[2026] Recommended for graduation movies! Popular up-tempo J-pop songs

together; along with; bothWANIMA

WANIMA – Together (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

WANIMA is a rock band whose exhilarating sound and catchy melodies energize everyone who listens.

This work portrays the powerful drive to keep moving forward with authenticity, even while carrying painful memories of the past and anxieties about an uncertain future.

Its passionate message—filled with deep gratitude for the friends they’ve met along the way and the importance of overcoming hardships to keep living—will surely resonate with anyone at a new beginning.

Released in August 2016, the song was used in a commercial for Nivea Kao’s 8×4.

During production, their hometown of Kumamoto was struck by an earthquake, and the added layers of prayers and encouragement for their community make the background all the more moving.

It’s an uplifting tune recommended for those who want to look back on days spent with dear friends and step forward with a smile onto a new path!

Sakura, Bloom!arashi

ARASHI – Sakura Sake [Official Music Video]

This song is my top pick for a graduation movie BGM that’s both uplifting and deeply moving! Its brisk rock sound boosts your spirits—an energetic number through and through.

It’s infused with the resolve to cut through doubt and face forward, and the rap lyrics penned by Sho Sakurai give that determination a powerful push.

Released in March 2005 as Arashi’s 14th single, it was used as the CM song for Jonan Prep School, which also featured Sho Sakurai.

It debuted at No.

1 on the Oricon chart with first-week sales of 115,000 copies, and is also included on the album “One.” Its bright atmosphere—wishing for hope more than dwelling on sadness—fits perfectly with footage looking back on friends and memories.

It’s sure to be a strong cheer for anyone taking a new step forward.

Only the graduation photo knowsHinatazaka46

The Only One Who Knows Is the Graduation Photo by Hinatazaka46

A graduation song by Hinatazaka46 that blends the lightness of a spring breeze with a touch of poignancy.

It captures the feelings of parting and the moment of stepping into something new with crystal-clear vocals.

The track features an up-tempo melody line that opens up like a sweeping landscape toward the chorus, evoking an exciting sense of the future.

Released in January 2025 as their 13th single, it features Nao Kosaka in the center position and sold 496,191 copies in its first week.

It’s the perfect song for those who want to look back on days spent with friends while moving forward with a smile.

With its bright, sparkling sound, it would make a wonderful BGM for a graduation video, lifting viewers’ spirits the moment they watch.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

It’s a guitar rock number bursting with a sense of speed.

This track, which Motoki Omori says packs in the impulses of his student-era band activities, carries a positive message: to embrace even your imperfect self, along with the bittersweetness of youth and its slightly bitter inner conflicts.

The idea that every experience becomes nourishment for the future really resonates, doesn’t it? Created by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, the work was released in April 2024.

It was used as the opening theme for the TV anime “Oblivion Battery” and won the Grand Prize at the 66th Japan Record Awards.

Its light, energetic melody makes it perfect as BGM for a graduation video that looks back on days spent with friends, adding an even more brilliant touch to footage full of smiles!

The ringing beginning of a dreamkyarī pamyu pamyu

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – Yumeno Hajima Ring Ring (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – Yume no Hajimarin Rin) Official Music Video

A perfect number for spring, the season where meetings and farewells intersect.

While keeping Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s colorful, pop sensibility intact, it gently conveys the excitement of stepping toward a new future with a touch of bittersweetness.

Released in February 2014 as her eighth single, the song was written by Yasutaka Nakata for a CHINTAI commercial.

An album mix was also included on the acclaimed record Pika Pika Fantajin, released in July of the same year.

Its bouncy beat and shimmering synths feel delightful, and if you use it as BGM for a graduation video, it will make those smile-filled memories shine even brighter.

It’s a warm track that softly nudges everyone to take a step into a new world, with the days spent with friends held close to your heart.

A Song for a Friendsonā poketto

Sonar Pocket 'A Song for a Friend' [MV Full]

This is a friendship song imbued with a warm message that even when we’re apart, our hearts remain connected.

Its friendly, conversational tone and positive melody brightly encourage friends who are working hard in different places.

Released as a single in February 2009, the track was also included on the album “Sonapokeism ① ~Shiawase no Katachi~,” released in October of the same year, and is cherished as a signature early piece by the music group Sonar Pocket.

With down-to-earth lyrics that resonate with everyday feelings and a chorus that opens up with a refreshing sense of expansiveness, it has garnered wide empathy.

It’s a recommended number as BGM for graduation videos to convey gratitude and words of encouragement for the future to friends whose lives are changing due to entering a new school or starting a job.

spring sunlightKanapu × Kujira

[Suite] KAFU × Kujira #97 “Spring Sunlight” [Original MV]

It’s a captivating track with shimmering synthesizers and guitar that sparkle like gentle spring sunshine! Virtual singer Kafu teams up with Kujira, a creator who got his start as a Vocaloid producer.

Without any explicit words of farewell in the lyrics, it vividly depicts fleeting inner landscapes and memories just before graduation, tenderly overlapping with the listener’s own recollections.

This upbeat, breezy song was released in March 2022 as the sixth installment of the project commemorating Kafu’s third anniversary.

Holding a touch of bittersweetness yet guiding you forward with a bright, pop melody, it’s perfect as BGM for a smile-filled graduation video—an ideal tune to share with cherished friends!