a classic song—familiar as the theme of the TBS period drama Mito Kōmon—that gives you a gentle push forward.

Its message says that life has both ease and hardship, but after the tears, a rainbow will appear, so let’s keep walking on.

The song was first released in 1969, and a version sung by Kōtarō Satomi and Tadashi Yokouchi was also issued on record in 1973.

The tradition of the characters in the show passing the song down through the generations is one of the special flavors unique to such a long-running program.

To students about to start school and to everyone stepping into a new environment, we hope you’ll listen to this piece as a fight song for moments when you feel like giving up.

May it give you the courage to walk your own path—you’re sure to feel that way.

Smiling BackNEW!kyandīzu

Smiling Back (Single Version)

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

Sukiyaki

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

In the Great Sky and on the Vast Earth

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.

CheersNEW!Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Cheers

In spring, when new chapters begin, it’s reassuring to have music that gently gives a push to backs filled with both hope and anxiety.

This song, one of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s signature works, is one you should listen to especially when starting school or a new life.

It was originally included on the album “Kampai,” released in September 1980, but a re-recorded version released as a single in February 1988 became a massive hit, selling over a million copies.

With a warm backstory—said to have been written to celebrate a friend’s wedding—it has been loved across generations, even being featured as the song for a Kirin Lager Beer commercial in 2010.

The blessings and encouragement woven into the lyrics are sure to be a powerful cheer for those embarking on the journey of life.

It’s truly a Japanese anthem of support, the kind you’ll want to sing arm in arm with friends during cherry blossom season.