Memories Come Flooding Back: Tearjerker Graduation Songs. Moving, Tear-Inducing Ballads [2026]
As graduation approaches, there are moments when your chest suddenly tightens, aren’t there? The days spent in the classroom, the friends you laughed with, and the mix of anxiety and hope as you step onto a new path.
Perhaps it’s the power of tear-jerking graduation songs that gently embraces those complicated feelings.
In this article, we’ve gathered moving songs perfect for graduation season—from the latest hits of the Reiwa era to timeless classics passed down across generations.
Each song is one that will bring back memories the moment you listen and naturally bring tears to your eyes.
As you face farewells with those dear to you, you’re sure to find a song that stays close to your heart.
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[Memories Come Flooding Back] Tear-jerking Graduation Songs. Moving Tearjerkers [2026] (41–50)
Friend ~Time to Depart~yuzu
Released in 2013, Yuzu’s “Tomodachi ~Tabidachi no Toki~” was also chosen as the set piece for that year’s NHK National School Music Competition.
The lyrics are very simple, yet the song wells up in your chest and brings tears to your eyes.
That’s because Yuzu created it with their feelings for the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Known as both a choral piece and a graduation song, it slips gently into anyone’s heart and resonates—regardless of age, it’s a moving song that makes you think of someone and brings you to tears.
Thank youFUNKY MONKEY BABYS
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS sadly disbanded in 2013.
Their final single before the breakup was “Arigatou” (“Thank You”).
The group was known for CD covers featuring close-up photos of celebrities; for this song, Sanma Akashiya appears on the cover and also in the music video.
It’s a track where the simple, ordinary word “thank you” resonates deeply, and it makes you realize how moving those two words can be.
Whether said casually or with heartfelt sincerity, it’s still “thank you”—but when you hear “thank you” from a friend you’re parting ways with, those words stay with you forever.
Someday, these tearsLittle Glee Monster
Itsuka Kono Namida ga is a song that brings back memories of a student life filled with hard work, like studying and club activities.
Released in 2018 by Little Glee Monster—known affectionately as “Little Glee” or “RitoGuri”—the song reminds us that school days weren’t only about fun.
Many people likely pushed through painful and difficult moments.
The song carries a message for those who strive: even if you shed tears again and again, they are proof that you gave it your all.
With that sentiment, it was chosen as the support song for the 96th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
It’s a track that colors your memories of student life.
The happiest treasuresutopuri
As a heartwarming song that adds color to the graduation season, Sutopuri’s vocals resound.
Vividly depicting the March scenery of dancing cherry blossoms, it gently sings of memories with friends and hopes for the future.
Released in March 2023, the song was unveiled as a surprise during the group’s nationwide arena tour at Yokohama Arena.
Born from a collaboration with HoneyWorks, the fresh melody will gently encourage not only those graduating, but everyone taking a new step forward.
If you’re experiencing farewells with loved ones or embracing new encounters, please give this song a listen—it’s a sincere cheer from the heart.
road; way; path; street; route; Tao (in philosophy)GReeeeN
GReeeeN has many moving songs that give you courage and energy.
Their major-label debut single “Michi,” released in 2007, was used in numerous tie-ins and often played on TV, so many of us heard it a lot.
The song likens life to a “road,” teaching us that no matter how rough the path, it will keep going on.
It’s a track that resonates and brings tears, making you feel that it’s okay to face yourself, think, and struggle—that’s part of life too.
HarukaYOASOBI
YOASOBI is a two-person music unit that works under the concept of “turning novels into music” and has gained popularity both in Japan and abroad.
Their sixth digital-only single, Haruka, used as the commercial song for Takara Tomy’s new tactile LCD nurturing toy Punitto Ruzu (Punirunz), drew attention as a collaboration with television writer Osamu Suzuki.
The lyrics, which depict the meeting and parting with a dear friend, might leave you in tears when listened to at a graduation ceremony marking the end of your school days.
It’s a song you’ll want to savor line by line—its pop arrangement carries a gentle sense of melancholy, and the melody resonates with the heart.
Sakura (2019)Moriyama Naotaro
As a cherry blossom song and a must-have graduation song, Naotaro Moriyama’s “Sakura” stands out.
Released in 2003 as Moriyama’s second single, it became his signature track and a beloved hit across the nation.
In 2019, it attracted attention again as the theme song for the drama “同期のサクラ” (Synchronicity of Sakura).
Covered by numerous artists and cherished by listeners of all ages as a moving classic, this song resonates even more deeply with those approaching graduation—its lyrics feel all the more real and hit you right in the heart, making it a tearjerker.