[Great Lyrics!!] Recommended Tear-Jerking Graduation Songs with Heartfelt, Moving Words [2026]

companion; comrade; friend; fellow; teammate; allyKetsumeishi

Ketsumeishi “Nakama” Music Video — Drama Version (1/5)

It’s a song by Ketsumeishi that expresses memories built up with friends and the strong bonds between them.

It shows that being friends isn’t just about having fun; it’s about strengthening your connection by overcoming hardships together.

It realistically portrays friends who aren’t always by your side, who sometimes clash, yet are there to help when you’re in trouble—and it clearly conveys the trust they share.

Even if graduation separates you, the song makes you feel that true friendship will continue as long as the bond remains strong.

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kappamaki

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Thank youSUPER BEAVER

SUPER BEAVER “Arigatou” MV (Band ver.)

This song says “thank you” to everything.

“Thank you” is truly a wonderful phrase, but it’s so straightforward that it can feel embarrassing to say.

This song makes you feel that you should properly convey those feelings to the people you want to, while you’re still alive.

At the milestone of graduation, why not try expressing your gratitude to your friends, juniors, teachers, and parents?

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utatane

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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.

horsetailnishina

Nishina – Tsukushi [Official Video]

Released in February 2025, this work was newly written as the theme song for NHK’s Saturday drama “The Path Where Lilacs Bloom.” Its melody, which evokes the resilient power of life that endures beneath the snow and eventually sprouts, makes it a perfect number for the season of departures.

The worldview of waiting for spring after a harsh winter will gently support those feeling anxious before graduation.

It’s also recommended for times when you want to look back on memories with someone special.

I feel like taking the long way home.Nogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 'I Want to Take a Detour on the Way Home'

This song captivates with its poignant lyrics and hope-filled melody.

It skillfully conveys the feeling of wanting to take the long way home at dusk, intertwining anxiety and anticipation about change.

Released in November 2018 as Nogizaka46’s 22nd single, it debuted at No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It was also performed at the 69th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, resonating with many people.

It’s especially recommended for times of graduation, parting, or taking a new step forward.

Embracing both lingering attachment to the past and hope for the future, this track gently encourages anyone standing at a turning point in life.

To the days without a nameyama

yama “To the Nameless Days” MV

This is a newly written song for episode 2 of Seven-Eleven’s original anime and yama’s first graduation song.

True to yama’s style, known for many stylish, sophisticated tracks like “Haru wo Tsugeru” and “Curtain Call,” this piece also features a modern sound and the allure of yama’s sultry vocals.

With lyrics that look back on the frenzied, all-out days of youth, it’s a song that’s sure to move you when you listen to it at graduation.

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Hane Keisuke

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Sakuraayaka

Ayaka / “Sakura” (from the LIVE DVD & Blu-ray “Acoustic Live Tour 2017–2018 ~3-STAR RAW~”)

This song, which opens with a beautiful piano accompaniment, is a graduation anthem created by Ayaka.

Its lyrics speak of the hardships faced during school and the gratitude toward friends who were always there, likely moving many graduates to tears.

In the latter half, it depicts the singer becoming a parent and seeing their own child off at graduation, expressing both the joy and the bittersweet sadness of a child growing up.

If you’re looking for a song that resonates not only with graduates but also deeply with their parents, this is the one.

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Hane Keisuke

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