[Touching] Entrance/Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies: Classics & the Latest BGM
A graduation ceremony marks the culmination of school life and the start of a new chapter.
It’s a milestone event filled with the sadness of parting and the excitement of a new life.
To make the ceremony even more moving, music is essential.
Entrance and exit songs are important, of course, and so are the farewell songs played by the underclassmen.
In this article, we’ve gathered popular graduation songs that are perfect for entrances, exits, and farewells.
Put care into your song selection so you can create a performance that will become a lifelong memory.
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[Touching] Entrance/Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies – Classic & Latest BGM (71–80)
Sakura Clear SkiesYuuri
Before becoming a solo singer, Yuuri reportedly performed as the vocalist of a rock band called THE BUGZY.
Although the band disbanded in 2019, it’s a bit hard to imagine a rock background when you hear Yuuri’s gentle voice today.
Here is his heartwarming spring song, “Sakura-bare.” With lyrics that convey, “I want to thank my mother who always watched over me kindly, and my father who, though strict, raised me by example,” it’s perfectly suited for a high school graduation—a threshold into adulthood.
It’s a tear-jerking piece that offers gratitude to teachers, mentors, and parents.
Letter ~Dear You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki
A coming-of-age anthem based on a letter singer-songwriter Angela Aki wrote to herself as a teenager.
It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 2008 and was also chosen as a set piece for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.
While embracing student-specific worries and a sense of impatience, its message of looking forward and moving ahead resonates passionately, carried by powerful piano.
It is sure to touch not only graduating students, but also teachers, parents, and younger classmates, leaving a profound impression.
Sakura (2019)Moriyama Naotaro
When you think of graduation ceremonies, you can’t help but picture cherry blossoms.
It’s a moving day, watching the graduates set off amid the full bloom of sakura, looking so dignified.
There are many “sakura songs,” but Naotaro Moriyama’s “Sakura” really stands out.
Its fleeting beauty—blossoming and then falling—perfectly matches the spirit of a graduation ceremony.
[Moving] Entrance and Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies — Classic & Latest BGM (81–90)
The Door to TomorrowKawashima Ai
Released in 2003 as the debut single of I WiSH, with Ai Kawashima as the vocalist.
It also became well known as the theme song for Fuji TV’s “Ainori.” In 2019, she self-covered it under her solo name, and the timeless classic has gained support from a new generation.
The lyrics, capturing sparkling, dazzling days, and Kawashima’s mellow, transparent voice fill listeners with warmth.
It’s a song that gently gives you a push, wishing you good fortune as you take a step toward a new tomorrow.
On the day of departure…Kawashima Ai
A straight-up graduation song with lyrics that make each memory slowly pass through your mind—so real it almost feels unfair.
It really tugs at your heart.
It’s also popular as a choral piece, so if you sing it in chorus to send off the graduating seniors, I think it will make for a truly wonderful day.
People and PeopleYugeda Kensuke
This is a warm piece that sings about the importance of encounters through music.
The fresh melodies woven by Kensuke Yugedate carry a gentle calm while conveying a moving message.
In clear, resonant words, it speaks of the joy born from human connections and the inevitable meaning hidden within chance meetings.
Delivered by the pure voices of the Toin Gakuen Elementary School Choir, the work is also slated to appear in elementary school music textbooks starting in 2024.
Its kind, uplifting message is perfect for children who are about to meet new people in a new environment.
As they take their next step in school life, this wonderful song will give them courage and hope—please give it a listen.
Until we meet againHirai Dai
The song that makes the entrance and exit scenes gentle and moving is Dai Hirai’s “Mata Au Hi Made” (“Until the Day We Meet Again”).
It’s included on his 2015 album Slow & Easy.
Even when you think you’re okay, looking back on your memories can make you cry or leave your chest aching with loneliness, right? This song portrays the resolve to turn those tears and that loneliness into strength, and to keep doing your best until the day you reunite.
Dai Hirai’s warm, embracing vocals envelop the entire graduation venue and create a tender moment.
