[Farewell] A selection of moving, tear-jerking Japanese songs recommended for graduation ceremonies

Shining, I run forward.Sambomasutā

Sambomaster / Starting to Shine and Run - MUSIC VIDEO

It’s Sambomaster who gives you the courage to believe in yourself and charge forward, especially when you feel like giving up.

Their 2018 single “Kagayakidashite Hashitteku,” released as the theme song for the drama Cheer✩Dan, is a heartfelt anthem packed with earnest passion.

Its affirmative lyrics—urging you to make your own flower bloom no matter how tough things get—give a powerful push to children standing at the major milestone of graduation from their team.

Also included on the album Love & Peace! Masterpiece!, this song’s emotional band sound is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

With memories of days sweating and striving alongside friends in your heart, you’ll feel the energy to leap into a new world.

Play it at the climax of the graduation ceremony, and the whole venue will be wrapped in warm emotion.

HIGH FIVETakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi "HIGH FIVE" Lyric Video

Takahashi Yu’s cheer song brings back the heat of the moment when you exchanged high-fives with your teammates.

It doesn’t just celebrate victory; it warmly affirms everything—including the grueling practices and days of inner struggle that led up to it.

Released in February 2022, this piece was written as the theme song for the NHK BS1 Special “Glory of the Samurai: Eight Months to Japan’s Baseball Gold.” It’s a renowned track also featured on the album ReLOVE & RePEACE.

Though the song was crafted to accompany Samurai Japan’s journey, its message is sure to resonate with all children devoted to their club activities.

It’s perfect for playing at a graduation ceremony, when teammates link arms and honor each other’s efforts to date.

It will give a powerful push to those heading toward their next stage.

Spring Dayaimyon

Aimyon – Harunohi [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

This song turns the days spent with irreplaceable friends and family into hope for the future.

Released by Aimyon in April 2019, it was created as the theme song for the film “Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~.” Deeply aligned with the story’s worldview and written from Hiroshi’s perspective, its message overflowing with family love strongly resonates with children at the milestone of graduating from their team.

Also included on the album “Heard There’s Delicious Pasta,” this classic is filled with gratitude for the past and wishes for happiness ahead.

Play it at a graduation ceremony as you send off teammates embarking on a new path, and the whole venue will surely be enveloped in warm emotion and tears.

If you laugh at the skywacci

wacci “If You Laugh at the Sky” Music Video

Wacci, a five-member band, is there to stand by hearts carrying the frustration that effort doesn’t always lead to results.

Featured on their November 2018 album “Gunjou Refrain,” this song is a cheer anthem that tells us the days we’ve built won’t disappear, even if our dreams don’t come true.

In 2019, it was chosen as a support song for a segment on the TV show “Mezamashi TV,” and it also resonated widely on social media, where it was used in slideshow videos of high school baseball players.

Its message—overcome frustration, lift your head, and smile—is perfect for the milestone of a graduation ceremony.

Listen to this track, which validates the sweat and tears spent with your teammates, and step proudly onto the next stage.

C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.ONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK 「C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.」

ONE OK ROCK is a band active on a global scale.

This song, included on their classic 2011 October release Zankyo Reference, was chosen as the ending theme for the TV program “To the Top of the World: Fumita Kuriki’s New Challenge.” The lyrics depict a steadfast bond with friends and a determined resolve to press on toward one’s dreams, mirroring the graduating members who are about to head down separate paths.

No matter how much the environment changes, the places that matter don’t—this passionate message, delivered through Taka’s powerful vocals, resonates deeply.

It’s a moving number that engraves the days spent together as “treasures” in your heart and gives you the courage to take a new first step.

sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua)SEKAI NO OWARI

Sakanaction “Sazanka”

SEKAI NO OWARI’s “Sazanka” is a song that can cheer on children as they set out once again toward their dreams.

Released in 2018, it was chosen as NHK’s theme song for coverage of the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics that year.

Its lyrics convey the message that no matter how many times you’ve cried from hardship but still faced forward, as long as you don’t give up, you can get back up again no matter how many times you fall.

It’s a heartfelt cheer that can be delivered precisely because we’ve watched children striving so closely—carried to them through this song!

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Something CertainOda Kazumasa

Something Certain

Kazumasa Oda, a singer-songwriter whose clear, transparent voice has remained unchanged since his Off Course days, continues to be loved across generations.

This work is a superb ballad, featuring a gentle, piano-centered sound and lyrics that ask universal questions about love, resonating deeply in the heart.

Released as a single in May 2005, it has long been cherished as the corporate commercial song for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.

Many people have likely felt their hearts stirred by the moving visuals that played alongside publicly submitted photographs.

Its warm message, wishing happiness for someone important, makes it perfect for a farewell party sending off friends embarking on a new path.