Music that makes school culture festivals even more special.
It can boost excitement as BGM for stage performances, as a theme song, or as an opening track.
In this article, we’ve picked recommended Japanese songs and J-pop perfect for culture festivals and school festivals.
From tracks that refresh your mood, to songs overflowing with youthfulness, to tunes that capture the momentum of a great start—there’s plenty to choose from! Create unforgettable memories with a colorful soundtrack to match.
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[Cultural Festivals / School Festivals] Youthful songs recommended as theme songs and openings (1–10)
lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE
Here’s a recommended track for anyone ready to step into a new world! This lively song by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE captures the heart of youth in full swing.
Chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime ‘Oblivion Battery,’ which began airing in April 2024, the track shines with the band’s signature emotional flair.
It channels a thrilling mix of anxiety and anticipation, and that forward-leaning urge to discover something important, all through a driving, exhilarating sound.
Listening to it makes you feel like a dazzling future is waiting—you’ll want to dash right into it.
It’s a rousing anthem brimming with the spirit of youth today, perfect for igniting the mood at a school festival.
BOW AND ARROWYonezu Kenshi
A youth anthem whose exhilarating melody and powerful vocals strike straight to the heart! Created at Kenshi Yonezu’s own request as the opening theme for the figure-skating anime “Medalist,” this ambitious work accompanies the story of a young man who has faced setbacks and a girl chasing her dreams.
Through the symbolic motif of “bow and arrow,” it conveys challenge, growth, and the importance of supporting one another.
Produced in January 2025, the song debuted on the first day of his nationwide tour, “Kenshi Yonezu 2025 TOUR / JUNK,” sending the venue into a frenzy.
It’s a gem of a cheer song you’ll want to hear with friends striving toward their goals—perfect for lighting up school and culture festivals.
Blue HabitatKitanitatsuya
Tatsuya Kitani’s “Ao no Sumika” is a moving song that portrays the beautiful yet bittersweet moments of youth.
As the opening theme for the popular anime Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, it has become a track that lingers in many listeners’ memories.
With universal lyrics that feel as if they reflect his own experiences, the song resonates with everyone living through their youth, stirring deep empathy.
It carefully depicts the delicate shifts in human relationships over time and the ache of facing one’s past, touching the listener’s own recollections.
Its layers of sound—somehow nostalgic yet fresh—weave a story like turning the pages of a book.
Catchy yet richly textured, the sound fits perfectly on the stage of a school festival, the very emblem of youth.
It is a passionate message from Tatsuya Kitani that reaches the hearts of all who live in the present.
Curtain callYuuri
A high-velocity rock tune where doubt, inner conflict, and hope collide.
Yuuri’s heartfelt vocals and the sweeping melody strike straight to the heart.
It carries a message that resonates: people struggling with life, unable to understand each other—maybe, if they’d met in a different place, they could have connected.
Released as a digital single in July 2024, this track was chosen as the opening theme for Cour 2 of Season 7 of the TV anime My Hero Academia.
It’s a wonderful anthem that stirs the courage to step toward a hope-filled future!
Is youth embarrassing, or is it youth if it’s embarrassing?Ryokushokushakai
A power-charged, feel-good song that captures the straight-from-the-heart spirit of youth in sound and lyrics! Ryokuoushoku Shakai’s exhilarating, fast-paced sound is packed with the passion of young people chasing their dreams head-on.
Featured on the album “Channel U,” this track was chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s original romance show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita: Summer Vacation 2024,” and was released in July 2024.
This piece, which gives a strong push to everyone living in the here and now, is also perfect as stage BGM to brighten the opening of school and culture festivals!
AdventureYOASOBI
Set off on an adventure filled with extraordinary excitement and joy! This song overflows with a fresh smile and a sense of anticipation.
It portrays a special day spent with friends at an amusement park, etched into the heart as a happy memory.
Released in February 2023 as the theme song for USJ’s “Uni Haru!” campaign, the track captures, with YOASOBI’s uniquely vibrant sensibility, the image of young people breaking free from the constraints of daily life and reveling in new experiences.
It’s a perfect song for cultural and school festivals—those precious days that leave a lasting mark on many students’ hearts.
OrangeSPYAIR
A bittersweet yet powerful anthem that captures a fleeting moment of youth! Released in February 2024 as the theme song for the film “HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle,” this SPYAIR track was featured as the title song of the EP “Orange” and broke into the top 10 on streaming charts.
It paints scenes of sweet-and-sour youth and the emotions of parting with friends while holding onto hope for the future, all set to a fresh, energetic melody.
Gently reminding us of the importance of keeping our eyes forward and continuing to walk on, this piece is sure to resonate as an opening theme for cultural or school festivals.