Many artists both in Japan and abroad have created songs themed around friendship.
In this article, we’ll spotlight friendship songs by Japanese rock bands in particular!
From tracks that look back on shared memories to songs that express gratitude, you’ll find a variety of stories woven into the music—so take a moment to read the lyrics and listen closely.
We hope this will be helpful not only for those who want to enjoy friendship songs performed by bands, but also for anyone planning to play a friendship song at a school festival or graduation live show.
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Friendship songs performed by bands: A collection of classic tracks depicting bonds (1–10)
best friendNEW!SG
A song by SG that I want to give to a dear friend.
As the title suggests, it’s a warm message song themed around the bond with a friend deeply connected at heart.
Life brings many partings—graduations, turning points—but this song straightforwardly sings about an unchanging friendship despite distance, and the hope of meeting again.
Released as a single in March 2022, it resonated with many people, ranking high in LINE MUSIC’s real-time music video charts.
Known for “Bokura Mata,” SG penned this track in his own words, offering not only the sorrow of parting but also the courage to look ahead.
It’s perfect as BGM for graduation season, as well as for times when you want to express gratitude that’s hard to say, or when you’re thinking of a friend far away.
Kizuna SongThe Back Horn
When it comes to sweeping rock ballads that shake the listener’s heart, this is the song.
Released as a single in January 2005, it was THE BACK HORN’s tenth release.
It was also used as an insert song for the video project “Kizuna Drama,” playing a key role in linking the story together.
Known for their intense rock sound, the band deliberately chose a gentle melody to depict the warmth of human relationships, creating a masterpiece.
It’s included toward the end of the acclaimed album “Headphone Children” and has long been cherished as one of the band’s signature ballads.
Words of FarewellFLOW
Okuru Kotoba, a bold cover of Kaientai’s classic, reimagined with a driving, youthfully charged punk sound.
Released as an indie single in January 2003 by the five-piece mixture rock band FLOW, the track garnered explosive support, especially among young listeners of the time.
Its energetic performance and fiery call-and-response between the twin vocalists blow away the sorrow of parting.
It was also selected as the ending theme for TBS’s COUNT DOWN TV, becoming widely beloved.
proofflumpool
A number by flumpool produced in 2011 as the set piece for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition (Junior High School Division) and also broadcast on “Minna no Uta.” The bond with friends is something invisible to the eye, but the time spent together and the days of crying and laughing side by side surely remain in our hearts.
This work sings about that unseen yet undeniable certainty that we are companions.
It peaked at No.
4 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and was also included on the album “experience.” Not only the fun times, but even the clashes—everything was necessary to deepen the bond.
It’s a song that gently gives a push to friends facing life’s milestones, such as graduation or moving on to the next stage.
CorrectRADWIMPS
It’s RADWIMPS’s track that answers the wish to raise your voices together one last time with friends before graduation.
It drew attention for their collaboration with 1,000 eighteen-year-olds at NHK’s “18 Fes,” and is included on the album ANTI ANTI GENERATION.
In school, you’re expected to provide the right answers to given questions, but once you enter society, you have to carve out your own path.
This song gently pushes the backs of young people stepping into such an uncertain future.
The lyrics capture both the parting from irreplaceable friends and the resolve to embark on each person’s new life.
When you stand at a crossroads like higher education or getting a job, the faces of your dear friends are sure to come to mind.
It’s a friendship song recommended for those who want to reaffirm a bond that lets you believe your hearts remain connected even when you’re apart.
Friend ~ If you smilemiwa
A song where miwa portrays friendship in down-to-earth words: memories of laughing together, the bittersweet thought that you might drift apart someday, and still wanting to say “I like you” and “thank you.” It’s included on her first album, guitarissimo, released in April 2011, which debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Though not a single, it’s remained a live staple.
The gentle, acoustic guitar–centered sound and her clear, airy voice quietly nestle close to the listener’s heart.
The charm of this piece lies in its delicate distance—something that can be read as friendship or romance.
Perhaps that’s why it feels right to hear during seasons when relationships waver—graduations, moves, changes in life.
If someone special comes to mind, try humming along together.
Express Ticket and RhythmConton Candy
Written as the theme song for the film “Zenbu of Tokyo,” released in October 2024, this track marks a major milestone for Conton Candy as their first movie theme song.
Its exhilarating guitar sound and lyrics depicting the struggles of youth set against the city of Tokyo leave a strong impression.
Loveless words and unpleasant memories of the past are all reset by a loved one’s smile—imbued with the purity and strength that come with youth.
Vocalist Tsumugi has said the song was created with the message “I want you to be yourself,” conveying a wish for listeners not to forget their own colors even amid a chaotic city.
It’s a masterpiece we highly recommend to anyone who can relate to the conflicts of adolescence and the hope for the future.