[2026] Songs for Graduation Season: Exquisite Japanese Unrequited Love and Breakup Tracks

A Clockwork DreamKeyakizaka46

Keyakizaka46 “Clockwork Dream” Short Ver.

It’s a song that vividly brings back a page of youth that everyone experiences—the farewell to a friend seen off on the station platform.

Sung by Keyakizaka46’s popular unit “Yui-chans,” this track was included on the single Glass wo Ware!, released in March 2018.

The gentle tones of the acoustic guitar delicately portray the distance between the city and one’s hometown, as well as a sense of loss for one’s dreams, as if a spring had suddenly unwound.

When you’re separated from your best friend and feel just a little lonely, this bittersweet yet warm melody may resonate in your heart.

It’s a work that softly stays by your side, as if to remind you that precious memories never fade, no matter how far apart you are.

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 guitarist Eijun Suganami from THE BACK HORN uses when he’s working as a lyricist, composer, and arranger.

The song he teamed up on with singer-songwriter Miyuhan, “Sotsugyōshiki no Hi, Kokurimasu” (I’ll Confess on Graduation Day), is such a good one.

If you’re in love, you’ll definitely want to make someone listen to it! It captures the heart of a girl who’s decided to confess on graduation day—her feelings sway and sway as she plans and daydreams about how to do it.

Those wildly rom-com-esque lyrics have this charming, slightly bittersweet touch that’s just perfect.

If you need a bit of courage for your one-sided love, give it a listen!

meteor showerUwasano Petaruzu

SHOW BY ROCK!! [Rumored Petalz] Meteor Shower (SHOWBYROCK IP)

A song filled with determination yet tinged with sadness, about feelings for a beloved person from whom you grew apart without ever being able to say “I love you.” Resolving to tell them the next time you meet, all you can do for now is wish upon the stars for the chance to see them again.

The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell

The Story You Don’t Know – supercell

A refreshing number that brings back wonderful memories.

It’s a bittersweet love song about feelings that couldn’t be confessed—loving everything from their smiling face to their angry face, yet never finding the words and keeping it all hidden in your heart.

Those unspoken feelings are sung straight and with a fresh, uplifting touch.

palettesaidāgāru

Cider Girl “Palette” Music Video

CIDERGIRL is a three-member band that doesn’t show their faces.

The vocalist has a soft voice with a high range and a lighter delivery that’s common in Japanese rock, so it’s recommended for listeners who are used to Japanese music.

Their song “Palette” features an exhilarating, catchy melody that really sticks with you.

Definitely give it a listen.

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March of MarchDoramasure

March of March

Drama Store is a rock band from Osaka that performs with the concept of “music that makes you the protagonist.” Not only are they known for intense rock, but they also have a strong reputation for buoyant pop-rock that naturally makes you want to dance, earning broad support from teens.

Their cherry blossom-themed song “March of March” is an uplifting youth anthem that casts a bright light on one-sided love and heartbreak, which tend to feel gloomy.

Skillfully weaving into the lyrics the saying about how quickly time passes—“January goes, February flees…”—the song reassuringly suggests that the meetings and farewells of youth surely have meaning.

It’s a track we especially recommend to anyone feeling anxious about unrequited love!

Until graduationBoku ga mitakatta aozora

The Blue Sky I Wanted to See / “Until Graduation” Music Video

This song portrays the bittersweetness of an unrequited love just before graduation.

It’s included on the single released by Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora in January 2024.

The lyrics, interweaving cherry blossom buds, tears, and pre-graduation feelings, are striking and evoke a snapshot of youth that many have experienced.

It’s recommended for high school students about to graduate and for anyone who wants to look back on their school days.

Listening to this piece will gently awaken the memories of youth that slumber in your heart.