[2026] A Collection of Youthful Songs to Play at Graduation Ceremonies [J-POP]

Gray and Blue (feat. Masaki Suda)Yonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Gray and Blue (+Masaki Suda)

With its beautiful and ephemeral sound, “Gray and Blue (+Masaki Suda)” is a song that matches the sentimental feelings of those graduating.

Released by Kenshi Yonezu in 2017, it features Masaki Suda—an actor and singer who excels in both—as a guest vocalist.

Their voices are gentle yet tinged with loneliness, and the lyrics delicately depict small everyday scenes.

Even when the days of shared laughter become part of the past, we want to carry them as good memories at graduation.

This song reminds us that, someday when we look back, it can be a source of strength.

Be sure to listen to it for your graduation ceremony.

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Dear, boyHump Back

Hump Back – “Dear, Boy” Music Video

This song by Hump Back, a three-piece girls band from Osaka, is a heartfelt message to everyone who keeps chasing their dreams.

Its passionate lyrics, urging the self who’s about to forget a once-held dream that it’s not over yet, strike a powerful chord with listeners.

Carried by a simple yet powerful rock sound, and highlighted by Momoko Hayashi’s straight, earnest vocals, this track was their major-label debut single released in June 2018, and it was also used as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “Buzz Rhythm 02.” It’s the perfect song to listen to when parting ways with friends after graduation or when you feel anxious about a new challenge.

It will steady a wavering heart and give you a firm push forward.

A bouquet for meAdo

[Ado] A Bouquet for Me

A track by Ado that aired as the commercial song for Japan Coca-Cola’s “Georgia” in March 2025 and became a hot topic.

Written by HoneyWorks, the song carries a positive message that accompanies the start of your morning.

Without rejecting failures or regrets, it embraces who you were yesterday and helps you step into today—a theme of restoring self-affirmation that resonates deeply.

Ado’s powerful yet warm vocals gently give listeners a push forward.

This piece is positioned as a song marking the 5th anniversary of her debut.

If you listen to it on a morning when you feel anxious or lonely, it will give you the strength to affirm who you are today.

Go, Sakura! / Cheer up, Sakura!THE SUPER FRUIT

THE SUPER FRUIT – Sakura Fure Fure [Official Music Video]

THE SUPER FRUIT, who bill themselves as the “male version of the pure/wholesome type,” have been steadily expanding their fan base even after their breakthrough on social media.

Their second single, “Sakura Fure Fure,” released in March 2023, is a heartwarming cheer song that combines the springtime scene of falling cherry blossoms with the encouraging chant of “Fure Fure” (“Go! Go!”).

It was also chosen as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s Buzz Rhythm 02 for March, and the school-set video featuring dancers in pink school uniforms became a hot topic.

With lyrics that stand by those anxious about new beginnings and reassure you that it’s okay to stumble, the song is sure to be a strong ally for anyone graduating and setting off on a new path.

Boasting a refreshing sound that feels great to listen to, this gentle pop tune offers courage for the season of change.

1000 daysnozomi

Noashi (noa) – 1000 Days [Official Music Video]

Three years of high school add up to about 1,000 days.

Centered on that brief yet intense season of youth, this song is a youth power anthem by Noshi, released in April 2025.

It was written specifically for the web commercial “Youth Bonus Time” for the vitamin carbonated drink MATCH.

A passionate melody rides atop a driving guitar-rock sound, delivering a track that makes your heart race.

The lyrics are sprinkled with delicate, adolescent emotions—like scribbling a name in the corner of a notebook only to erase it—that gently stir listeners’ memories.

Noshi is an artist who self-produces everything from lyrics and arrangement to artwork, and this piece is filled with her uniquely emotional expression.

It’s a song that will give courage for tomorrow to everyone stepping into a new environment after graduating from junior high school!

GarnetOku Hanako

Hanako Oku / Garnet (Solo Performance) [Music Video]

A moving ballad that brings to mind scene after scene from student days—the sprinting figures on the field, casual after-school conversations, lines of handwriting in a notebook.

Released in 2006 as Hanako Oku’s fourth single, it reached a wide audience as the theme song for director Mamoru Hosoda’s animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

It’s a celebrated classic that also won the Heisei Anime Song Award for Best Film Theme.

In simple words, it conveys both the ache of time slipping away and gratitude for the encounters that made one stronger.

Even if we are separated, those days will never fade.

That message resonates deeply, making it a perfect song for the milestone of a graduation ceremony.

It’s a piece we especially hope junior high school students will sing as they engrave memories with friends in their hearts and take their first steps forward.

Song of the ChickHalf time Old

Half time Old 'Hina no Uta' Music Video

A four-piece rock band based in Nagoya, Aichi, Half time Old released this track on their October 2020 mini-album CRISP YELLOW.

It’s a youthful punk number that races forward on an 8-beat drive, filled with a warmth that gives you a gentle push during the season of farewells.

The lyrics are memorable for their message that reassures you—“You’re not wrong”—even as you carry anxiety and loneliness about setting off on a new journey.

The music video is composed of cherished photos submitted by fans, designed to overlap with each listener’s own memories.

It’s a song that naturally sparks singalongs at shows, and if you raise your voices together at a graduation concert or a farewell party, it’s bound to become an unforgettable moment.

More than just a tearjerker, it’s a pep song that gives you the strength to step forward with a smile.