Memories Come Flooding Back: Tearjerker Graduation Songs. Moving, Tear-Inducing Ballads [2026]

Letter ~Dear fifteen-year-old you~Anjura Aki

Angela Aki “Letter: To You, Fifteen” Music Video (HD)

This song, “Letter: Dear You at Fifteen,” also famous as one of Angela Aki’s signature tracks, is her eighth single, released in 2008.

As the title suggests, it’s a message song dedicated to fifteen-year-olds on the verge of graduating from junior high.

Fifteen is a sensitive age, full of dreams for the future yet troubled by reality.

To put it grandly, some may feel they are standing at a crossroads in life.

This is a number for those people, and for anyone who feels that no one understands their pain or that they can’t look ahead and keep walking, it may well be a song that moves you to tears.

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Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI

EXILE ATSUSHI / “Cherry Blossom Season” MV

This is a heartwarming ballad that accompanies the milestone of graduation, resonating deeply in the heart.

EXILE ATSUSHI’s warm vocals evoke the image of spring with cherry blossoms dancing in the air.

Released in 2014, the song was written as the set piece for the Junior High School Division of the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

Over a gentle melody woven by piano and strings, ATSUSHI sings about memories from his junior high school days.

On the graduation day, when anxiety and hope intersect, it will give you the courage to take a new step forward.

In October 2014, he performed it with about 500 junior high school students at NHK Hall, filling the venue with emotion.

It’s a perfect choice as background music for graduation ceremonies or for creating lasting memories.

best friendSG

Best Friend (Soulmate) – SG (Official Lyric Video)

This work is distinguished by its gently affecting melody and SG’s tender vocals.

Released in March 2022, it’s a moving ballad.

The lyrics, which sing of farewells with dear friends and the hope of reunion, gently embrace the listener’s heart.

Set to a piano melody, the words carry SG’s own experiences and emotions, resonating with listeners.

Everyday moments are beautifully depicted, reminding us of the value of friendship.

It’s a song that can bring you to tears when heard at a graduation or during a parting with friends.

A heartwarming track that gently encourages those setting out on a new path.

The meaning of goodbyeNogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 'The Meaning of Goodbye'

Nogizaka46’s “Sayonara no Imi” has established itself for many people as a moving graduation song.

Upon its 2016 release, it was highly acclaimed within the group and even won first place in fan voting for best song.

While centered on the theme of parting, its lyrics cherish encounters and convey a positive message, making it perfect for the milestone day of graduation.

Even as it evokes the loneliness of saying goodbye, it lets listeners greet a new beginning with a fresh sense of resolve.

Its melody and lyrics may draw tears, yet they also give the strength to embrace hope.

CorrectRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Live Video from “ANTI ANTI GENERATION TOUR 2019”]

The song Seikai, included on the 2018 album ANTI ANTI GENERATION, was created as the theme song for NHK’s event for 18-year-olds, “18-sai-sai” (18 Festival).

The title, meaning “correct answer,” hints at how easy life would be if we could just know the right paths to take and the right way to relate to people.

But life isn’t that simple.

This is a song that stays close to those who are troubled and overthinking—a song that makes you cry even if you don’t want to.

It makes you feel that this very song is the “correct answer.”

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Only the graduation photo knowsHinatazaka46

The Only One Who Knows Is the Graduation Photo by Hinatazaka46

A song by Hinatazaka46 themed around graduation.

It gently sings of the bittersweet feelings of the cherry blossom season and the love that went unspoken.

Memories and regrets sealed in graduation photos resonate deeply, intertwined with clear, transparent vocals.

Set for release on January 29, 2025, the track features Nao Kosaka as center and will be available in five editions: limited first-press versions and a regular edition.

It was premiered at their Tokyo Dome concert on December 26, 2024.

It’s a recommended listen not only for students entering graduation season, but also for anyone who wants to reflect on past loves.

Song of a FriendBUMP OF CHICKEN

BUMP OF CHICKEN “Friend’s Song”

The song I want to listen to while reflecting on a friend I’m parting ways with is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Tomodachi no Uta” (“Song of Friends”).

The lyrics, written by Motoo Fujiwara as he thought of characters from works he loved since childhood, convey a clumsy yet warm sense of friendship, and the grand sound incorporating trumpet is sure to resonate deeply with men as well.

Released in February 2011 as their 19th single, this track moved many as the theme song for the film “Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops—Angel Wings.” It’s a song that wraps up the anxieties of a new departure and gently nudges you forward.

Even if you end up walking separate paths, it makes you believe the time you shared won’t disappear—a masterpiece filled with kindness.