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

CorrectRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Music Video]

RADWIMPS delivers a tender melody with a profound message that resonates deeply during graduation season.

The warm soundscape woven by piano tones and a student choir gently embraces moments of looking back on youthful days.

The lyrics, which depict the search for the right answers in life and the journey to find one’s true self, strike a universal chord that anyone can relate to.

Released for streaming in January 2024 and followed by a limited-production CD in February, this work was born from encounters with the younger generation and takes on a new challenge by incorporating a student choir.

It is a heartwarming song that stands beside young people leaving their schools and those facing turning points in life.

Beyond nostalgiaNogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 “Beyond Nostalgia”

Memories of youth and the ache of unrequited love tighten the heart.

Created in February 2025 to mark Nogizaka46 member Yūki Yoda’s graduation, this piece is an emotional work built on a beautiful soundscape of piano and strings.

It’s filled with the regret of not confessing your feelings to the one you love, and simply reading the lyrics makes you empathize with that emotion.

It’s a song I recommend to anyone who has experienced parting with someone precious, or to everyone standing at a crossroads in life.

SAKURAikimonogakari

Ikimono-gakari “SAKURA” Music Video

This is a classic song that gently sings of the changing spring season with a cherry blossom motif.

Released in March 2006, it marked Ikimono-gakari’s major-label debut.

Its arrangement incorporates pop-rock elements, and Kiyoe Yoshioka’s warm vocals resonate deeply.

The song was featured in a commercial for NTT East’s DENPO115, and in 2021 it was also used in a McDonald’s Teritama Burger commercial.

The lyrics weave together the loneliness of farewell and the anticipation of new beginnings, evoking empathy with images of memorable places and landscapes.

In the spring when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, this heartwarming track gently supports those embarking on graduations or new chapters in life.

March of the PetalsAimer

Aimer “March of the Petals” Starring: Mirei Sasaki (Hinatazaka46) (5th albums “Sun Dance” and “Penny Rain” released on 2019/04/10)

Spring, when graduation arrives, brings one change after another, and sometimes it can feel strangely cruel.

You might even feel as though a faint crush gets lost and fades away among those changes.

Aimer’s “Hanabira-tachi no March” is a bittersweet song about feelings of love that went unspoken.

Under the double punch of spring and graduation, a romance ends without anything happening, like petals scattering.

No matter how painful or lonely it is, time only moves forward.

In such moments, perhaps the best you can do is wish for the other person’s happiness, just as this song does.

Even if you can’t confess your feelings, by wishing them well, you too will be able to face forward and move on.

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SAKI

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graduating from loveCHIHIRO

CHIHIRO – Graduation from Love (Short ver.)

Singer-songwriter CHIHIRO is known for creating many songs themed around sad love and unrequited feelings.

Because of this, her works are often described as “tear-jerkers,” gaining attention for being deeply relatable and moving.

One of her songs themed around graduation is ‘Koisotsu’ (“Love Graduation”).

Told from a woman’s perspective, it portrays the resolve to graduate not only from school but also from unrequited love at the graduation ceremony.

With lyrics that give you a gentle push forward, it’s also recommended as a motivational song.

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yamamoto

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Unrequited loveGENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE / Unrequited Love

There’s something special about unrequited love during our school days, isn’t there? GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE’s song beautifully captures those bittersweet feelings.

Released in November 2013, this track sings about a pure kind of love—how just seeing the person you like looking down can make your whole day feel dull.

You try to strike up a conversation to hear their thoughts about a movie, but can’t find anything more to say… Anyone who’s experienced a one-sided crush will feel that frustration all too well.

It’s a highly recommended song for those who want to savor the sweetness and sadness of unrequited love.

365 daysMr.Children

Mr.Children “365 Days” Mr.Children TOUR POPSAURUS 2012

Mr.Children’s “365 Days” is loved by people of all ages.

The song is well known from commercials, and despite never being released as a single, it remains hugely popular among fans.

For those who feel things like “I know it myself, but there’s nothing I can do” or “Waves of love keep rushing over me,” it’s a track you can’t help but relate to.

If you’re worried that graduation might separate you from someone you like before you can confess your feelings, this song is sure to strike a chord.

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utatane

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