[Showa-Era Graduation Songs] Nostalgic? Emotive? A curated selection of timeless classics loved across generations

The PeopleYamashita Tatsuro

Tatsuro Yamashita “Soubo (The Masses)” / “Odoroyo, Fish (Dance, Fish)” Music Video

Released in 1988 as a key track that closes out the album “Boku no Naka no Shonen,” this song is, as its title “Sōbō” suggests, a grand and powerful ode to life that affirms the lives of the nameless.

Many may remember it from its use in a JACCS Card commercial at the time.

A new music video was released in November 2020, and the song continues to be loved across generations.

Yamashita Tatsuro’s hallmark, richly layered choral work is breathtaking—it stirs the heart with every listen.

It’s a song that can turn anxiety into hope when you’re at life’s crossroads, such as graduation or starting a job.

A gentle yet strong push on the back for all who are moving toward the future.

Farewell, youthogura kei

Saraba Seishun

It’s a classic that holds both a powerful resolve and a touch of melancholy—bidding farewell to the shimmering season of youth and choosing to move forward without calling out to the past.

Sung by Kei Ogura, a singer-songwriter who created numerous masterpieces while working as a bank clerk, the song was released in February 1971 as the B-side to his debut single Shiosai no Uta and later included on the album Seishun — Sabaku no Shōnen.

In 1993, a remade version was released as the theme for NTT’s “Telewise” commercial, showing how it has been loved across generations.

This piece, which sings of a clean break from days gone by, is one to hear especially during graduation season as you take a new step forward.

If you overlay it with your younger self, your heart is sure to be stirred.

Your Graduation1986OMEGATRIBE

Your Graduation

Although it was a B-side on their debut single, this ballad by 1986 OMEGA TRIBE has maintained enduring popularity among fans.

Released in May 1986 as the B-side of the single, it stands in contrast to the sparkling summer song on the A-side, carefully portraying bittersweet scenes of graduation season and the wavering emotions that come with it.

In fact, this was the very first track Carlos Toshiki recorded in Japan as the lead vocalist, and his delicate, translucent voice strikingly enhances the worldview of the lyrics, which dwell on the sorrow of parting.

While it never had any major tie-ins, it has continued to be included without fail on remastered album editions and special box sets, a testament to its long-lasting affection.

It’s a deeply moving song that I especially recommend to those standing at the major threshold of graduation, carrying a mix of uncertainty and hope.

Galaxy Express 999Godaigo

Galaxy Express 999

Created as the theme song for a theatrical animated film, this is a send-off anthem loved across generations.

Its lyrics, woven from both English and Japanese, and the exhilarating arrangement by Mickey Yoshino vividly capture the thrill of stepping into the unknown along with a touch of loneliness.

Released in July 1979, it is one of Godiego’s signature singles and became a record-breaking hit, topping the music show “The Best Ten” for seven consecutive weeks.

The original author, Leiji Matsumoto, reportedly said that the song’s brightness, heard during a sorrowful farewell scene, conveyed the protagonist’s hope for the future.

It’s recommended for everyone standing at a crossroads in life—be it graduation, a job transfer, or any new beginning.

In times of uncertainty, surrender yourself to this powerful melody; it will surely give you the courage to move forward.

GraduationTHE ALFEE

ALFIE Graduation

A song that conjures a poignant inner landscape, where the seasons quietly turn their pages and past loves and days of youth become buried beneath the snow.

It’s an early track by THE ALFEE, the rock band that has long led Japan’s music scene, included on their first album, “Seishun no Kioku” (“Memories of Youth”), released in July 1975.

This work is also known as the first song written and composed by Toshihiko Takamizawa.

Koji Makaino’s arrangement highlights the beautiful melodies and the introspective world of the lyrics.

More than just a farewell song, it holds both the radiance and the ache of days when young lives burned brightly—tightening the chest with its bittersweetness.

On a night when you want to quietly bask in memories, why not listen to it alone, taking it in deeply?