[2026] A Collection of Graduation Songs Recommended for Gen Z [A Page of Youth]

HarukaYOASOBI

YOASOBI 'Haruka' Official Music Video

This is a heartwarming collaboration between YOASOBI and broadcast writer Osamu Suzuki.

Based on the original novel “Tsuki Ōji” (Prince of the Moon), the story unfolds from the unique perspective of a mug that watches over its owner’s life.

The pure joy of having met and the warm love wishing for happiness are sure to make your heart flutter.

Released in December 2020, the song became a hot topic when it surpassed 100 million streams in June of the following year.

It is also included on the album THE BOOK and is familiar as the CM song for Takara Tomy’s “Punirunz.” If you’re facing graduation and feeling the sadness of parting from someone important, listening to this piece will help you once again appreciate the wonderful time you shared and the miracle of having met.

MemoriesNakanoke no Itsutsugo

Memories

If you’re looking for an anime song to stay by your side in that heart-swelling moment on graduation day, I recommend this one.

Featured on the EP “Quintessential Smiles EP,” released in September 2024 as a theme song for The Quintessential Quintuplets*, it’s sung by the five Nakano sisters.

Their layered harmonies are packed with the bonds forged by friends who have shared the same time together.

This song doesn’t just dwell on nostalgia—it warmly affirms that the days you’ve accumulated have shaped who you are now.

After-school laughter with friends, the challenges you overcame together, each casual conversation—while holding those treasure-like memories close, you’ll find the courage to take a new step forward.

For everyone standing at the milestone of graduation, give it a listen when you want to savor the preciousness of the time spent with your companions.

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

This song features a warm melodic line that gently envelops the confusion and anxieties of youth.

It sings about the courage to live without losing your true self and the importance of connections with others.

In December 2024, Mrs.

GREEN APPLE performed this piece as the theme song for “18-sai-sai,” an event dedicated to 18-year-olds, delivering a passionate performance together with a thousand members of the 18-year-old generation.

It’s a perfect track for those searching for their own identity or about to take a new step forward.

With the arrival of spring, it will gently give you a supportive push.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE is a three-piece rock band whose colorful body of work, reflecting a wide range of backgrounds, has been drawing attention from a broad spectrum of listeners.

Selected as the opening theme for the anime “Oblivion Battery,” this song delicately portrays the feelings of waiting to reunite with one’s past self or a cherished person, as well as the anxieties and inner conflicts we experience in life.

Its exhilarating guitar-rock sound and clear, translucent vocals inspire the courage to move forward into the future.

Having won the Grand Prize at the 66th Japan Record Awards and surpassed 300 million streams, this remarkable track is sure to become a powerful anthem for teenagers taking their first steps into a new chapter with the arrival of spring.

On the day of departure…Kawashima Ai

Ai Kawashima / On the Day of Departure (Lyrics)

A transparent piano ballad that even brings back the air of the graduation-ceremony gymnasium.

The loneliness of parting, the promise to meet again, and the resolve to move into the future come through straight, spreading a gentle sense of nostalgia and reluctance to say goodbye.

As it builds toward the chorus, your feelings loosen, and the scenes with friends play in your mind like a movie—that’s part of its charm.

Released in February 2006 as Ai Kawashima’s eighth double A-side single, the song is also known as a source that connects to I WiSH’s “Asu e no Tobira” (“A Door to Tomorrow”).

It’s included on the album “Thank You!” and drew attention as the CM song for MUSIC.JP and the theme song for the film “The Beginning of a Journey.” Recommended for the day your class sings together or the night before graduation when you want to express gratitude to friends—this track gives you a positive push forward.

Last SongOfisharu Higedan Dism

Last Song

This work, which reflects on the poignancy of parting and the transience of time, is a gem of a ballad included on the album Traveler.

Using the end of a stage performance as a metaphor, the lyrics symbolize the inescapable moment of farewell and highlight the comforting power of the words “See you again.” The vivid depictions of summer nights evoke a nostalgic longing for days gone by.

Released in October 2019 as part of the album, the song was also featured as an insert track in Fuji TV’s special drama ‘I Can Only See You Three More Times.’ Conveying the beauty born within limited time, this piece can make moments of graduation or parting shine even brighter when you listen to it during those seasons.

1000 daysnozomi

Noashi (noa) – 1000 Days [Official Music Video]

This is a heartrending song that portrays the brilliance and fragility of youth.

Released in April 2025, it was written specifically for the new web commercial “Seishun Bonus Time” for the vitamin carbonated drink MATCH.

The lyrics, which frame high school life as roughly 1,000 days, carry both a bittersweet nostalgia for those short yet intense three years and a cheer for the future.

While it’s a power song that rides a passionate melody over a high-velocity guitar rock sound, its delicate depictions—like scribbling and erasing the name of a crush in the corner of a notebook or the secrets one has guarded—are deeply moving.

Fully self-produced by Noshi, who handled all lyrics, composition, arrangement, vocals, and artwork, this track resonates with anyone who spent time in high school or wants to cherish their memories of youth.