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

Take a pictureNiziU

NiziU(니쥬) 2nd Single 『Take a picture』 MV

Graduation season brings a sudden surge of chances to take photos with friends and partners.

Seeing smiles and scenery through the lens often makes you want to preserve that moment forever.

Bright dance tracks by NiziU are perfect companions for those tender yet warm feelings.

The title track of their single released in April 2021 is also included on the album “U,” and it drew attention as a Coca-Cola commercial song.

The lyrics overflow with a message to treasure this irreplaceable moment and etch it into your heart.

Even if graduation separates you, looking back at the photos will always bring back the sparkle of that time.

When you’re capturing memories with someone special, play this song and snap the perfect shot!

evening primroseNovelbright

Novelbright – Evening Primrose [Official Music Video]

A gem of a ballad by Novelbright, marked by a poignant melody that pierces the heart.

Released as a digital single in December 2020 and included on the album “Kaimaku Sengen,” the song is also known for being featured as the “MONTHLY SONG” on Fuji TV’s Tokudane! weather segment.

Set to a dramatic piano line, it paints a picture of beautiful yet fleeting days, with overflowing feelings for someone you can’t forget tightening in your chest.

It’s a song you’ll want to hear if you’re carrying that helpless love—the kind where graduation forces you apart and you never managed to say “I love you.” With over 300 million streams, this track is sure to gently accompany your bittersweet memories.

my graduationSPEED

SPEED / my graduation -Music Video-

This work by SPEED has long been cherished as a gold standard of graduation songs.

While the word “graduation” never appears directly in the lyrics, it’s a poignant classic that portrays the resolve to grow up through the end of a romance.

Released as a single in February 1998, it also reached living rooms nationwide as the theme for the Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O.

commercial.

There’s even a story that the chokers worn by the members on the cover photo prompted a flood of inquiries at the time.

The song was included on the smash-hit album RISE and has colored the youth of many listeners.

It’s a track we hope those facing the end of a relationship—but ready to step toward the future—will hear.

Feel the hope that lies beyond parting, and take that first step forward.

Goodbye Busyuzu

Yuzu 'Sayonara Bus' PV

A song by Yuzu that poignantly depicts two people at a bus stop, with departure time approaching, heading down separate paths.

Released as a single in March 1999 and included on the album “Yuzuen,” it’s one of their signature early tracks.

Written and composed by Yujin Kitagawa, the simple tones of acoustic guitar and harmonica resonate deeply.

Though it wasn’t backed by a major tie-in, its relatable lyrics earned strong support, and it has long been a live staple.

The sparing words, the time slipping by, and the scene of seeing someone off while holding unspoken feelings are sure to resonate with those parting ways at graduation.

If you’re facing a farewell with someone important, listen to this song and take a moment to face your true feelings.

Maplesupittsu

Spitz / Kaede

Spitz’s classic “Kaede” is a song you can’t help but crave when the season of partings arrives.

Released in 1998 as a single from the album “Fake Fur,” it has recently drawn attention as an insert song in the drama “silent.” The lyrics, which portray the resolve to walk on alone while holding tight to feelings for a cherished person you’ve parted from, really sink into the heart.

Masamune Kusano’s gentle vocals will wrap you in the bittersweet emotions felt for lovers or friends who drift apart at graduation.

It’s not only about the sadness of goodbye; the figure of someone moving toward the future with the warm memories given by the other person will surely give you courage.

It’s a song that will softly nudge you forward onto a new path—one to listen to carefully around graduation.

Even though it’s springKashiwabara Yoshie

Harunanoni

Despite the arrival of a dazzling season, do you ever feel a loneliness as if only your heart has been left behind? Written and composed by Miyuki Nakajima and sung by Yoshie Kashiwabara, this masterpiece captures the poignant emotions of graduation season.

The sigh-laced vocals overlap with the image of clutching the second button of a school uniform, tightening the chest.

Released as a single in January 1983, it won the Gold Prize at the 25th Japan Record Awards that same year and marked her first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Also included on the acclaimed album “Haru nanoni,” it is cherished beyond the bounds of idol pop.

It’s a song for those who parted without ever confessing their feelings to someone they liked, or who can’t bring themselves to smile at the graduation ceremony.

The tears you shed will surely become nourishment for the future.

Bye-Good-ByeBE:FIRST

BE:FIRST / Bye-Good-Bye -Music Video-

BE:FIRST’s latest work reminds us that a farewell isn’t an ending, but the starting line for what comes next.

The forward-looking lyrics—waving goodbye with a smile for the sake of each other’s dreams, even while carrying the loneliness and lingering feelings of parting—truly resonate.

Released as a single in May 2022, it was written as the theme song for the Nippon TV morning drama “Before Goodbye: Fantastic 31 Days.” Its bittersweet yet bright melody gently nudges you forward as you finish graduation and set out on a new path.

Give it a listen if you’re a couple starting a long-distance relationship after graduation, or friends striving in different places.

It will surely give you the courage to believe “we’ll meet again” and keep moving forward!