Tear-jerking classic graduation songs! Recommended tracks for graduation movie BGM

Friend ~Time to Depart~yuzu

Yuzu “Friend ~The Time of Departure~”

The hardest part of graduation season is saying goodbye to the close friends you’ve made, isn’t it? When you think back on the tough club practices and the days you got through entrance exam study together, your chest tightens with emotion.

A song I recommend that gathers those precious memories into one album is “Yū ~Tabidachi no Toki~” by Yuzu.

Its lyrics are filled with gratitude for the past and a message that we’ll stay friends from here on out, making it a perfect track for a graduation movie’s BGM.

With this song, all those dazzling memories will keep your bond with your friends connected forever.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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MiracleGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Kiseki

When it comes to youth anthems, you just can’t leave this one out! Released in May 2008 as the theme song for the drama “ROOKIES,” GReeeeN’s signature track “Kiseki” is a pure love song that celebrates the joy of meeting the person you love and the resolve to walk into the future together.

True to its title, the lyrics call the couple’s meeting a “miracle” (kiseki) and describe the path they’ve walked as a “trace” or “trajectory” (also kiseki)—a wordplay that stirs the heart every time you listen.

In 2009, it was also chosen as the entrance march for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, making it beloved across generations.

It’s a moving song you’ll want to play at graduations, thank-you parties, and those final moments with dear friends or a loved one, to express your gratitude.

Gift SongCHiCO with HoneyWorks

Gifted Song / CHiCO with HoneyWorks

This song, “Okuriga” by CHiCO with HoneyWorks, is becoming a graduation classic.

It’s a moving track filled with heartfelt feelings about graduation.

Like reading a letter, the emotions are beautifully arranged.

In this letter, the sender is the graduating student, and the recipient is the teacher who supported them.

It would be great to surprise a teacher by performing it as a chorus, and creating a commemorative video with this as the BGM would make it even more touching.

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utatane

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Youth and a momentmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “Youth and a Moment” MV

This song by Macaroni Enpitsu—a rock band whose members all graduated from music college—is a high-energy number that rides on a driving sound to capture the fragility of youth and the brilliance of a fleeting moment.

Because time never comes back, the message urging us to love even the seemingly dull everyday carries a passionate cheer for young people.

Even if you make tons of mistakes, as long as you move forward as yourself, that sense of affirmation will give you a push.

Released digitally in March 2019 and later included on the mini-album “season,” the track was written for a McDonald’s commercial.

It’s a song especially worth hearing for men facing the sadness of parting from friends at graduation and the anxiety of leaping into the unknown.

Throw your arm around a friend and sing it together—you’ll feel the courage that any future can be rolled forward.

Daphne (winter daphne)DISH//

DISH// – Sweet Daphne [Official Video]

DISH// is a four-member dance-rock band whose members are also expanding their careers as actors.

Released in 2021 as their 14th single and used as the theme song for the TV drama “The Winner in February: The Classroom of Guaranteed Success,” this track drew attention as a co-written piece by vocalist Takumi Kitamura and Hattori from Macaroni Empitsu.

The lyrics express gratitude to the important people who always support us and the sense of security that comes from having a place to return to—sentiments that resonate with graduates facing both anxiety and anticipation.

The lively shuffle beat, inspired by a marching song, may give you the courage to take a new step forward.

How about listening to this classic, also included on the album “TRIANGLE,” on the day of your departure?

C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.ONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK – C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h. [Official Music Video]

When it comes to popular graduation songs in the realm of rock ballads, you just can’t leave this one out! Written by ONE OK ROCK’s vocalist Taka for his friends, it’s well known that the title “C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.” was created from the initials of his close friends.

The lyrics convey the strong bonds of friends who once shared their dreams, and they may bring back a flood of memories—before you know it, you might be in tears.

With its dynamic contrast, it’s also perfect as background music for a slideshow.

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Hane Keisuke

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The Story of the Wind and MeAdo

The Story of the Wind and Me [Ado]

This work was chosen as the theme song for the film “The Silent Service: The Great Battle in the Arctic Ocean,” released in September 2025.

It’s also known for being the first time Hiroji Miyamoto provided a song to a female artist.

Inspired by Ado’s love of taking walks, the lyrics and melody evoke the sparkle of the wind and the city, leaving a strong impression.

The grand sound stirs emotions perfectly suited to the season of farewells and new beginnings.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to on the way home from a graduation ceremony or when expressing gratitude to a beloved teacher.