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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Graduation Songs for Those in Their 30s: Nostalgic Classics That Bring Back the Emotion & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today (21–30)
I want to become a cherry blossom tree.AKB48
A gentle medium-tempo ballad by AKB48 that portrays the beauty of spring and memories of graduation.
As it likens eternal love watching over those who set out on a new journey to a cherry tree, it warmly sings of the courage and hope to take the first step forward.
Depicting the touching image of young people heading toward a bright future while carrying their anxieties, this work was released in February 2011.
It was used as the theme song for the drama “A Letter from the Cherry Blossoms” and also gained attention as a CM song for UHA Mikakuto.
With a message perfect for graduation season and a gentle melody line that evokes the arrival of spring, it will wrap you in the desire to revel in cherished memories.
cherry blossomKetsumeishi
Ketsumeishi’s “Sakura” has long been loved by many as a classic that colors the season of graduation and farewells.
Since its 2005 release, it’s a song that, whenever the cherry blossoms bloom, brings back bittersweet memories and irreplaceable friends.
It drew renewed attention when Sonoko Inoue covered it, and with its power to connect old and new generations, the song livens up many karaoke parties.
Listening to “Sakura,” a track that distills Ketsumeishi’s creative charm, makes anyone nostalgic for their youth and is sure to warm the heart.
Sakura, Bloom!storm
Among the many graduation songs out there, there are countless tracks that hold special meaning for people in their thirties, and Arashi’s “Sakura Sake” is one of them.
Famously featured in a prep school commercial, this song carries a passionate message for everyone doing their best.
Its bright, positive vibe is perfect for new beginnings—not only lingering on farewells, but also offering encouragement for the future that’s about to start.
Among Arashi’s many cheer songs, the reason this one continues to be loved by such a wide range of ages is likely its universal appeal.
Sing it with your classmates at karaoke, and memories of your school days will come rushing back.
spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE
A pop tune spun the day after graduation, depicting springtime partings and reunions.
Motoki Omori, the vocalist of Mrs.
GREEN APPLE, beautifully captures the complex emotions unique to adolescence through memories with friends.
While wrestling with faint longing and ideals, the melody overflowing with feelings for someone was also featured as the theme song for Suntory’s “Craft Boss” commercial.
Tinged at times with melancholy yet brimming with hope, its sound gently nudges those who, with the arrival of spring, are ready to take a new step forward.
bookmarkCreepHyp
A song that portrays the feelings of spring, included on the album “Nakitakunaru Hodo Ureshii Hibi ni,” released in September 2018.
Written specifically for the joint campaign “FM802 × TSUTAYA ACCESS!” by FM802 and TSUTAYA, it features CreepHyp’s distinctive rock sound.
With delicate detail, it captures the fragile emotions of trying to move forward while keeping memories of the past close to the heart, unfolding a tale of parting and renewal alongside scenes of cherry blossoms.
The emotional melody harmonizes beautifully with Seikaikan Ozaki’s unique vocals, creating a work that is sure to resonate deeply with anyone experiencing a springtime farewell.
It’s a song to help organize your feelings—one we hope everyone standing at the threshold between endings and beginnings will listen to.
10-year cherry blossomsAKB48
A song themed around graduation, parting, and reunion has arrived from AKB48 with the coming of spring.
Centered by Atsuko Maeda and Jurina Matsui, it weaves a story of farewells and reunions with fresh, vivid expression.
Set to an 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.