[2026] Uplifting Songs for Graduation: J-POP Graduation Songs and Anthems

DepartureFUNKY MONKEY BABYS

FUNKY MONKEY BABYS “Departure”

FUNKY MONKEY BABYS is a music group that rose to popularity with catchy melodies and memorable rap, and made headlines when they resumed activities as a duo in 2021.

Their 7th single, Tabidachi, used as the theme song for the film ‘The 700 Days’ War: Us and the Police Officer,’ is an exhilarating track that blends hip-hop beats with delicate acoustic guitar sounds.

The lyrics strike a chord, as if telling us that the efforts and anxieties we built up in our youth will fuel a new future.

It’s a positive, upbeat tune that gives you a powerful push on graduation day.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Walking Days SongTHE BOYS&GIRLS

THE BOYS & GIRLS “Walking Days Song” MUSIC VIDEO

It’s a song you feel like singing when you’re worn out by days that just don’t go well.

When you think back to the times you messed around doing silly things with friends, you can’t help but smile a little, and it gives you a boost, right? It’s the kind of song that lightens your heart and makes you think, “I’ll try taking it a bit easier from tomorrow.” The band is from Hokkaido and is known for many songs that sing about straightforward feelings.

VoiceAndrop

androp “Voice” (from the 3rd single “Voice”) Theme song for the drama “Woman”

androp’s signature song “Voice,” popular for its refreshing melody and vocals, was released in August 2013 and was also used as the theme song for the drama “Woman.” It conveys a message that even if you’re different from those around you, you should believe in your own voice and keep moving forward.

The lyrics gently encourage you to walk without feeling pressured, telling you it’s okay to decide both your beginnings and endings for yourself.

fly siteKokoro Ōkushon

Cocoro Auction “Fly Sight” MV

This song sings about the hope of charging straight ahead toward the path you want to take.

Unlike in our school days, from now on we can choose the direction we want to go by our own will.

It’s a sparkling song that likens the act of keeping on running toward a dream to that of a pilot.

TOMORROWMayo Okamoto

Mayo Okamoto “TOMORROW” — from the DVD released on March 2: ‘Mayo Okamoto 20th Anniversary Tour ~Your Only Story Is Here~’

A timeless anthem of encouragement loved across generations, “TOMORROW” is a classic.

Singer-songwriter Mayo Okamoto released it in 1995, and it remains one of her most well-known signature songs.

Early that same year, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck, leaving many people in grief and without direction.

By coincidence, this song released in the same year resonated with those people, offering comfort and encouragement.

It’s a song that instills the strong feeling that you can overcome anything.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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Go for it!!!Takehara Pisutoru

Takahara Pistol 'Fight!'

In a word: austere.

It’s not a song aimed at teenagers graduating, but it breathes new life into Miyuki Nakajima’s original.

It feels like it’s telling me, “Take responsibility for your own life.” This song has an overwhelming power that shakes the listener’s heart.

It gives courage and hope, and summons the strength to face life’s hardships—truly an anthem of encouragement that today’s world needs!

Friends for lifeAoyama Teruma

Thelma Aoyama – Lifelong Comrades (from the album “10TH DIARY”) [MV]

This is a song sung to a best friend.

Friends are those precious people who are always by your side, through good times and bad.

Love may be fleeting, but sometimes it feels like friendship lasts a lifetime.

This song beautifully captures those feelings.