[Moving] Heartfelt Japanese Songs Recommended for Graduation Season [2026]

Good Bye,Good LuckTOTALFAT

TOTALFAT　『Good Bye, Good Luck』（Short ver.）

TOTALFAT’s song is a graduation anthem that portrays moments of farewell and new beginnings.

It sings of overcoming loneliness and solitude, and of hope for the future.

Released in January 2012, it was selected as the opening theme for the TV Tokyo anime Naruto (the childhood arc).

Featuring Japanese lyrics, it’s characterized by a catchy yet bittersweet tone.

It’s a track you’ll want to hear on graduation day—one that gives you the courage to take a new step while looking back on past memories.

It’s a song you’d want to dedicate with gratitude to friends, teachers, and family.

THANXWANIMA

WANIMA- THANX(OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Packed with gratitude, this song is memorable for its heart-touching melody and lyrics.

It’s a track that gives you the courage to overcome a painful past or farewells and move toward a hope-filled future.

Included on the album “Are You Coming?”, it was released in November 2015.

The music video features fans as well, conveying a strong sense of unity between the band and their supporters.

Listening to it before a graduation ceremony or stepping into a new environment will surely give you courage.

You can feel WANIMA’s warmth throughout this piece—an inspiring song that gives a gentle push to anyone striving forward.

Heralding springyama

yama – Harbinger of Spring (Official Video)

Released as a digital single, this track drew attention as yama’s debut song.

Born from a collaboration with Kujira and completed entirely through online exchanges, that production process also became a talking point.

Since its release in April 2020, it has performed well on various charts, including reaching No.

1 on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 (Japan) and peaking at No.

7 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

The husky, emotionally rich vocals and lyrics that depict the changing seasons are memorable, making it a perfect song for graduation season.

It’s recommended for those stepping into a new environment or looking back on cherished memories.

Prologue.Yuika

Prologue. / “Yuika” [MV]

A moving song celebrating graduation and the start of a new life has been born.

Woven together by Yuika’s translucent voice and lyrics that resonate with the heart, this piece heralds the arrival of spring to all who listen.

Released in March 2023 to coincide with Yuika’s own high school graduation, the song’s lyrics brim with friendship, memories, and hope for the future, offering comfort to everyone facing graduation.

Perfect for ceremonies and farewells alike, it will bring a touch of warmth both to those setting out on a new path and to those seeing them off.

Petals, heralding the beginningsakura shimeji

Sakurashimeji “Petals, Announcing the Beginning” Lyric Video

Sakurashimeji, born as the first folk duo selected from EBiDAN39 & KiDS and praised for their soothing, gentle musical style, has won wide popularity.

Their digital-only single “Hanabira, Hajimari o Tsugēte,” released on February 17, 2023, features a delicate ensemble of piano and guitar woven over a comfortable shuffle-beat rhythm.

The lyrics convey a resolve to move forward even while wishing the fun times could last a bit longer—feelings that many share at the milestone of a graduation ceremony.

It’s a sentimental graduation song whose rich, expansive strings sound tenderly envelops the heart with a touch of melancholy.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Goodbye, thank you.chanyu i

Goodbye, thank you / Chanyu-i

A heartwarming song that gently accompanies the graduation season.

Chanyu-i’s clear, translucent vocals tenderly convey the bittersweet feelings of graduation and parting, the bonds with friends, and the journey into the future.

With an arrangement highlighted by a memorable piano tone, the piece resonates deeply with listeners.

Released in February 2022, it garnered significant attention—especially on TikTok—and struck a chord with many people.

Chanyu-i also serves as the “LOVE SAIJO Support Singer” for Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture, and is highly regarded locally as well.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to with someone special during graduation ceremonies and the season of farewells.

Azure Swimnishina

Nishina – Seiran Yūei [Official Video]

Sung by Nishina, this song is a ballad marked by gentle piano and strings that resonates deeply with those facing graduation.

The lyrics offer warm encouragement: even as friends part ways, each will give their all on a new path.

Included on the album “1999,” the track was created based on Nishina’s own experiences.

Released in July 2022, the album is packed with her diverse expressions.

It’s a perfect song to listen to on graduation day while reflecting on past memories—sure to give you the courage to take a step into a new life.