[2026] Uplifting Songs for Graduation: J-POP Graduation Songs and Anthems
After graduation, many of you may find yourselves living apart from the friends you’ve spent so much time with and the family who has supported you, as you move on to higher education or start working.
Perhaps excitement about taking your first steps toward your dream coexists in your heart with the anxiety of wondering if things will go well.
At times like these, when you might be feeling a little discouraged, you want to listen to uplifting songs that cheer you on, don’t you?
We’ve gathered songs filled with warm encouragement to give a gentle push to you, who are setting off at graduation, and to your dear friends.
Tune in to these tracks that will give you courage as you take your next step forward!
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Support songs to listen to at graduation [2026]. J-pop graduation songs and anthems (71–80)
sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua)SEKAI NO OWARI
A graduation ceremony can be considered the culmination of one’s school life.
“Sazanka” is a song filled with a message that resonates with everyone who has worked hard up to now.
Released by SEKAI NO OWARI in 2018, it was chosen as NHK’s theme song for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
Fukase’s gentle vocals and lyrics that honestly convey both the difficulty and importance of making an effort will softly encourage all of you who are graduating.
It’s a warm song that reminds you that results aren’t everything, and that the hard work you put into club activities and studies is connected to who you are today.
StaRtMrs. GREEN APPLE
An uplifting song from the student-friendly rock band Mrs.
GREEN APPLE.
This track, included on their album “Variety,” released in July 2015, gives a push to those embarking on a new chapter.
Its pop melody and powerful beat stir listeners’ hearts, offering the courage to face forward.
It was also featured in a Kao commercial, resonating with many people.
We’d love for everyone heading toward new challenges to listen to this song.
It will inspire the strength to overcome difficulties and the confidence to believe in yourself.
determinationSUPER BEAVER
Let me introduce “Kesshin” by SUPER BEAVER, a song perfect for the season of departures.
Featured in Morinaga’s “in Jelly Energy” commercial, it left a strong impression on many.
In that graduation moment where anxiety and anticipation intersect, its encouraging message and Ryuta Shibuya’s powerful vocals truly uplift listeners.
As you head toward new challenges about to begin, this song will give you the courage to take that first step with confidence.
Its vibrant rock sound cheers you on as you step into a new world.
rainbow-coloredayaka
Ayaka is a singer-songwriter who has gained popularity for her soulful vocals born from a genre-blending musical background.
Her 13th single “Nijiiro,” written as the theme song for the NHK morning drama Hanako to Anne, is a memorable number featuring a relaxed shuffle beat and a catchy pop melody.
The lyrics, which make a graduation ceremony—filled with both smiles and tears—feel like a microcosm of life, inspire great hope as you stand at a new starting line.
With its gentle melody that lightens the heart, it’s a song that lets you face graduation with a positive outlook.
At dawn again today, with cherry blossoms dancingCHiCO with HoneyWorks
From the intro, “Kyou mo Sakura Mau Akatsuki ni” evokes the unique emotional sway of graduation season, where the loneliness of parting mingles with the hope of a new departure.
It’s a work by the collaboration unit CHiCO with HoneyWorks, featuring CHiCO—who won the grand prix in a nationwide audition focused on Vocaloid and anime songs—and the creator team HoneyWorks.
Set to an up-tempo melody, it sings that graduation is by no means a farewell, but rather the starting point for the future ahead.
It’s a graduation song that makes you feel positive as you listen.
C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.ONE OK ROCK
This song, said to be written for friends who are moving forward on the paths they chose, is very popular as a graduation song.
The title “C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.” is reportedly made from the initials of vocalist Taka’s friends.
As you read the lyrics—nostalgic for the time spent together yet determined to keep walking toward your dreams and spur each other on—you can’t help but think, “I’ve got to give it my all too!” It’s a perfect motivational song to listen to at the start of a new chapter.
Sakura (2019)Moriyama Naotaro
Cherry blossoms are the perfect seasonal flowers for graduation season.
When we see them, they seem to speak directly to our emotions as Japanese people—sometimes lifting our spirits, other times filling us with a gentle sense of wistfulness.
Moriyama Naotaro’s song “Sakura” overlays the hearts of graduating students setting out on their journeys with the image of these magnificent blossoms in full bloom.
It’s a song of blessing for those who are graduating and setting their sights on new aspirations.
Savor each weighty word, hold your head high, and walk proudly into the life that lies ahead!