Graduation Songs for Those in Their 30s: Nostalgic Classics That Rekindle Emotions & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today
When graduation season arrives, you hear graduation songs everywhere.
There are massive hits from the Showa and Heisei eras, songs that have become beloved staples of the season across generations, and new tracks released each year to mark the time of farewells.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs that were hits when people in their 30s were graduating, or that were commonly used at graduation ceremonies.
Listening to the tracks you heard back then—songs you actually sang at the ceremony or that played as background music—might bring back those nostalgic, bittersweet feelings.
They’re also great picks for karaoke at class reunions.
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- [Spring Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s] Carefully Selected Nostalgic Classics & Big Hits
- A graduation song released in the 1990s. A memorable classic that accompanies the graduation season.
[Graduation Songs for Those in Their 30s] Nostalgic Masterpieces That Bring Back the Emotion & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today (41–50)
bookmarkkuriipuhaipe
A song depicting the feelings of spring, included on the album “Nakitakunaru hodo Ureshii Hibi ni,” released in September 2018.
It was written specifically for the campaign “FM802 × TSUTAYA ACCESS!” jointly organized by FM802 and TSUTAYA, and is notable for CreepHyp’s distinctive rock sound.
With great care, it portrays the delicate emotions of someone trying to move forward while holding past memories close to their heart, unfolding a story of parting and rebirth alongside scenes of cherry blossoms.
Blending an emotional melody with Seikaikan Ozaki’s uniquely expressive vocals, this work is sure to resonate deeply with anyone experiencing a springtime farewell.
It’s a song to help organize your heart—one we hope everyone standing at the threshold between an ending and a beginning will listen to.
Graduation Songs for People in Their 30s: Nostalgic Classics That Bring Back the Emotion & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today (51–60)
10-year cherry blossomsAKB48
A song themed around graduation, parting, and reunion was delivered by AKB48 with the arrival of spring.
Centered by Atsuko Maeda and Jurina Matsui, it weaves a story of farewells and reunions with fresh, vivid expressions.
Set to a light, upbeat rhythm, its wishes for the future offer a reassuring message that resonates with the graduation scenes everyone experiences.
Released in March 2009, the single reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to during this season when partings and encounters intersect, as you reflect on memories with someone special.
SAKURA GoodbyeSCANDAL
A number that became one of SCANDAL’s signature early works, beautifully capturing both the bittersweetness and freshness that accompany graduation scenes.
Its message, told from a true-to-life perspective, carries a power that evokes universal empathy.
The song had existed since the band’s formation and drew attention when it was used as the ending theme for Fuji TV’s variety show “Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!” Its up-tempo rock sound and the sense of parting—and anticipation for a new journey—set against the season of cherry blossoms are sure to resonate as spring arrives.
It can be called a gem of a pop tune that colors a page of youth, perfect for listening to at life’s important milestones.
CheersNagabuchi Tsuyoshi
This is one of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s signature works, carrying a warm message of blessing to celebrate new beginnings.
Loved by many as an anthem cheering on those stepping onto life’s big stage, it’s a heartwarming piano folk ballad that gently stands by you and gives you the courage to move forward.
Released in September 1980, the song was born from the feeling of congratulating a friend on their wedding, then re-recorded in 1988 and became a major hit.
It also became familiar as the theme song for Kirin Lager Beer commercials in the 1990s.
It’s a powerful song of encouragement that stays close when you or your friends are at life’s milestones or starting anew, and when you need a lift yourself.
We Look Up to You with Respect
Among the many graduation songs that are played, the one that especially stirs the heart is “Aogeba Tōtoshi,” which enjoys enduring popularity.
Sung at countless graduation ceremonies, it is cherished by many as a song filled with memories.
Born in the Meiji era as a Ministry of Education song, it features lyrics by Nobutsuna Sasaki and music by Teiichi Okano.
Its lyrics convey deep gratitude to teachers, and revisiting it as an adult brings a renewed sense of emotion.
It was even covered by SMAP, showing its appeal across generations.
Wrapped in the warmth of spring, singing this song with friends of the same generation will surely bring back the scenes of those days.
On the Day of Departure
Many of you might say this song reminds you of your own graduation ceremony.
Since its release, it has been the standard of all standards, sung at graduation ceremonies across the country.
The song was originally born at a junior high school in Saitama Prefecture.
From there, it spread through the local area, caught the attention of a composer, was featured in a music magazine, and in the late ’90s it gained popularity nationwide.
It inevitably makes you feel nostalgic, doesn’t it? It’s a classic that will surely be sung for generations to come—a staple song for graduation scenes.
A graduation song, a song of friends.19
A song by 19 that reflects fondly on the time spent with friends and expresses a wish for happiness on each person’s path.
With a gentle, acoustic-centered sound that blends with a straightforward vocal, it evokes the image of speaking softly to someone dear.
The lyrics convey that the time shared together becomes the strength to move forward into the future, and that even when far apart, we still wish for each other’s happiness.
It’s a track that communicates the strength of will—the bond deepened by the length of time spent together, and the belief that as long as our hearts remain connected, we can support one another.
