From classic choral pieces to popular J-pop! Moving songs you’ll want to sing at graduation ceremonies

Sakura Clear SkiesYuuri

To You Graduating This Year [Sakura Clear Skies] [First Performance of New Song]

Yuri, whose songs Dry Flower and Kakurenbo were huge hits and especially popular among younger generations.

This song, Sakura-bare, is a graduation-themed track released digitally in 2021.

As a moving graduation song that will likely continue to be sung for years to come, it’s delivered from the perspective of the graduate, expressing gratitude to their father and mother.

Wouldn’t it be a perfect piece for a graduation ceremony chorus as well? It’s such a touching song that even the parents attending the ceremony will surely be moved to tears.

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utatane

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The Last ChimeComposition: Wakamatsu Kan ・ Lyrics: Emiko Yamamoto

Last Chime (with Lyrics)

This song is also a hugely popular classic as a choral piece for graduation ceremonies! Just the title, “The Last Chime,” brings back memories and makes you feel the sadness of leaving school and parting from friends, to the point where you might be moved to tears.

In the lyrics, too, it depicts events and memories from school life and nostalgic scenes, making it sure to move listeners.

It’s a song that, as you sing it, will suddenly make the reality of graduation sink in all at once.

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presentSEKAI NO OWARI

[Chorus Song] SEKAI NO OWARI - Present

SEKAI NO OWARI’s ninth major double A-side single, “SOS / Present,” was released in 2015 as the assigned piece for the junior high school division of the 82nd NHK National School Music Competition.

With the hope that “the song would carry the atmosphere of our junior high school days,” it was recorded at a decommissioned junior high school.

The straightforward lyrics—easy enough for elementary school students to understand—carry the message “You are not alone,” making it a song you’ll want to sing with your hearts united.

Futabaaimyon

Aimyon – Futaba [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

This is a song whose lyrics, inspired by plants budding toward the future, resonate with a mix of bittersweetness and hope that accompanies growth.

Its message—marveling at how our hearts and bodies grow before we even notice, and affirming our parting with our past selves—makes it a perfect fit for the milestone of graduation.

Written by Aimyon in March 2022 as the theme song for NHK’s “Aimyon 18 Festival” and included on her album “Falling Into My Eyes Record,” the piece carries the story of being created together with 1,000 18-year-olds.

It’s sure to give you the courage to leap into the unknown.

Why not choose it as a song to dedicate to children graduating from elementary school and moving on to new environments, or as background music for a send-off?

Song of LifeSakushi: Miyabi / Sakkyoku: Muramatsu Takatsugu

Song of Life (Lyrics by Miyabi / Music by Takatoki Muramatsu / Choral arrangement by Tatsuya Tanaka)

A heartwarming ballad themed around gratitude for being alive and the preciousness of life.

Miyabi—Mariya Takeuchi—penned gentle, conversational lyrics that touch our hearts, reminding us how precious those ordinary moments spent with family and friends truly are.

Released as a single by Mana Kana in February 2009, the song was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu and became beloved as an insert song in the NHK morning drama “Dandan.” In January 2012, Takeuchi recorded a self-cover, which was also used as the theme song for the NHK docudrama “Pioneers.” Its message, carried by a beautiful melody, is perfect for graduation ceremonies to express gratitude to parents and teachers who raised us.

Through choral singing, it becomes a moving piece that helps children feel the value of their own lives.

Thank youikimonogakari

Thank You / Ikimono-gakari

Some graduates may prefer to sing a J-pop song rather than a traditional choral piece.

Ikimono-gakari’s “Arigatou” might be the perfect choral song for those graduates.

Released in 2010 as Ikimono-gakari’s 18th single, it was produced as the theme song for the NHK morning drama series Gegege no Nyōbō.

It’s a song widely known across generations and often heard on TV.

Let’s sing it as a choral piece to mark the start of graduation—and to convey our feelings of “thank you.”

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Last SongOfisharu Higedan Dism

Last Song

There’s a song that begins with a gentle, soothing piano tone, capturing the flood of feelings that come at the moment of parting.

It’s not just about loneliness; it’s filled with gratitude for the time spent together and a hopeful “let’s meet again,” which resonates with those about to graduate.

This moving ballad is a track included on Official HIGE DANDism’s album “Traveler,” released in October 2019.

It was also used as a drama insert song, adding depth to the story.

Satoshi Fujihara’s heartfelt vocals have the power to speak the words we can’t express.

Listen to it during your final moments with friends, and it will surely color an unforgettable page in your memories.