[For junior high students] Choral songs you’ll want to sing at your middle school graduation ceremony. Songs that touch the heart.

tomorrowSakkyoku: Sugimoto Ryūichi

Choral piece: Tomorrow

A classic choral song for graduation ceremonies, it was released in 1992 as the ending theme for NHK’s “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (The Great Nature).

The song expresses grand dreams and love, and its gentle, beautiful lyrics truly move the listener’s heart.

These are the friends you’ve seen every day until now.

Graduation will separate you, but the time you spent together will become a precious treasure and live on in your memories.

And though there’s a touch of loneliness, it’s an uplifting anthem that gives you a push to spread your wings toward each of your tomorrows.

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hiyori

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Sakura Clear SkiesYuuri

Sakura Clear Skies

Prompted by an email from a fan who was graduating without being able to make enough memories during the pandemic, this is Yuuri’s first graduation song, written specifically in response.

It was released in February 2021 and was included on the following year’s album “Ichi.” Built on an arrangement centered around piano and strings, the song layers a wistful yet emotional vocal to create a deeply moving ballad.

The lyrics carefully express gratitude to father, mother, and friends, and they hold both the anxiety and lingering attachment of the season of departure alongside a sense of brightness and hope.

Everyday scenes—like the smell of home or the window by the sill—serve as devices of memory, naturally stirring listeners’ own recollections.

It’s the perfect song for a graduation ceremony, a way to say “thank you” to the people you met during your middle school years.

To the futureKiroro

To the Future – Kiroro (Full)

“Mirai e” (“To the Future”), released in 1998 as Kiroro’s second single, is one of their signature songs.

It’s frequently sung at junior high and high school choir competitions and is also highly popular as a graduation song.

The gentle vocals layered over a calm piano accompaniment perfectly match the moving atmosphere of graduation ceremonies.

Its message tenderly embraces the anxiety of leaving one’s current environment and stepping into a new world, offering a reassuring push forward.

It’s also a great song for expressing gratitude to the family who have watched over you.

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Yuuko.S

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Let’s soar into tomorrowLyricist: Takao Matsui ・ Composer: Takao Matsui

Fly toward tomorrow — with lyrics

A choral piece filled with warm messages, lovingly dedicated to graduation scenes.

We always knew this day would come—the day of parting.

But rather than sorrow, it carries the courage to spread our wings toward a new future.

Composed by Takao Matsui and released in 1992, this song continues to be sung at many graduation ceremonies even after more than 30 years.

Its gentle yet powerful melody and hope-filled lyrics are perfect for the day of departure—and will surely give you the courage to take that first new step.

globeYonezu Kenshi

Globe – Kenshi Yonezu [Mixed Choir Arrangement]

Released in July 2023 as the theme song for Hayao Miyazaki’s film The Boy and the Heron, this single is also included on the album LOST CORNER.

Kenshi Yonezu created the track as an expression of his long-held admiration for the director.

Framing life as a long journey, the lyrics portray the strength to keep moving forward on one’s own feet, even through farewells and hardships—offering gentle support to children facing the significant milestone of graduation.

Beginning with a quiet piano and gradually building into a powerful, expansive sound, it delivers a moving experience well-suited to a graduation ceremony, where hope and uncertainty meet as new doors open.

It’s a song filled with a warm message that inspires the courage to take a step toward the future.

On the Day of Departure

Chorus 'On the Day of Departure' Entire (All) - with full lyrics - for part practice Covered by Singer micah

“Tabidachi no Hi ni,” a song passed down and sung at graduation ceremonies in many schools across Japan, is a masterpiece created by the principal and the music teacher of Kagemori Junior High School in Chichibu City.

Its seamless melody and forward-looking lyrics send encouragement to students stepping into a new future, cementing its status as a definitive graduation song.

Originally performed as a surprise from the faculty to the graduating class, the song soon became beloved by many.

As a piece that resonates at the moment of graduation, it will surely continue to be cherished and sung in every era.

Somewhere on this EarthSakushi Miura Keiko • Sakkyoku Wakamatsu Kan

Somewhere on this Earth

Sung from the perspective of third-year students about to graduate, “Somewhere on This Earth” is a classic choral piece with lyrics by Keiko Miura and music by Kan Wakamatsu.

It conveys the message that even after graduation, as we each go our own way, we remain connected under the same sky.

As graduation approaches, you might feel unbearably sad thinking that the time spent with your classmates will never come again.

But when you sing this song, you’ll surely feel that even when you’re apart, your hearts remain connected.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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