[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] Japanese Songs That Touch the Heart, Recommended for Graduation Season [2026] (121–130)
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.
road; way; path; street; route; Tao (in philosophy)EXILE
Michi is EXILE’s ultimate ballad themed around graduation and new beginnings.
Many people may have come to love them after hearing this song.
The title “Michi” (Road/Path) invites many interpretations: the road you always traveled, the path where you met someone special, and the road you’ll take after graduation.
It’s also recommended as a choral piece—sing it together at your graduation ceremony and share the moving experience! It’s wonderful to listen to again as an adult with a fresh perspective, too.
Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI
It’s a warm ballad that feels like turning the pages of an album of memories in your heart, one by one.
Sung by ATSUSHI, the vocalist of the performance group EXILE, it was included on the 2014 album Love Ballade.
It drew attention when it was broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta.
The fragile yet steady, resolute vocals really resonate in the chest.
It makes you feel like you can overcome the pain of parting and move forward.
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!
[Moving] Japanese Songs That Touch the Heart, Recommended for Graduation Season [2026] (131–140)
far; distant; by farGReeeeN
It’s a smash-hit track that was chosen as the theme song for the high school baseball–themed film “ROOKIES: Graduation.” The song is by GReeeeN, a music group that has been active at the forefront of the Japanese pop scene for many years, and it was released in 2009 as their 11th single.
The lyrics depict a protagonist taking flight with the words of their father and mother in their heart—and I can’t help but see myself in that image.
The sound features beautifully resonant strings, which really hit you hard.
I think it’s a song that will resonate not only with those about to graduate, but also with people for whom graduation was a long time ago.
cherry blossomKALMA
This is a song dedicated to you as you embark on a fresh start with the arrival of spring.
It opens with gentle guitar tones, gradually building into a powerful rhythm that grips the listener’s heart and doesn’t let go.
The piece portrays, with rich expressiveness, the anxiety and loneliness that accompany milestones like graduation and school entrance, as well as the hope and resolve for a new future—likened to cherry blossoms.
Released in February 2021, it also commemorates the first anniversary of KALMA’s major-label debut.
It’s a fitting anthem for the start of a new season—one that instills the strength to overcome any hardship and a forward-looking spirit—and a song we especially hope those graduating will listen to.
To the futureKiroro
When it comes to graduation songs released in the ’90s, this one has to be it.
It’s a track by the female duo Kiroro, released in 1998 as their second single.
The song’s simplicity gives it a profound depth, perfectly complemented by Chiharu Tamashiro’s gentle vocals—truly a classic.
The lyrics, filled with gratitude toward a mother, are moving enough to bring tears just by reading them.
Even after all this time since its release, it hasn’t lost its luster and remains a timeless masterpiece that we hope will be sung for generations to come.