[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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[Moving] Entrance and Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies — Classic & Latest BGM (81–90)
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.
Graduation PhotoMatsutōya Yumi
Countless times, in dramas and TV shows, it’s the go-to background music that heightens emotional scenes—the ultimate “when in doubt, pray to the gods” track: Yuming, aka Yumi Matsutoya’s ‘Sotsugyo Shashin’ (Graduation Photo), right? The fact that this song was released in 1975 makes its longevity all the more astonishing.
A gentle, somewhat short ballad can move people’s hearts this deeply… Yuming really is the goddess of music, isn’t she? It’s the quintessential graduation song that’s sure to move teachers and parents in attendance to tears.
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.
Don’t bloom.WHITE JAM
If you were to color the tearful farewells of graduation and the hope of new beginnings with music, WHITE JAM’s “Sakanaide” would be indispensable.
This song, which emotionally recalls scenes from school life, is a gem where a bittersweet melody intersects with an uplifting beat.
Like its music video, it will etch warm memories into the listener’s heart.
As the cherry blossoms bloom, farewells arrive—yet even while evoking that moment of graduation, it carries a message that lets you start walking forward, dreaming of the day you’ll meet again.
If this song plays at the ceremony, it will surely make the moment unforgettable.
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.
