[For adults too] Youth songs that let you look back on your memories

Until graduationBoku ga mitakatta aozora

The Blue Sky I Wanted to See / “Until Graduation” Music Video

This song is the second single by Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora.

Released in January 2024, it portrays a bittersweet love centered around the theme of graduation.

The music video, set in a fishing port, captures scenes of youth steeped in melancholy.

With the group’s first-ever selection system, 12 members handle the vocals.

Their expressive singing conveys the unique poignancy of adolescence.

The protagonist’s complex emotions on the verge of graduation are sure to resonate with listeners.

If you’ve ever experienced the sweet-and-sour ache of an unrequited crush during your school days, this is a song you’ll surely relate to.

Sometimes, old storiesKatō Tokiko

Sometimes Old Stories - Tokiko Kato - Porco Rosso

Tokiko Kato’s “Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi o” is a song that gently brings back memories of youthful days.

Released in February 1987 by Kato, who has been active as a singer-songwriter and actress since 1966, the track gained renewed attention when a newly recorded version was used as the ending theme for Studio Ghibli’s 1992 film Porco Rosso.

It’s a song that not only evokes nostalgia for one’s youth, but also gives a push to live as earnestly now as we did back then.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Yoimachi Jēn

Report a problem

Friend ~Time to Depart~yuzu

Yuzu “Friend ~The Time of Departure~”

This is the 38th single by the folk duo Yuzu, written for the staff accompanying their post–2011 Great East Japan Earthquake tour.

Featuring a gentle arrangement centered on delicate piano and strings, the song was selected both as the set piece for the 80th NHK All-Japan School Music Competition and for NHK’s Minna no Uta.

Its lyrics, which depict unchanging friendship despite distance, may evoke the school years, a time marked by clear meetings and farewells.

It’s a medium-tempo ballad whose powerful message offers courage, reminding listeners that even in a new environment, they are not alone.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hoshino Takashi

Report a problem

Seventeen-Year-Old’s MapOzaki Yutaka

Yutaka Ozaki - Seventeen’s Map - Koriyama Civic Cultural Center

This is the second single by the legendary singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki, who achieved fervent popularity—especially among younger listeners—yet tragically passed away at the young age of 26.

The song was created based on a personal episode of its producer, Akira Sudo, and it’s still remembered today as one of Ozaki’s signature tracks.

Its message, capturing both the suffocating feelings unique to being 17—caught between childhood and adulthood—and the powerful energy of youth, seems to offer something relatable no matter when you listen to it.

With an arrangement that is both light and emotionally charged, it’s an immortal masterpiece cherished across generations.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hoshino Takashi

Report a problem

Blue HabitatKitanitatsuya

Where Our Blue Is / Tatsuya Kitani

Released in July 2023, this song was chosen as the opening theme for Season 2 of the popular anime Jujutsu Kaisen.

Kitani Tatsuya’s delicate vocals and a melody that is both refreshing and bittersweet leave a strong impression.

Centered on themes of parting in one’s youth and feelings that never reached their destination, it evokes a sense of nostalgia for days gone by.

It also features phrases reminiscent of a school chime, which many listeners may find nostalgic.

It’s a recommended track not only for those in the midst of their youth, but also for adults who want to look back on those days.

Beloved daysyangusukinii

Young Skinny – Oh, Beloved Days [Official Music Video]

This song by Young Skinny sings about the depth and complexity of friendship.

The lyrics, woven from the members’ down-to-earth words, make you involuntarily think, “I get it!” and empathize.

You can’t help but be moved by the importance of accepting each other completely and making an effort to understand one another.

Included on the EP If We Could Find Happiness in Anything, released in September 2023, it was also used as the campaign song for Ezaki Glico’s “Seventeen Ice.” It’s a masterpiece that resonates not only with students in the midst of their youth, but also with adults.

How about singing it with your best friends at your school’s culture festival and making it a page of your youth? With this song, it’s sure to become an unforgettable memory!

Blue in the classroomHoshimachi Suisei

[MV] A Classroom in Blue / Suisei Hoshimachi (hololive × HoneyWorks) [#HoloHani Original]

A standout track featuring Suisei Hoshimachi’s memorable vocals from the Hololive × HoneyWorks collaboration album “Horohani-gaoka High School.” It’s an emotional rock number that sings about youthful memories and the importance of friendship.

The lyrics evoke the end of a school festival or a campfire night, layered with Hoshimachi’s crystal-clear voice that resonates deeply with listeners.

Released in February 2024, the album features many Hololive members, including Hoshimachi, and sparked buzz with a collaboration campaign with JOYSOUND.

A heartwarming youth anthem perfect for graduation season and times of new beginnings.