[Touching] Entrance/Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies: Classics & the Latest BGM

KanadeSukima Suichi

Sukima Switch – “Kanade” Music Video : SUKIMASWITCH / KANADE Music Video

A Skimama Switch song that beautifully portrays farewell, reunion, and growth set to a moving melody! It begins with a parting scene at the ticket gate and carefully weaves a relationship that changes over time.

You’ll surely relate to the story of two people who remain connected forever through music.

Released in March 2004, this track was also used as an insert song in the film “Rough.” It’s a song you’ll want to hear at graduations and life’s milestones—one that gently wraps your anxiety before stepping into a new environment.

Be sure to savor this heartwarming piece!

Farewell SongFrederic Chopin

Chopin – Farewell Etude

Among the many solo piano works by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, this piece stands out as a masterpiece whose exquisitely beautiful melody shines with timeless brilliance.

Its richly expressive, sweet main theme is said to have prompted Chopin himself to remark, “I will never find such a beautiful melody again.” Known by the nickname “Farewell Song,” it is often played or played back at graduation ceremonies as a send-off piece.

Interestingly, this nickname is not a direct translation of the official title; it spread after serving as the main theme in the 1934 German film “Abschiedswalzer” (released in Japan as “Farewell Song”).

The actual title is Étude Op.

10, No.

3, and abroad it is affectionately called “Tristesse,” meaning sadness or melancholy—an intriguing difference in interpretation.

In any case, when you perform it at a graduation ceremony, be sure to pour your feelings into it, including the dramatic development in the middle section!

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Song of a FriendBUMP OF CHICKEN

BUMP OF CHICKEN “Friend’s Song”

The song I want to listen to while reflecting on a friend I’m parting ways with is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Tomodachi no Uta” (“Song of Friends”).

The lyrics, written by Motoo Fujiwara as he thought of characters from works he loved since childhood, convey a clumsy yet warm sense of friendship, and the grand sound incorporating trumpet is sure to resonate deeply with men as well.

Released in February 2011 as their 19th single, this track moved many as the theme song for the film “Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops—Angel Wings.” It’s a song that wraps up the anxieties of a new departure and gently nudges you forward.

Even if you end up walking separate paths, it makes you believe the time you shared won’t disappear—a masterpiece filled with kindness.

CanonJohann Pachelbel

Pachelbel Canon

Famous classical music often blends into our daily lives without us even noticing, and Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D, by the German composer and organist, is one of the most popular pieces of all.

The harmonic progression at the core of this work—often referred to as the “canon chord progression”—is widely used in pop music and is instantly recognizable by ear.

The well-known “Canon” is actually the first half of the entire composition; as a musical form, it’s paired with a Gigue, making a set, and the precise title is “Canon and Gigue in D major for three violins and basso continuo.” It’s mysterious that, despite its fame, so little is known about the circumstances of its composition.

With a melody so beautiful and gentle it could move one to tears just by listening, the Canon is a staple at graduation ceremonies, and using it for diploma presentations or as a recessional will surely heighten the sense of occasion.

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Spring from “The Four Seasons”Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi - Spring from The Four Seasons - High Quality - FULL

Is there anyone who doesn’t know this piece or hasn’t heard it? It’s “Spring” from The Four Seasons, a violin concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, one of the leading composers of the late Baroque, born in Venice.

The Four Seasons consists of four works, each containing three movements.

The first of the four is the one introduced here, “Spring.” Its bright and lively melodies—evoking birdsong, murmuring streams, and spring storms—perfectly capture the arrival of spring and make it an ideal processional for graduation ceremonies.

They enhance the celebratory atmosphere of new beginnings.

As an aside, The Four Seasons is the collective title for Concertos Nos.

1–4 from The Contest Between Harmony and Invention, a set of twelve concertos.

Among them, “Spring” is by far the most widely known and famous.

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If you laugh at the skywacci

wacci “If You Laugh at the Sky” Music Video

Let me introduce a motivational song packed with a powerful message: when you feel like crying, look up at the sky and smile.

This track by the five-member band wacci was released digitally in July 2018 and was later included on their album “Gunjo Refrain,” released in November of the same year.

While hard work doesn’t always lead directly to results, the warm perspective that the days you’ve built up are never wasted gently encourages listeners.

Starting in August 2019, it was also selected as the support song for the “Japan Tsunagaru Project” segment on the TV program Mezamashi TV, moving many people alongside the images of those doing their best.

It’s a perfect recommendation for graduation season—an uplifting song that stands by students retiring from club activities and anyone setting out on a new path.

Run Through the MemoriesMy Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – Dash Through the Memories

A ballad by My Hair is Bad filled with a warm message of gratitude to friends who shared irreplaceable time together, and of turning even painful experiences into strength for the future.

The sincere words penned by vocalist Tomohito Shiiki affirm the days that have passed in their entirety and give you the courage to take a new step forward.

Released in June 2024, the song also drew attention for being written as the theme for the film Crayon Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary.

It’s an important track that closes out the album ghosts, featuring a grand band sound worthy of a story’s end credits.

It’s a song that gently supports graduates as they etch their memories into their hearts and move on toward tomorrow—why not listen to it together with your cherished friends?