Tabidachi no Hi ni
| "Tabidachi no Hi ni" | |
|---|---|
| Composition | |
| Language | Japanese |
| English title | On the Day of Departure |
| Written | 1991 |
| Published | 1991 |
| Composer | Hiromi Takahashi |
| Lyricist | Noboru Kojima |
"Tabidachi no Hi ni" (Japanese: 旅立ちの日に; lit. On the Day of Departure) is a Japanese song written by Noboru Kojima. First performed in 1991, it became one of the most commonly used graduation songs in Japan.
Background and composition
The song was written in February 1991 by Noboru Kojima, a former principal and music teacher at Kagemori Junior High School in Chichibu, Saitama. It was composed by Hiromi Takahashi, a music teacher at the school, and arranged by Takao Matsui, a friend of Takahashi and a school teacher in Tokyo.[1]
Takahashi said that she asked Kojima to write a poem as a special gift to the graduating students in February 1991. At first, Kojima refused, but the next morning, she found a finished poem on her desk. She also said that it only took her 15 minutes to compose the song.[2] The song was first used in March 1991 when Kojima, who was about to retire, and other faculty surprised the graduating students by singing the song at a farewell event.[3][4]
Spread
According to Takahashi, the song was meant to be used for one time only,[5] but in the following years, the song continued to be used during cultural festivals and graduation in the song, and later spread to neighboring schools. It gained nationwide attention when the sheet music of the song was featured in a music magazine Kyoiku Ongaku. It was featured in a program in 2004 and was sung by the J-Pop group SMAP for a commercial for NTT East Japan in 2007.[6][3][7] In 2016, Seibu-Chichibu Station in Nosaka-cho, Chichibu changed its departure melody into the song.[1]
Popularity
Although the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has stated no rules about the songs that must be sung at graduation ceremonies,[8] "Tabidachi no Hi ni" became one of the common graduation song in Japan and becoming the "new standard" replacing songs like "Aogeba Tōtoshi".[5][9]
In a survey conducted by Oricon in 2008, the song ranked third overall in a "songs that have been sung at graduation ceremonies", ranked first in the middle and high school category, ranked second in the college category, and fourth on "working adults in their 20s" category.[7] In a survey by Line Music in 2025, the song ranked seventh in the graduation song ranking in the "teenager" category, Ai Kawashima's cover of the song was ranked fifth in both the "20s" and "30s" category, the choral version of the song was ranked fourth in the "30s" category.[10] Similarly, Rakuten Books also conducted a survey in January 2025 on the "Memorable Graduation Songs", the song was the top one graduations songs of people in their 20s and their 30s.[8]
Reception
Oricon praised the song for its three-part mixed chorus, calling it "an impressive melody that grows stronger toward the end".[7]
"Hill of Departure", a monument was built in dedication of the song in Chichibu, Saitama.[3] In November 2011, following the 20th anniversary of the song, Kojima was awarded the Saitama Prefecture Merit Award posthumously—he died earlier that year on January 20—alongside Takahashi.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Seibuchichibueki, hassha merodī ga Chichibu no meikyoku ni "tabidachinohini" e henkō" 西武秩父駅、発車メロディーが秩父の名曲に 「旅立ちの日に」へ変更 [Seibu Chichibu Station changes departure melody to Chichibu classic "Tabidachi no Hi"]. Saitama Shimbun (in Japanese). November 28, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ "Shōchūgakkō no sotsugyō songu no teiban "tabidachinohini" sakkyoku-sha Takahashi Hiromi-san intabyū" 小中学校の卒業ソングの定番「旅立ちの日に」作曲者・高橋浩美さんインタビュー [An interview with Hiromi Takahashi, composer of "Tabidachi no Hi ni," a classic elementary and junior high school graduation song]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Japan Trivia: Teacher, principal in Saitama Pref. quickly penned hit graduation song". Mainichi Shimbun. February 28, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ a b ""Tabidachinohini" no sakushi-sha sakkyoku-sha ni ayanokuni tokubetsu kōrōshō ~ 11/ 14 (tsuki) no kenmin'nohi kinen shikiten de zōtei ~" 「旅立ちの日に」の作詞者・作曲者に彩の国特別功労賞 ～11/14（月）の県民の日記念式典で贈呈～ [Lyricist and composer of "Tabidachi no Hi ni" receive the Saitama Prefecture Special Achievement Award ~Presented at the Prefectural Day Commemorative Ceremony on November 14th (Mon.)~]. Local Government of Saitama Prefecture (in Japanese). November 1, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "Kokoro ni ongaku no shawā Saitama kenritsu Chichibu yōgo gakkō Takahashi Hiromi-san" 心に音楽のシャワー 埼玉県立秩父養護学校 高橋浩美さん [A shower of music for the soul - Hiromi Takahashi, Saitama Prefectural Chichibu Special Needs School]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 28, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ "Omoide "sotsugyō songu" ni henka 10-dai ninki 1-i "tabidachinohini" 40-dai wa "shiranaidesu" sedai-kan gyappu o chōsa shita [N suta kaisetsu]" 思い出“卒業ソング”に変化 10代人気1位「旅立ちの日に」40代は「知らないです」 世代間ギャップを調査した【Nスタ解説】 | TBS NEWS DIG ["Tabidachi no Hi" is the most popular graduation song among teenagers, but people in their 40s say they don't know it. A survey of the generation gap reveals [N-Station Commentary]. TBS News (in Japanese). March 12, 2024. p. 1. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Sotsugyōshiki no uta to ieba? "Aogebatōtoshi" o "tabidachinohini" ga uwamawaru" 卒業式の歌といえば？ 「仰げば尊し」を「旅立ちの日に」が上回る [Speaking of graduation songs? "Tabidachi ni Hi" surpasses "Aogeba Totoshi"]. Oricon (in Japanese). March 6, 2008. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ a b ""Jidai ni awanai?" Kie yuku sotsugyōshiki no teiban "aogebatōtoshi" "tabidachinohi" ya "3 tsuki 9-nichi" ga shin teiban ni… seito ga jiyū ni eraberu gakkō mo zōka" 「時代に合わない？」消えゆく卒業式の定番“仰げば尊し” 「旅立ちの日」や「3月9日」が新定番に…生徒が自由に選べる学校も増加｜FNNプライムオンライン ["No longer relevant?" The disappearing graduation ceremony staple "Aogeba Totoshi": "Tabidachi no Hi" and "March 9th" are becoming the new standards... More and more schools are allowing students to choose freely]. Fuji News Network (in Japanese). March 13, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ ""Tabidachinohini" no sakushi-sha Kojima Noboru-shi ga shikyo" 「旅立ちの日に」の作詞者 小嶋登氏が死去 [Noboru Kojima, lyricist of "Tabidachi no Hi ni" (On the Day of Departure), passes away]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). January 22, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ "Ninki no "sotsugyō songu" rankingu. "Sakura" "tabidachinohini" o osaete zen sedai de jōi ni haitta no wa? Ano "dorama sōnyū uta"" 人気の「卒業ソング」ランキング。「さくら」「旅立ちの日に」を抑えて全世代で上位に入ったのは？あの“ドラマ挿入歌” [Ranking of popular "graduation songs." What ranked high across all generations, beating out "Sakura" and "Tabidachi no Hi ni"? That "drama insert song"]. Huffington Post Japan (in Japanese). March 15, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.