[Moving] Heartfelt Japanese Songs Recommended for Graduation Season [2026]
Have you ever had tears well up when a song suddenly started playing on your way home from graduation after parting with your friends? The graduation season that arrives with the coming of spring is a special time when joy and bittersweet feelings mingle.
The songs that gently embrace those emotions are graduation songs that stay close to the heart.
This time, we’ll introduce a wide range of Japanese tracks—from timeless classics that have been loved for years to the latest hits.
They’re perfect for reminiscing about memories with friends or listening as you set your resolve for a new beginning.
You’re sure to find a song that will accompany your most precious moments.
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[Moving] Recommended Japanese songs that touch the heart for graduation season [2026] (101–110)
Live in the present.Saucy Dog
A perfect song for a new beginning like graduation is Saucy Dog’s “I Live in the Present.” With its energetic sound and moving lyrics, it gives you the strength to look forward while reflecting on the past.
In particular, Shinya Ishihara’s deeply emotional vocals are sure to touch the listener’s heart.
Evoking memories of days devoted to club activities and the bonds of friendship, this song would be ideal for a graduation ceremony chorus.
Why not add a splash of color to your precious memories with your friends?
Youth and a momentmakaroni enpitsu
This song sings about the importance of cherishing every fleeting moment of youth.
The words woven by Macaroni Empitsu carry a warm message for young people.
It gently tells us that even the boring days and the passion driving you toward your dreams will all become treasures of youth.
Released as a digital single in March 2019, it also drew attention as a tie-in song for a McDonald’s commercial.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when you feel like looking back on your younger days or when you’re ready to take a new step forward.
It’s sure to stay close to your heart.
At any timeYugeda Kensuke
Set to a gentle melody that feels familiar to everyone, Kensuke Yugeda’s song expresses gratitude at the milestone age of ten.
It warmly conveys precious memories with friends and heartfelt thanks to family and teachers.
Its tender, embracing tune resonates deeply with listeners and invites empathy.
The piece is included on the album “Dream & Dream: Yume o Tsunagou,” and it has been selected for inclusion in elementary school music textbooks starting in 2024.
Mr.
Yugeda, who holds school concerts nationwide, has performed over 2,000 times and continues composing with children in mind.
It is a song you’ll want to sing with care when expressing gratitude to important people, such as at a “Half-Coming-of-Age Ceremony” or end-of-year school events.
Everyone, everyone is shining.Yugeda Kensuke
Riding on a cherry-blossom-colored breeze, this heartwarming song by Kensuke Yugeda gently sings of the hopeful arrival of spring.
It carries a message of encouragement for children taking their first steps forward, conveying a sense of anticipation for a shining future.
Its melody, expressing both endearing freshness and the courage to walk toward one’s dreams, tenderly nestles against the listener’s heart.
The piece is included on the album “Shiawase ni Naare” and is a beloved song performed at entrance ceremonies and welcome events for new students in elementary schools across Japan.
Since June 2018, it has been passed down in schools nationwide, and through more than 2,000 school concerts, Mr.
Yugeda has delivered it directly to children.
It is a springtime song brimming with joy, one we hope new students, teachers, and families will listen to.
1096Cody Rī (Ri)
Cody・Lee (李) is a four-piece rock band gaining attention for their inventive sound that incorporates a variety of musical elements.
Their 11th digital single, “1096,” features an ensemble centered on a wistful piano tone that really tugs at the heart.
The lyrics, which look back on a time that may not have been all sunshine but was still precious, are likely to resonate with many for their realism.
It’s a track that offers gratitude for irreplaceable moments, one we hope you’ll listen to while thinking about your own graduations.
[Moving] Heartfelt Japanese Songs Recommended for Graduation Season [2026] (111–120)
A Poem for YouDUFF
In particular, it may resonate with those who poured their hearts into club activities alongside their teammates.
It’s a track by DUFF, a Kyoto-based mixture band, released as their fifth single in 2012.
Chosen as the theme song for the baseball program “Minna no Koshien,” it has gained strong popularity as a baseball cheer song.
If you devoted most of your school life to your club, this song will surely bring to mind dear friends.
It’s a ballad that inspires you to carry your memories in your heart and move forward into the future.
DepartureGReeeeN
A couple who must part ways upon graduation…
yet what fills the moment isn’t a gloomy feeling, but a forward-looking, positive heart.
It’s a message song that leaves you feeling as if you’ve just watched a romantic film.
It’s a track by GReeeeN, the music group known for hits like “Kiseki” and “Hoshikage no Yell,” released in 2008 as their sixth single.
The straightforward vocals and lyrics, paired with a catchy melody, are truly moving.
It’s also a great choice for karaoke!