[2026] Recommended love songs for graduation season: Love songs you’ll want to hear at the graduation ceremony

Sakura PhotographHatsuboshi Gakuen

Hatsuboshi Academy “Sakura Photograph” Official Music Video (HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN – Sakura Photograph)

It’s a moving ballad perfect for the season when cherry blossoms dance.

Released in April 2025, this song is the theme for the season event “Sakura-Mau Start Line” in the game Gakuen Idolmaster.

The gentle harmonies of the trio—Liliya Katsuragi, Sayaka Shiun, and Saki Hanami—leave a lasting impression.

It’s as if the tender melody rides the spring breeze and soars into the sky.

The lyrics, which portray meetings, farewells, and irreplaceable friendship, will especially resonate with those graduating from school.

Be sure to give it a listen during cherry blossom season.

graduation ceremonySARD UNDERGROUND

SARD UNDERGROUND “Graduation Ceremony” MV

SARD UNDERGROUND is a three-piece band that debuted as a tribute to ZARD, drawing attention with their covers of timeless classics.

Their fifth single, “Sotsugyoushiki” (Graduation Ceremony), as the title suggests, features a refreshing melody and ensemble that perfectly suit graduation season.

The lyrical message, evocative of Izumi Sakai’s world of lyrics, will likely resonate even with today’s younger generation who didn’t know ZARD in real time.

While a tribute band, their sound also reflects a contemporary evolution that strikes a chord—this is a track we hope listeners of all ages will hear.

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Hoshino Takashi

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CHE.R.RYYUI

CHE.R.RY – YUI (Full)

This pop tune, packed with sweet-and-sour feelings of first love, vividly paints a timeless page of youth.

Expressing the emotions of unrequited love through delicate exchanges via cell phone messages, the song captivates with YUI’s clear, translucent vocals and acoustic sound.

Released in March 2007, it became a memorable track as a commercial jingle.

It was also included on the album CAN’T BUY MY LOVE and selected as the ending theme for the TV anime ReLIFE: Final Arc.

It’s a refreshing, encouraging song perfect for the season when spring arrives—one that anyone harboring feelings of love can relate to.

sentimentalculenasm

culenasm “Sentimental” (Official Music Video)

Culenasm’s song delivers sentimental feelings with raw emotion.

It’s a shoegaze number where roaring guitars resonate beautifully.

Released digitally on February 5, 2025, the track centers on themes of regret over past relationships and the bittersweet wish to return to those moments.

Through its guitar sound, it expresses both the beauty of memories and the ache of regret.

In December 2023, they also provided the theme song for director Hideki Noda’s film “Futari no Kizuato” (The Scars of Two).

It’s a recommended listen for anyone looking to confront past memories and emotions as graduation season approaches.

I’ll confess my feelings on graduation day.eijun feat. miyuhan

eijun – “On Graduation Day, I’ll Confess. (feat. Miyuhan)” [MV]

You’ve probably been seeing the name “eijun” a lot lately—that’s the solo moniker used by THE BACK HORN’s guitarist, Eijun Suganami, when he works as a lyricist, composer, and arranger.

The song he created in collaboration with singer-songwriter Miyuhan, “Sotsugyoushiki no Hi, Kokurimasu” (I’ll Confess on Graduation Day), is another great one.

It portrays a girl who decides to confess her feelings on graduation day; her heart sways wildly as she plans how to confess, spinning out all kinds of fantasies… That chaotic, rom-com-like lyricism is somehow achingly bittersweet.

If you’re looking for a boost of courage for your unrequited love, definitely give it a listen!

graduation songerica

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

Erica’s “Graduation Song” is a perfect fit for a moving moment at a graduation ceremony.

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

As it watches over this new beginning, it gently supports your steps toward the future.

It’s a graduation song that truly lives up to its title and lingers in the heart—highly recommended for anyone reaching a milestone.

Melancholy Cherry Blossomsatarayo

Atarayo – Sorrowful Sakura (Music Video)

Choosing a song befitting a graduation ceremony that celebrates a new beginning is never easy.

Among such choices, a track I highly recommend for its emotional impact is “Urei Zakura” by the band Atarayo.

This ballad, set against the backdrop of falling cherry blossoms, features lyrics about parting and hope that truly resonate.

Its message and sound arrangement evoke both a tender sadness and a forward-looking energy.

It’s a perfect song to color the important day of “graduation” in one’s life.