Youthful songs recommended as theme songs and openings for cultural and school festivals

THANXWANIMA

WANIMA「THANX」（from 1st DVD&Blu-ray「JUICE UP!! TOUR FINAL」）

WANIMA’s nationally distributed debut release captivates with an energetic sound and heartfelt lyrics centered on themes of gratitude and farewell! Included on the album “Are You Coming?” released in November 2015, this track powerfully expresses the courage to move forward after parting and the feeling of gratitude toward loved ones, carried by a driving, exhilarating melody.

Its outdoor live-style music video—featuring motocross bikes soaring through the air—also drew attention, and the song has grown into an indispensable staple at WANIMA’s concerts.

It’s a sure-fire crowd-pleaser that will capture hearts at cultural and school festivals alike.

Dokimeki Diaryasmi feat. Chinozo

Dokimeki Diary – asmi feat. Chinozo (Official Music Video)

Like weaving together precious memories, this song is filled with uplifting messages brimming with hope and anticipation.

asmi’s clear, transparent vocals and Chinozo’s refined compositional sense blend beautifully, creating a pleasant sense of elation.

Portraying the courage and determination to take a new step forward while overcoming the anxieties and confusion of a journey of self-discovery, the track has been beloved as the opening theme for the Pokémon TV anime since April 2023.

It also received its first full-size performance during the special program “Anime Pokémon Music Festival,” broadcast on the TV Tokyo network on March 31.

It’s a powerful cheer song that gives you a supportive push at moments of new challenges—such as before events at sports days or athletic festivals.

FRIENDS!!!imase

【imase】FRIENDS!!!（MV）

This is a heartwarming song themed around friendship, whose gentle melody seeps into the soul.

Imase’s soft vocals tenderly capture the subtle distance and mutual changes felt when reconnecting with an old friend.

It conveys the importance of a friendship that, even as we grow, can return to the carefree bond of the past, and the enduring connection that doesn’t fade with time.

Released in February 2025 for the collaborative project “Everyone’s Concert” by the live communication app Pococha and Yamaha Corporation, the piece features a striking sound highlighted by Shingo Kubota’s arrangement.

Recommended as a youthful, uplifting track perfect for memorable moments like school festivals or stage performances, it’s a song that unites friends and lifts the mood when shared together.

Unable to become an adultkujira

Unable to become an adult

This work gently sings of the importance of embracing loneliness and ordinariness.

Through images of the stillness of a moonless night and scattering light into the darkness, its warm lyrics, which handle a fragile heart with care, resonate deeply.

Kujira centers themes of self-acceptance and growth, beautifully expressing young people’s emotions within a unique worldview.

This piece serves as the theme song for the February 2025 film “My Senpai Is a Boy: Rain, Then Clear,” showcasing the delicate musicality honed on the albums “Until I Can Love Life” and “Vegetable Drawer.” It’s a wonderful song that stays close to the subtle feelings of youth—days at a school festival spent with dear friends, the anxiety and confusion felt while searching for one’s true self.

Friends Friends FriendsMomoiro Kurōbā Zetto

Friends Friends Friends

A warm, heartwarming song themed around eternal friendship.

Momoiro Clover Z delicately conveys encounters and farewells, and the importance of irreplaceable bonds with their nuanced vocals.

The melody gently embraces feelings not only of friendship, but also for that special someone you think of—be it a lover or family.

Included on the album “Hydra,” this work is an anniversary song released in May 2024 to commemorate the group’s 15th anniversary.

It’s a song provided by singer-songwriter Ryujin Kiyoshi, his first contribution in about eight years, beautifully expressing his distinctive worldview.

Recommended as a finale-ending song for school and cultural festivals, and as a memorable track shared with friends and companions.

DREAMERIkuta Rira

DREAMER

A gemlike ballad that powerfully conveys passion for dreams and a deep love of music.

Standing at life’s crossroads, its lyrics gently support young people chasing their precious dreams, celebrating the beauty of staying true to oneself.

Sung by Rira Ikuta, the song was released in March 2025 alongside the album Hyakka Ryouran and drew wide attention as an insert song in the drama Paripi Komei.

Because she has devoted herself to music since childhood, her true-to-life expressiveness lends words that move the heart.

As a finale track for school sports days and festivals, it’s sure to become a cherished song that colors a page of youth.

One Heartatarashii gakkou no rīdāzu

ATARASHII GAKKO! – One Heart (Official Music Video)

As a cheer song coloring a page of youth, a moving track was released by ATARASHII GAKKO! in March 2025.

Conveying the importance of living true to yourself and packed with the courage to face forward together with your friends, this work deeply resonates with the younger generation.

With powerful vocals and dynamic dance performances, it’s full of strength that seems to blow away the anxieties and doubts everyone feels.

Written specifically as the theme song for Bourbon’s “Fettuccine Gummi” commercial, the music video—filmed together with 300 fans—has been crafted into an inspiring visual that unites the hearts of its viewers.

It’s the perfect song not only for students feeling uneasy while preparing for school festivals and cultural events, but for anyone about to take a new step forward.