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!

Entrance Music / Processional / March (1–10)

SUNNEW!Hoshino Gen

Gen Hoshino – SUN (Official Video)

SUNNEW!Hoshino Gen

It’s a vibrant, life-affirming song that makes both your heart and body want to dance.

Released as a single in May 2015, it was written as the theme song for the drama “Kokoro ga Pokitto ne.” It was later included on the album “YELLOW DANCER,” and as one of Gen Hoshino’s signature works that cemented his popularity, it remains beloved to this day.

Its moderately fast, bouncy beat is perfect for a lively entrance march at sports days and athletic festivals—sure to bring smiles to everyone at the venue.

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Because the sun will rise againNEW!Ryokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Because the Sun Will Rise Again' Official Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Hi wa Mata Noboru Kara

Because the sun will rise againNEW!Ryokushokushakai

This song was written as the theme for the animated film Crayon Shin-chan: Mononoke Ninja Chinpūden.

Released as a single in April 2022, it was later included on the album pink blue.

The track features a captivating melody that blends Ryokuoushoku Shakai’s signature clarity and strength.

Embracing days when things don’t go well while inspiring hope for tomorrow, it’s crafted as a cheer song.

It will brightly color the opening of any team-based competition where people work together!

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paprikaNEW!Foorin

[Paprika] Dance Music Video | Foorin × Kenshi Yonezu | NHK

paprikaNEW!Foorin

This song is captivating for its worldview that depicts the natural scenes of the seasons and the joy of moving your body.

It’s a work by the unit Foorin, produced by Kenshi Yonezu, and was released on CD in August 2018.

Created as part of the “NHK 2020 Cheer Song Project,” including broadcasts on NHK’s Minna no Uta.

It quickly became a popular song known by many.

It’s a recommended track for scenes where all students walk together at kindergarten or elementary school sports days.

The bright vocals will fill the entire venue with a warm atmosphere.

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Cheering Songs (11–20)

We first introduced recommended songs for the entrance march and for athletes entering and exiting each event—did you find any you’d like to use? Next, we’ll introduce must-have cheer songs for a sports day.

We’ve selected tracks that are perfect for pumping up the crowd with energetic cheers as well as moving songs that ignite your inner fighting spirit.

Singing them with the original lyrics is great, but creating parody versions with your own lyrics will surely hype things up even more! Reference article: Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids

Cheering Songs (1–10)

Double Double FIGHT!NEW!CANDY TUNE

[MV] CANDY TUNE “Bai Bai FIGHT!”

Double Double FIGHT!NEW!CANDY TUNE

How about a cheer song that instantly brightens the atmosphere of a school sports day? It’s a track by CANDY TUNE, born from the idol project KAWAII LAB., released as a digital-only single in April 2024.

The uplifting lyrics, depicting a spirit of getting back up again and again and continuing to take on challenges without giving up, are especially striking.

In 2025, it rapidly gained attention thanks to going viral on TikTok.

Its catchy melody and energetic sound make it perfect as BGM for events like sprints and relays where kids give their all.

Why not send your cheers along with the spirited vocals?

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NonfictionsNEW!Da-iCE

Da-iCE / “Nonfictions” Music Video

NonfictionsNEW!Da-iCE

Released in 2025 as a rousing anthem that vividly colors the Summer Koshien, this song was written by Da-iCE, a dance and vocal group known for their four-octave twin vocals, as the support song for the 107th National High School Baseball Championship and the theme for “Netto Koshien.” Its driving, dramatic sound incorporates a subtly wistful melody, expressing the radiance of youth that treasures every fleeting moment.

The lyrics, sprinkled with baseball terminology, brim with warmth that supports not only the players battling on the field but everyone cheering them on.

Arranged to suit brass band performances, it’s the perfect number for moments when you want to unite and fire up the crowd at school sports days!

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Blue and SummerNEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Blue and Summer

Blue and SummerNEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE

A number with a driving, exhilarating sound that will raise the voltage of any sports day.

Released to the world in August 2018 by the rock band Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, hugely popular especially among younger generations, this single was written as the theme song for the film “Aonatsu: 30 Days With You.” Motoki Omori’s high-toned vocals intertwine with a refreshing band ensemble to give listeners a powerful push forward.

Also included on the album “Attitude,” the track boasts over one billion total streams and has become a summer standard.

Carrying a positive message that anyone can be the protagonist, it’s perfect for scenes where children dash with all their might—like relays and cheer battles.

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-ness; typicality; the quality/essence of being [X] (as in “X-ness” or “X-like character”)NEW!Ofisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Rashisa [Official Video]

-ness; typicality; the quality/essence of being [X] (as in “X-ness” or “X-like character”)NEW!Ofisharu Higedan Dism

Watch “-ness; typicality; the quality/essence of being [X] (as in “X-ness” or “X-like character”) NEW! Ofisharu Higedan Dism” on YouTube

This is a song that cheers on everyone who keeps moving forward while facing themselves.

Released by Official HIGE DANDism in August 2025 ahead of the film’s premiere, the track was chosen as the theme song for the feature-length anime “Hyaku-Emu,” which opened the following month.

Characterized by a band sound brimming with a sense of speed, the piece—crafted as vocalist Satoshi Fujihara reexamined himself—portrays a strong will to aim for the finish line despite doubt and inner conflict.

It carries an urgency that resonates with the world of the 100-meter dash, making it perfect as BGM for heated competitions like school sprint races and relays.

The exhilarating rush that bursts from the starting dash will greatly boost children’s motivation.

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