Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Many people struggle with choosing songs for sports day, don’t they?

Here, we introduce perfect tracks for each scene—from classic staples ideal for sports day to upbeat J-pop and Western hits that get everyone excited!

Well-known songs can hype up the crowd, but using the same ones every year can get old…

We’ve curated a selection of tracks to solve that problem.

You’ll find refreshing tunes that make you want to start running and motivational anthems that give you courage.

Use this article as a guide to make your sports day even more fun and exciting!

Pole Toppling (1–10)

KICK BACKNEW!Yonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – KICKBACK

KICK BACKNEW!Yonezu Kenshi

Yonezu Kenshi’s track “KICK BACK” is a perfect fit as BGM for a pole-toppling match where fierce battles unfold.

Released as a single in November 2022, it made big waves as the opening theme for the hit TV anime Chainsaw Man.

Co-arranged with Daiki Tsuneta of King Gnu, it delivers a gripping progression where drum’n’bass-like speed collides with a heavy rock sound.

The lyrics depict the protagonist’s ruinous desires and hungry spirit, carrying a powerful message that stokes fighting spirit.

Its unpredictable, roller-coaster-like melodies are sure to ignite the competitors’ intensity and send the cheering section’s voltage soaring.

It’s an aggressive track you’ll want to play when you want to raise your team’s morale to the absolute max.

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Mass Games (11–20)

A mass display is a marching performance that presents a variety of formations one after another.

Watching the disciplined marching can be truly overwhelming, isn’t it? It’s said that background music for mass displays should have a light, easy-to-walk tempo.

From here, we’ll introduce some popular songs with tempos that are recommended for mass displays.

Reference article: [Sports Day] A roundup of popular Japanese songs perfect for mass performances [Athletic Festival]

Mass Games (1–10)

Critical HitRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – A Masterstroke [Official Music Video]

Critical HitRADWIMPS

My heart dances to this energetic guitar rock! It’s a track from RADWIMPS’s album “X to O to Tsumi to” released in December 2013.

The lyrics are striking for their depth, portraying the emotions of young people wavering between self-realization and society’s expectations.

They dramatically express both the beauty of chasing ideals and the hardships that come with it.

The lyrics’ use of baseball metaphors is also brilliant.

How about channeling the heat of your youth into this song?

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Wake up!AAA

AAA / 「Wake up!」Music Video

Wake up!AAA

This is a song by AAA, a six-member co-ed music group.

Released in July 2014 as their 41st single, it was selected as the 17th opening theme for the hugely popular anime One Piece.

The lyrics express a determination to keep moving forward to seize one’s dreams.

With its refreshing, uplifting sound, it’s perfect as a cheer song for a school sports festival.

It would also be a great choice for a large-group mass performance—definitely consider it.

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OrangeGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Orange

OrangeGReeeeN

It’s an energetic, pop-infused rock number! This song by GReeeeN, which also made waves as the theme for Shiseido’s “SEA BREEZE” commercial, was released in April 2012 as their 16th single.

Set to a melody full of speed and momentum, it sings about the flutter and excitement of a budding romance.

With its driving tempo, it’s perfect for bringing lots of energy to mass performances at school sports days and athletic festivals!

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Que sera, seraMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Que Sera Sera” Official Music Video

Que sera, seraMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s “Que Sera Sera” is a great recommendation for a sports day mass performance.

Its tempo is easy to match, making it suitable even for lower elementary grades.

Just listening to it can be empowering, and if you incorporate it into a mass routine, I think you’ll be able to put on a cohesive performance that excites the crowd just as much as any other grade.

In the chorus of “Que Sera Sera,” using large, bold movements to create a sense of unity may lead to even better dynamics toward the latter half.

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Maximum reachSEKAI NO OWARI

SEKAI NO OWARI “Highest Altitude” ONE PIECE Lyric MV

Maximum reachSEKAI NO OWARI

Starting with an upbeat tempo from the very beginning, SEKAI NO OWARI’s “Saikou Toutatsuten” is perfect for enjoying a mass performance that makes it easy to move your body to the music.

From the slightly mellow tempo just before the chorus to the uptempo pace when the chorus hits, have fun incorporating a variety of movements.

By adding motions that use your arms and legs and incorporating speed changes, the whole performance will gain momentum and feel cohesive.

It’s sure to leave you moved in the end!

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sparkleFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Kirari (Official Video)

sparkleFuji Kaze

This is Mr.

Fujii Kaze’s sixth digital-only single, released in May 2021 by HEHN RECORDS/Universal Music.

It was also used in the commercial for Honda’s fully redesigned VEZEL, so many people have likely heard it.

With its comfortable rhythm, it’s one of the tracks well-suited to mass formation performances where formations change in sync with the timing.

In addition, the song’s uniquely refreshing and near-futuristic feel seems poised to add contrast and dynamism to a sports day event.

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