[Gratitude, Encouragement, Memories] Tear-Jerking Graduation Songs You Can’t Listen to Without Crying [2026]

SAKURAikimonogakari

Ikimono-gakari “SAKURA” Music Video

The major-label debut single by Ikimono-gakari, a duo known for their striking vocals and songs that vividly evoke scenes.

Released in March 2006, the track was featured in NTT East’s “DENPO115” commercial and a McDonald’s Japan commercial, becoming a long-running hit that stayed on the Oricon charts for 31 weeks.

Weaving in local scenery such as the Sagami Bridge and the Odakyu Line, the lyrics recount the fleeting love of student days and the poignancy of graduation, stirring youthful memories that many hold in their hearts.

The unceasing flow of time and the protagonist’s feelings as they face parting are portrayed with care, making it a song you’ll want to listen to in that moment of quiet loneliness after a graduation ceremony.

It’s a classic of spring that gently nudges you forward as you set out on a new path.

I should be able to fly (in the sky).supittsu

Spitz / I Should Be Able to Fly in the Sky

Representing Spitz, this song has been loved by people of all ages ever since its release in 1994—truly a timeless classic! While it isn’t specifically themed around graduation, it’s actually often sung as a choral piece at graduation ceremonies.

That’s because the message in “Sora mo Toberu Hazu” (“We Could Even Fly in the Sky”), which evokes a sense of limitless possibility, is perfect for sending off graduates embarking on a new chapter.

Plus, the chorus includes lyrics that express gratitude for the connections we’ve made, making it a song that lets you look back on memories and feel deeply moved.

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Hane Keisuke

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Sakura Clear SkiesYuuri

To You Graduating This Year [Sakura Clear Skies] [First Performance of New Song]

This is the fourth major digital single by singer-songwriter Yuuri, who made his name known in the J-POP scene when his second major digital single, Dry Flower, became a massive hit with over 300 million streams.

Inspired by an email from a fan, it is his first graduation song, and its message—expressing gratitude to those who have supported him and celebrating a new departure—really resonates.

The complex emotions felt before graduation are sung over a rich, layered piano sound.

It’s a perfect graduation song for everyone to sing together at a graduation ceremony.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Bridge of Gloryyuzu

Yuzu “Eikou no Kakehashi” Music Video

This is the 21st single by Yuzu, the folk duo that probably comes to mind for many when they hear about musicians who started as street performers.

Chosen as NHK’s official theme song for the broadcast of the 2004 Athens Olympics in Greece, it’s a track that almost every Japanese person is likely to know.

The lyrics, which teach the importance of overcoming hard work and setbacks, resonate deeply with graduation ceremonies that mark the end of student days.

It’s a perfect number for graduation season, one that lets you truly feel the results of all your efforts.

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Hoshino Takashi

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18imase

【imase】18（MV）

A pop tune celebrating the start of adulthood, crafted by singer-songwriter imase, who made his major-label debut in 2021.

Released in April 2023, it was written as the theme song for Suntory’s web video “Otonajan: Koko kara dane 04.” Aimed at a generation whose school life events were restricted during the pandemic, it blends scenes unique to mask-wearing life and delivers an uplifting message: “The real fun awaits in the life ahead.” With a light four-on-the-floor beat and refreshing melody, it gently embraces a wavering heart.

The track is also included on the album Bonsai, released in May 2024.

It’s a song we especially want you to hear at that moment after graduation, when anticipation and anxiety mix as you enter a new life—when you’d rather look forward to the future than lament lost time.

cheerMarushii

Marcy – Yell (Official Music Video)

A new cheering song that gently nudges on the backs of those giving their all every day has arrived from Marcy, a three-piece rock band from Fukuoka.

Released digitally in February 2024, the track was written specifically as the 55th anniversary campaign song for Shinken Zemi’s High School Course.

Vocalist/guitarist Ukyo Yoshida handled both lyrics and composition, infusing the song with messages that validate the daily efforts that can’t be measured by scores and offer comfort for moments when you feel utterly alone in the world.

The school-set music video portrays the struggles of boys and girls and the scenery of youth as an ensemble drama, deepening the immersion into the song’s world.

It’s a number we especially hope will reach those about to take a new step after graduation, and those who are living each day earnestly even when the results don’t yet show.

Until graduationBoku ga mitakatta aozora

The Blue Sky I Wanted to See / “Until Graduation” Music Video

The title track of Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora’s second single, released in January 2024, is a poignant ballad themed around first love and farewell.

It delicately depicts the heart-wrenching feelings of a protagonist on the verge of graduation, as time slips by without them ever conveying the feelings they’ve kept hidden.

Would a confession change anything, or will it end as a one-sided love? That inner struggle swells with the melody, overlapping with listeners’ own memories and bringing tears to their eyes.

The song was selected as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “Sorette!? Jissai Dounanoka,” and debuted at No.

2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It’s also the group’s first release to introduce a selection system, making it a track where you can feel the members’ growth.

If you’ve had feelings you couldn’t express, or couldn’t cry at graduation, this is the song for you.

On a night when you’re alone, press play—gently.