Yuki Saito and Kyohei Tsutsumi: “Graduation”—A New Season Etched in Time, 1985

In February 1985, Yuki Saito made her singing debut with “Graduation.” The lyrics were written by Takashi Matsumoto, the music was composed by Kyohei Tsutsumi, and the arrangement was by Satoshi Takebe. Scholarly sources note that while the song retained the framework of traditional Showa-era pop music, it incorporated electronic synthesizer sounds, arpeggios in the intro, and a contemporary sense of chord progression, creating a work that evoked the spirit of a new era. In particular, Kyohei Tsutsumi’s flowing melody naturally released emotion from the restrained first half into the chorus, resonating with the fluctuating emotions of the young girl portrayed by Takashi Matsumoto. For Satoshi Takebe as well, “Graduation” marked a major turning point. Years later, Takebe himself reflected that reaching No. 6 on the Oricon charts established him as an arranger and that this was the first project on which he worked with Kyōhei Tsutsumi and Takashi Matsumoto. At her 30th-anniversary concert, Yuki Saito also remarked that the song was born precisely because Matsumoto’s lyrics, Tsutsumi’s composition, and Takebe’s piano arrangement came together. Rather than dramatizing the sorrow of parting, “Graduation” depicted the quiet resolve of a young girl moving forward toward the future, becoming a song that bridged the gap between Showa-era kayōkyoku and the new pop music of the late 1980s.