Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

[High School] Perform at the Cultural Festival Live! A Collection of Exciting Japanese Band Songs

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

When it comes to classic events at high school culture festivals, live performances are a must!

Some of you might have even formed a band just for this day.

And maybe hearing a band at a culture festival inspired you to start playing an instrument yourself.

In this article, we’ll introduce the perfect Japanese band songs to perform at culture and school festivals!

From cool tracks to emotional numbers, every pick is sure to hype up the crowd.

Be sure to read to the end and choose the songs that best fit your band!

[High School] Perform at the School Festival Live! A Collection of Hype Japanese Band Songs (111–120)

Starting Oversumika

sumika / Starting Over [Music Video] - TV Anime “MIX MEISEI STORY: The Second Summer, Beyond the Sky” Opening Theme

Starting Oversumika

A refreshing and powerful message song that gently pushes the backs of those taking their first steps toward their dreams.

Released by sumika in June 2023 as the opening theme for the anime “MIX MEISEI STORY: The Second Summer, Beyond the Sky,” this track celebrates the joy of growing together with friends and the importance of cherishing what you love.

It supports and stands by anyone trying to take a step forward in a new environment.

Play it at the start of a school festival or cultural festival, and it will make everyone feel the beginning of a new story.

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Demachiyanagi Parallel UniverseASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION “Demachiyanagi Parallel Universe” Music Video

Demachiyanagi Parallel UniverseASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

Demachiyanagi Parallel Universe by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION—who have produced numerous anime songs—was written as the theme song for the anime adaptation of Tomihiko Morimi’s novel The Tatami Time Machine Blues.

Released in 2022 as their 29th single, it reached No.

9 on the Oricon Singles Chart.

It’s a high-velocity rock tune characteristic of AKFG, with rugged, hard-strummed guitars that sound incredibly cool.

If you’re struggling to pick a song for your school festival performance, you should definitely consider this one!

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Hide-and-seekBIGMAMA

BIGMAMA “Hide-and-Seek” MV @BIGMAMA_jp

Hide-and-seekBIGMAMA

BIGMAMA is a five-piece rock band known for their distinctive ensemble that fuses band sound with violin.

The track “Kakurenbo,” included on their third album, “and yet, it moves — The Proper Way to Turn the Earth,” is particularly memorable for its emotional violin tone riding over a driving band arrangement.

If you’re covering it for a school festival, adding a violin is ideal, but if that’s difficult, you can cover the part with a keyboard.

Alternatively, with twin guitars, having one guitarist play the violin part will create a different listening experience—so be sure to try out various approaches.

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Hoshino Takashi

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dawn lightHalf time Old

Half time Old / Dawn Light Music Video

dawn lightHalf time Old

Akebono, released in 2022 by Half time Old, a rock band from Nagoya, was written as the opening theme for the anime Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer.

It’s a high-velocity rock tune driven by tightly pulsing sixteenth notes, with a striking, soaring start to the chorus.

You can also hear strings and piano, so it’s a song I’d love bands with a keyboardist to tackle.

I’d place it around an intermediate level, so definitely give it a try!

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Stay GoldHi-STANDARD

Hi-STANDARD – Stay Gold [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Stay GoldHi-STANDARD

Hi-STANDARD is known as an iconic presence in the Japanese rock scene’s melodic hardcore genre, a band that has created countless legends.

“Stay Gold,” included on their third album, MAKING THE ROAD, is also known as one of Hi-STANDARD’s signature songs.

Its cool English lyrics and the genre’s hallmark high-speed yet melodic ensemble are sure to captivate young listeners in any era.

It’s an enduring classic that would absolutely fire up the audience if you played it on a school festival stage.

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Hoshino Takashi

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single-minded; earnest; wholehearted; dedicatedSUPER BEAVER

SUPER BEAVER “Hitamuki” Music Video (TV Anime “My Hero Academia” Season 6 Opening Theme)

single-minded; earnest; wholehearted; dedicatedSUPER BEAVER

The opening theme for season 6 of the anime My Hero Academia was chosen to be a song by the rock band SUPER BEAVER.

HeroAca’s theme songs are packed with masterpieces, and this track is no exception—it’s an exhilarating, fast-paced anthem that really gets you hyped.

The first thing that hits your ears is a guitar riff that blends sharp, choppy brushing with single-note picking despite its simplicity.

Following that, the bass line stands out with its distinctive high-fret fingering, paired with tight, driving drums.

It’s by no means an easy piece to perform, but if you can pull it off, your stage is guaranteed to look awesome! I highly recommend intermediate and advanced players give it a shot.

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six feet undercoldrain

coldrain – Six Feet Under (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

six feet undercoldrain

coldrain is a five-piece rock band whose loud rock sound is highly acclaimed not only in Japan but overseas as well.

“SIX FEET UNDER,” included on their second mini-album Through Clarity, features a thrilling and dramatic ensemble that really fires you up.

The emotional melody of the chorus, combined with the heavy sound, will make any school festival come alive.

However, since every part is quite technical, we recommend thorough practice, both individually and as a band, before performing it live.

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Hoshino Takashi

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