[2026] Graduate with a Smile! Recommended Uplifting Graduation Songs

Live in the present.Saucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Live in the present.” Music Video

It’s an anthem that gives you the courage to face forward and keep moving.

Created as the theme song for the National High School Soccer Championship, it sings about the importance of youth and hard work.

It speaks to the beauty of living fully in the present moment and conveys the importance of moving forward without fearing setbacks.

Released in December 2022, it also came with a music video.

It’s perfect for graduation ceremonies or when you’re taking a new step.

It’s also recommended for anyone who wants the courage to head toward a bright future.

Saucy Dog’s powerful vocals and melody are sure to gently give listeners a push.

Even if we forget springaibii karaa

Ivy Color [Even If We Forget Spring] Music Video

Featured on Ivy Color’s debut single, this song is a poignant love ballad themed around springtime farewells.

Set against a backdrop of fluttering cherry blossoms, the protagonist’s emotions are portrayed with delicate nuance, while the beautiful arrangement of piano and strings resonates deeply.

Released in March 2019, the track has garnered over two million views on YouTube and is beloved by many listeners.

It’s a perfect choice for moments of new beginnings, such as graduation ceremonies and farewell gatherings.

The lyrics—singing of hidden sorrow behind smiling faces and of eternal love—are sure to leave a lasting impression on the listener’s heart.

10-year cherry blossomsAKB48

[MV full] 10nen Zakura / AKB48 [Official]

A graduation song sung by AKB48, released in 2009.

It’s an upbeat, powerful track packed with the AKB flavor of that era—just listening to it makes your heart dance! The intro even incorporates the melody line from “Aogeba Totoshi,” giving it a distinct graduation-song feel.

While the tune is cheerful, the lyrics carry a positive message: graduation is a milestone and something necessary for growth.

Just like the lyrics say, it would be wonderful if, ten years from now, we could meet again as much more wonderful adults than we are today!

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Hane Keisuke

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graduation songerica

erica “Graduation Song” lyric video (Full ver.)

As if blessing a new beginning, Erica’s “Graduation Song” is a perfect fit for a moving moment at a graduation ceremony.

This track, which sings of the precious time spent with friends, resonates with gentle guitar tones and rich strings, warmly coloring the instant of graduation.

It tenderly watches over this new departure and quietly encourages your steps toward the future.

True to its title, it’s a memorable graduation song that I’d recommend to anyone reaching a milestone.

It’s goodbye, but it’s not goodbye.yamadakatsutenai Wink

It's goodbye, but it's not goodbye.

Yamada Katsutenai Wink wraps this classic spring song—one you want to hear around graduation season—in warm, gentle vocals.

Its melody, which sings of the sorrow of parting and the hope of reunion, nestles close to the heart and gives you courage to face a new future.

Released in February 1991, the song was used as an insert track on Fuji TV’s “Hō-chan no Yamada Katsutenai Terebi” and became a major hit, reaching No.

2 on the Oricon weekly chart.

With lyrics by Kuniko Yamada and music by KAN in beautiful harmony, it’s a gem of a message song that teaches us that parting is not an end but a beginning.

Listened to in the season of departures, it’s a wonderful, heartwarming cheer song that continues to be loved by many.

I should be able to fly (in the sky).supittsu

Spitz / I Should Be Able to Fly in the Sky

A title like “Sora mo Toberu Hazu” (“We Should Be Able to Fly”) feels like it could make a graduation ceremony even more moving… it has that kind of dramatic quality, doesn’t it? As one of Spitz’s signature songs, this track is sure to elevate the graduation mood without a doubt.

Somber is fine too, but sending everyone off straight and positively like this song does is also a great choice.

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Murakami Shinpei

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spring songamasaki annainin

Amesaki Annainin “Haru no Uta” (Spring Song) [Official Music Video]

A song positioned as a “sakura track” that heralds the arrival of spring has arrived from Amasaki Annainin.

Released digitally in February 2023, the track’s music video was filmed on location in a wooden school building evocative of graduation.

Written and composed by Amanoji Harutaro, the song carries a gentle, nostalgic atmosphere.

The piece was also featured in spot footage on Shibuya 109 Forum Vision and used as the opening theme on FM radio stations in the artists’ home area of Miyagi and Sendai.

It’s a heartwarming cheer song, perfect for those attending graduation ceremonies or embarking on a new chapter in life.