[For Graduates] Graduation Songs and Cheer Anthems to Convey Gratitude and Support

paprikaYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Paprika

With its warm melody and hope-filled lyrics, this piece gently gives graduates a supportive push forward.

Released by Kenshi Yonezu in August 2020, it also drew attention as NHK’s support song for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Centered on a dialogue between one’s pure childhood self and one’s grown-up self, it’s a song that gives you the courage to face forward even in difficult times.

It’s a track we want to send not only to graduates taking a new step, but also to those seeing them off.

A heartwarming anthem that teaches the importance of finding small joys in everyday life.

Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI

EXILE ATSUSHI / “Cherry Blossom Season” MV

When the cherry blossoms bloom, I can’t help feeling sentimental.

“Sakura no Kisetsu,” sung by ATSUSHI, is a ballad perfect for graduation season that gives voice to a bittersweet mood.

It was featured on NHK’s Minna no Uta in 2014 and released as a single the following year, in 2015.

The time spent with friends during school life, the teachers who scolded us, and those faint first loves are sure to touch many hearts.

Why not send a message to graduates, wishing them well even if you’ll be far apart?

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mutō

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pupilŌhara Sakurako

Sakurako Ohara “Hitomi” (Music Video Full ver.)

This is a song released in 2015 that was chosen as the cheering anthem for the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.

Since it’s a support song for a high school competition, the youthfully spirited lyrics are incredibly appealing, and it’s also perfect as a song to send off graduates during the graduation season! In particular, it’s a song you’ll want to dedicate to senior club members with whom you worked hard and honed your skills together toward your dreams.

In the lyrics, it looks back on the efforts and memories up to now and sends encouragement for the road ahead—messages that are sure to empower graduates! It’s a message song that conveys not only encouragement, but also gratitude and respect.

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Hane Keisuke

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cherry blossomMoriyama Naotaro

Sakura

This song, a massive hit in 2003, is a masterpiece that depicts parting and reunion through the beauty and transience of cherry blossoms.

Naotaro Moriyama’s clear vocals and the simple, piano-centered arrangement resonate deeply with listeners.

The lyrics, which liken cherry blossoms scattering at the very moment they are in full bloom to the turning points of life, evoke both the poignancy of a departure and a forward-looking hope.

Chosen as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS program “Sekai Ururun Taizai-ki,” it sold over one million copies.

In 2019, it was revived with a new arrangement as the theme song for the drama “同期のサクラ” (Synchrony’s Sakura), and it continues to be loved across generations.

Sung at a graduation ceremony—one of life’s important milestones—it will etch memories with friends and a resolve for the future even more deeply.

rainbowMoriyama Naotaro

Niji (Naotaro Moriyama)

This is a choral piece written specifically as the set work for the Junior High School Division of the 2006 NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

Naotaro Moriyama and Omodaka Takashi handled the lyrics and composition, creating it with the intent of delivering it to junior high school students across the country.

The lyrics, which symbolically depict a fleeting scene after the rain, view parting not only as a loss but also as something paired with encounters and new beginnings.

The warm, folk-based melody is designed so that singers can savor the words and align their breathing, and it’s also appealing in how, when performed as a chorus, each part can support the others to easily create a resonant sound.

The piece was included in the first-press limited edition of the album “Kazamachi Kousaten,” released in November 2006, and a newly recorded version was later featured on the 15th-anniversary best-of collection “Daikessakusent” in 2016.

It’s a perfect song for junior high school students standing at the milestone of graduation, singing as they reflect on their days so far and take a step toward the future.

Song of LifeSakushi: Miyabi / Sakkyoku: Muramatsu Takatsugu

Song of Life (Lyrics by Miyabi / Music by Takatoki Muramatsu / Choral arrangement by Tatsuya Tanaka)

A heartwarming ballad themed around gratitude for being alive and the preciousness of life.

Miyabi, also known as Mariya Takeuchi, penned gently spoken words that touch the heart, reminding us how precious the ordinary moments spent with family and friends truly are.

Released as a single by Mana Kana in February 2009, the song was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu and became beloved as an insert song in the NHK morning drama series “Dandan.” In January 2012, Takeuchi released a self-cover, which was also used as the theme song for the NHK docudrama “Pioneers.” Its message, carried by a beautiful melody, is perfect for graduation ceremonies to express gratitude to parents and teachers who raised you.

Through choral singing, it’s a moving piece that helps children feel the weight and value of their own lives.

spring songamasaki annainin

Amesaki Annainin “Haru no Uta” (Spring Song) [Official Music Video]

This work by Ame-saki Annainin, which evokes the arrival of spring, is filled with gratitude and cheers for those graduating.

Set in the season of swirling cherry blossoms, its warm melody gently encourages people as they take their first steps toward their dreams.

Released in February 2023, the song was the band’s first single after restarting their activities.

The music video, filmed in a wooden school building, is beautifully crafted to evoke both nostalgia and fresh hope.

It’s perfect not only as BGM for graduation ceremonies and farewell parties, but also as a song to give you a gentle push before diving into a new environment.