From classic choral pieces to popular J-pop! Moving songs you’ll want to sing at graduation ceremonies
Graduation ceremonies are special events where we take flight from the schools we’ve spent our days in.
Many schools sing songs related to graduation during the ceremony.
Still, you might find yourself thinking, “What kind of songs should we sing?” and struggle to come up with ideas.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of recommended songs for choral performance, chosen from classic and popular graduation songs.
We’ll feature not only the standard pieces but also recommendations from J-pop that work well for choir—feel free to use them as a reference!
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- [For junior high students] Choral songs you’ll want to sing at your middle school graduation ceremony. Songs that touch the heart.
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- [Recommended for High School Students] New Graduation Songs & Classic Tearjerkers Collection
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- Choral Songs Sung at Elementary School Graduation Ceremonies: A Collection of Moving Song Ideas
- [2026] Graduate with a Smile! Recommended Uplifting Graduation Songs
- [Farewell] A selection of moving, tear-jerking Japanese songs recommended for graduation ceremonies
- Songs we want to sing at the graduation ceremony! A special feature on moving, heart-touching preschool graduation songs
- They’ll give your new beginning a boost! Enrollment songs released in the Heisei era
- [Moving] Heartfelt Japanese Songs Recommended for Graduation Season [2026]
From classic choral pieces to popular J-pop! Moving songs you’ll want to sing at graduation (111–120)
south wind
A junior high school graduation ceremony is a memory that lasts a lifetime.
As a choral piece fitting for such a milestone, we also recommend Hiroshi Tomioka’s “Minami Kaze” (South Wind).
Its lyrics, which empathize with the feelings of junior high students, and its melody that evokes hope for the future create an unforgettable moment for the graduates.
Resonating in their hearts and giving them courage, “Minami Kaze” is truly a perfect song for a graduation ceremony.
Drawing on Tomioka’s own experience as a teacher, this piece gently supports students as they take their first steps into adulthood, watching over them with warmth.
Light of Fireflies
This is a grand yet warm song often heard in various settings, such as at graduation ceremonies, year-end chorus performances, and as background music at closing time.
Based on the Scottish folk tune “Auld Lang Syne,” it has Japanese lyrics that reflect on the passage of time.
Because its message is strong, it lends itself to many approaches—singing with piano accompaniment, layering only voices, and more.
It’s a piece you may want to express with the feeling of carefully tracing the time and memories you’ve shared with your friends.
Go beyond
Kensuke Yugeda’s “Koe-te Yuke” (“Go Beyond”) is a perfect song for an important elementary school graduation, with its moving melody and lyrics.
Its powerful opening inspires the children, carrying a message that encourages them as they change and grow.
Though the rhythm is intricate, the arrangement is designed to be approachable for directors, allowing both students and teachers to unite and enjoy the chorus.
Among Mr.
Yugeda’s music beloved across Japan, “Koe-te Yuke” is especially fitting for a new beginning.
It’s just right for marking the milestone of graduation and will surely create a wonderful moment to grace a page of their youth.
Graduation song, friends’ song19
It’s also a cheer song that supports friends with the theme of graduation and parting.
Taking that first new step after graduation brings excitement, but also anxiety and the need for courage.
This song gives courage and a gentle push to those people.
If you listen to it at a graduation ceremony, many will likely feel encouraged.
storyAI
This is a message-driven ballad by AI released in 2005.
Her vocals are memorable, but when performed as a chorus it gains a different kind of power and is wonderful.
I recommend it for those who find it easier to start with pop songs and feel more motivated.
With ballads especially, I think the performance turns out better if you deepen your understanding of the lyrics before singing, so it’s nice to discuss the meaning together, like in a language arts class.
Enjoy singing so that it becomes a graduation ceremony that stays in everyone’s hearts.
graduationClariS
It’s a song by ClariS that portrays looking back on memories shared with someone important and praying that each person’s path ahead will shine.
The arrangement builds from an acoustic sound into a more powerful development, conveying how feelings of loneliness and deep affection grow stronger.
The duo’s signature beautiful harmonies also seem to express the strength of the bond depicted in the lyrics.
It’s a piece that resonates with a complex mix of emotions—loneliness and the joy of sending someone off on a new journey.
Let’s go together.GReeeeN
GReeeeN is very popular for choral pieces.
This is a song they created as a commercial track for AU’s “Santaro” series.
Its bright, upbeat feel is perfect for graduates who want to move on cheerfully without any gloom.
The opening section features an arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and the main part pairs GReeeeN’s strongly message-driven Japanese lyrics with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” a tune long beloved by baseball fans across the United States.