[Graduation Album Questionnaire Survey] About Half Have Not Read It for Over 10 Years, Yet Cannot Let Go of Their Graduation Albums - Why Do Memories Reside in "Paper"?
Asukanet Co., Ltd. conducted a survey on graduation albums, revealing that while 65.8% of people keep them, nearly half haven't opened them in over 10 years, highlighting the albums' role as an 'emotional storage.'
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 22:15
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 14:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 16:39 (122h 38m after Collected)
Asukanet Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Daikiro Murakami), which operates one of Japan's largest photobook services 'MyBook', conducted a questionnaire survey of 500 people aged 20 to 69 with the aim of clarifying the actual state of graduation albums.
"When was the last time you opened your graduation album?" - In this survey, while about 65.8% keep their graduation albums, about half answered that they "haven't looked at it for more than 10 years." Despite not being opened in daily life, many people do not part with them. What emerges from this seemingly contradictory behavior is the reality that photos function not merely as records, but as an "unthrowable storage of emotions." Even in the height of the digital era, the meaning of "keeping things in a physical form" is being questioned once again.
(*When introducing the survey results, please add the note "Survey by Asukanet".)
[Survey Overview]
Survey target: 500 men and women aged 20-69
Survey institution: iBridge Corporation "freeasy"
Aggregation method: Internet survey
Survey period: April 1, 2026
Number of responses: 500
*The figures in the survey results are rounded to the nearest first decimal place as appropriate, so there may be errors when calculating the total.
Release Summary
- While about 2 out of 3 people keep their graduation albums, about half haven't viewed them in over 10 years.
- The "contradictory reality" of not looking at them but not letting them go becomes apparent.
- Emotions when looking back are not only "nostalgic" but also "embarrassing" or "feel nothing" for about 20%.
- Graduation albums function as a "storage of emotions."
- The need for next-generation albums to "choose for oneself and keep it in one's own way" is also becoming apparent.
[Survey Background]
While photos have become something that "can be viewed anytime," there are also photos that are "intentionally left unseen." A prime example is the graduation album. Why do many people continue to keep them even though they are not opened regularly? In this survey, we decode the nature of memories in modern times from the reality of storage and emotional changes.
The retention rate of graduation albums is 65.8%, still maintaining a high level.
Q1: Do you currently still have your graduation album?
Graduation album storage status (65.8% currently keep it)
When asked about the storage status of their graduation albums, 65.8% answered that they "currently keep it (including on hand and at their parents' house)."
On the other hand, only a small minority answered that they had "disposed of it," revealing the reality that many people keep them for a long time.
It can be seen that even as digitalization progresses, graduation albums are positioned as media that "continue to be owned."
About half have not viewed it for over 10 years, a reality of "not looking but not letting go"
Kept, but "not something viewed regularly"
Next, when asked about the last time they looked at their graduation album, about 48% answered "more than 10 years ago." It turns out that while many people keep them on hand, they do not look back at them regularly; they are in a state where they "exist but are not opened."
Q2: When was the last time you looked back at your graduation album?
Time since last viewing the graduation album (about 48% haven't viewed it for over 10 years)
Despite maintaining a high retention rate, the viewing frequency of graduation albums resulted in being low.
From this, it can be considered that graduation albums are not "something to be looked back at frequently," but an entity that is "opened only when necessary."
Q3: When do you feel like looking back at your graduation album? (Multiple choices allowed / for those who selected from within 1 year to more than 10 years in Q2)
Timing to want to look back (Milestones in life such as moving or reunions rank high)
There are many cases where they are looked back upon at timings such as moving, class reunions, and life milestones, suggesting that they function as media linked to the extraordinary rather than everyday life.
Emotions that fluctuate diversely, not just "nostalgic"
Q4: What kind of feelings do you get when you look back at your graduation album? (Multiple choices allowed / for those who selected from within 1 year to more than 10 years in Q2)
Emotions when looking back at the graduation album (About 50% "Nostalgic", about 20% each for "Embarrassing" and "Emotionless")
Regarding the emotions when looking back at the graduation album, about 50% answered "nostalgic"...
"When was the last time you opened your graduation album?" - In this survey, while about 65.8% keep their graduation albums, about half answered that they "haven't looked at it for more than 10 years." Despite not being opened in daily life, many people do not part with them. What emerges from this seemingly contradictory behavior is the reality that photos function not merely as records, but as an "unthrowable storage of emotions." Even in the height of the digital era, the meaning of "keeping things in a physical form" is being questioned once again.
(*When introducing the survey results, please add the note "Survey by Asukanet".)
[Survey Overview]
Survey target: 500 men and women aged 20-69
Survey institution: iBridge Corporation "freeasy"
Aggregation method: Internet survey
Survey period: April 1, 2026
Number of responses: 500
*The figures in the survey results are rounded to the nearest first decimal place as appropriate, so there may be errors when calculating the total.
Release Summary
- While about 2 out of 3 people keep their graduation albums, about half haven't viewed them in over 10 years.
- The "contradictory reality" of not looking at them but not letting them go becomes apparent.
- Emotions when looking back are not only "nostalgic" but also "embarrassing" or "feel nothing" for about 20%.
- Graduation albums function as a "storage of emotions."
- The need for next-generation albums to "choose for oneself and keep it in one's own way" is also becoming apparent.
[Survey Background]
While photos have become something that "can be viewed anytime," there are also photos that are "intentionally left unseen." A prime example is the graduation album. Why do many people continue to keep them even though they are not opened regularly? In this survey, we decode the nature of memories in modern times from the reality of storage and emotional changes.
The retention rate of graduation albums is 65.8%, still maintaining a high level.
Q1: Do you currently still have your graduation album?
Graduation album storage status (65.8% currently keep it)
When asked about the storage status of their graduation albums, 65.8% answered that they "currently keep it (including on hand and at their parents' house)."
On the other hand, only a small minority answered that they had "disposed of it," revealing the reality that many people keep them for a long time.
It can be seen that even as digitalization progresses, graduation albums are positioned as media that "continue to be owned."
About half have not viewed it for over 10 years, a reality of "not looking but not letting go"
Kept, but "not something viewed regularly"
Next, when asked about the last time they looked at their graduation album, about 48% answered "more than 10 years ago." It turns out that while many people keep them on hand, they do not look back at them regularly; they are in a state where they "exist but are not opened."
Q2: When was the last time you looked back at your graduation album?
Time since last viewing the graduation album (about 48% haven't viewed it for over 10 years)
Despite maintaining a high retention rate, the viewing frequency of graduation albums resulted in being low.
From this, it can be considered that graduation albums are not "something to be looked back at frequently," but an entity that is "opened only when necessary."
Q3: When do you feel like looking back at your graduation album? (Multiple choices allowed / for those who selected from within 1 year to more than 10 years in Q2)
Timing to want to look back (Milestones in life such as moving or reunions rank high)
There are many cases where they are looked back upon at timings such as moving, class reunions, and life milestones, suggesting that they function as media linked to the extraordinary rather than everyday life.
Emotions that fluctuate diversely, not just "nostalgic"
Q4: What kind of feelings do you get when you look back at your graduation album? (Multiple choices allowed / for those who selected from within 1 year to more than 10 years in Q2)
Emotions when looking back at the graduation album (About 50% "Nostalgic", about 20% each for "Embarrassing" and "Emotionless")
Regarding the emotions when looking back at the graduation album, about 50% answered "nostalgic"...
FAQ
How many people still have their yearbooks?
According to a survey by Asuka Net, about 65.8% of people aged 20-69 still keep their yearbooks.
When was the last time you looked at your yearbook?
In the same survey, about 48% (nearly half) said they haven't looked at it for over 10 years.
How do people feel when they look at their yearbooks?
About 50% feel nostalgic, while about 20% each feel embarrassed or indifferent.