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

OrangeNEW!akai kouen

Red Park “Orange” Music Video

This song’s refreshing melody and emotional band sound really resonate with the heart! The straightforward, powerful vocals cast a bright light on bittersweet themes like parting and new beginnings, giving you the courage to move forward.

Its charm lies in the careful depiction of wavering emotions—stepping into the future while still holding on to lingering feelings.

Created by Akai Ko-en, this single was released in November 2020 as the opening theme for the Fuji TV drama “A Band That Leapt Through Time.” It has been loved by many fans, reaching as high as No.

27 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

It’s a great pick to pair with a video for graduates taking a new step while looking back on days spent with friends! A perfect track to add a brilliant touch to a smile-filled graduation movie!

Bye, my friendNEW!bokula.

bokula. – By My Friend - [Official Music Video]

This rock tune delivers a straightforward vocal performance over an emotional band sound, capturing how ordinary moments in daily life turn into irreplaceable memories.

Expressing friendship, partings, and the tremors of the future in a direct way, the track was created by bokula., a rock band based in Hiroshima.

It was included on the album “Seikatsu ni, Yorisoi.” released in May 2022, and by April 2024 it had surpassed a total of 8.5 million streams, making it a fan favorite.

Ei, who handles vocals and guitar, moves listeners with a voice that is both gentle and powerful.

It’s an upbeat tune perfect as BGM for a graduation movie that looks back on days spent with friends—layer it beneath footage overflowing with smiles.

The ringing beginning of a dreamNEW!kyarī 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 FriendNEW!sonā 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 sunlightNEW!Kanapu × 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!