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

evening primroseNovelbright

Novelbright – Evening Primrose [Official Music Video]

A love ballad by Novelbright, released in 2020 and surpassing 300 million total streams.

Built on an emotive, piano-driven arrangement, it poignantly portrays days spent together and the pain of parting, striking a deep chord.

In addition to airing on Fuji TV’s Tokudane! weather segment, vocalist Yudai Takenaka delivered a simple strings-and-piano rendition on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, which drew considerable attention.

The song is also included on the album “Kaimaku Sengen” (Opening Declaration).

It’s a track we especially recommend to those facing graduation, grappling with farewells to classmates and anxieties about new environments.

Its dramatic melody and heartfelt lyrics will bring back memories of the precious times you shared with friends.

Unchanging Thingssakushi: yamazaki tomoko / sakkyoku: yamazaki tomoko

The Unchanging Things [Chorus] / With Lyrics / Singing Practice / Graduation Song #Chorus #ClassChorus #GraduationSong #ChorusContest

The bonds nurtured during our days at school will never fade, even when we are apart.

This work is a choral piece that carefully weaves together those unchanging feelings.

The lyrics and music are by Tomoko Yamazaki, who has created many beloved songs such as “Taisetsu na Mono” and “Te no Hira o Kazashite.” It was newly written for the collection “Tomoko Yamazaki ~Original Songs~ (Mixed Voices),” published by Ongaku no Tomo Sha in July 2010.

While holding the sorrow of parting, it portrays the resolve to look ahead and take a step forward, set to a sincere and beautiful melody.

Both mixed choir and equal-voice choir versions are available, making it easy to choose according to the size and composition of your school.

Sung at graduations, farewell ceremonies, and other moments of parting from those dear to you, it will etch gratitude for the time spent together—and the bonds that will remain unchanged—into your hearts.

On the day of departure…Kawashima Ai

Ai Kawashima / On the Day of Departure (Lyrics)

This is a moving ballad by Ai Kawashima that has been sung by many as a graduation song.

Included on the single “Dear/Tabidachi no Hi ni…” released in February 2006, this piece is the original version of I WiSH’s hit song “Ashita e no Tobira,” for which Kawashima served as the vocalist.

Although it shares the same melody, this work vividly portrays student life leading up to graduation.

The lyrics, which depict nostalgic scenes such as the view from the classroom window and casual conversations with friends, overlap with our own memories and can’t help but bring tears to our eyes.

It’s a timeless classic, perfect not only for those about to graduate but also for anyone wishing to look back on days spent with dear friends.

sunflowerAdo

[Ado] Sunflower

Like a flower that blooms straight toward the sun, this song delivers a positive, uplifting feeling.

Released by Ado in July 2023, it was chosen as the theme song for the TBS drama “18/40: Dreams and Love If We’re Together.” The lyrics express a desire to gradually change one’s timid self and to be as straightforward and sincere as someone dear.

Ado’s clear, translucent vocals are striking here, drawing you in with an emotional range that starts quietly and builds step by step.

It’s perfect for those anxious about a new environment or uncertain about the road ahead.

It gently supports graduates who, while feeling the sadness of taking different paths from their classmates, still wish to take a step toward the light.

cherry blossomMoriyama Naotaro

Sakura

This song, a massive hit in 2003, is a masterpiece that depicts parting and reunion through the beauty and transience of cherry blossoms.

Naotaro Moriyama’s clear vocals and the simple, piano-centered arrangement resonate deeply with listeners.

The lyrics, which liken cherry blossoms scattering at the very moment they are in full bloom to the turning points of life, evoke both the poignancy of a departure and a forward-looking hope.

Chosen as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS program “Sekai Ururun Taizai-ki,” it sold over one million copies.

In 2019, it was revived with a new arrangement as the theme song for the drama “同期のサクラ” (Synchrony’s Sakura), and it continues to be loved across generations.

Sung at a graduation ceremony—one of life’s important milestones—it will etch memories with friends and a resolve for the future even more deeply.

Last SongOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Last Song [Studio Live Session]

The melody is striking in the way it gently wraps both the sadness of parting and the hope that lies beyond.

This song by Official HIGE DANDism expresses the fleeting nature of time as it draws to a close and gratitude toward someone precious, resonating deeply with listeners.

While holding onto the loneliness of joyful days coming to an end, it carries a warm message that makes you want to say “see you again” with a smile at the last moment.

Included on the celebrated 2019 October release Traveler, the song was also featured as an insert track in the drama “Ato 3-kai, Kimi ni Aeru” (“I Can See You Three More Times”).

Sung on the special day of a graduation ceremony, as you look back on the irreplaceable time spent with friends and teachers, it will surely fill the venue with a moving atmosphere.

It will gently encourage the children as they set off on their separate paths.

Song of LifeSakushi: Miyabi / Sakkyoku: Muramatsu Takatsugu

Song of Life (Lyrics by Miyabi / Music by Takatoki Muramatsu / Choral arrangement by Tatsuya Tanaka)

A heartwarming ballad themed around gratitude for being alive and the preciousness of life.

Miyabi—Mariya Takeuchi—penned gentle, conversational lyrics that touch our hearts, reminding us how precious those ordinary moments spent with family and friends truly are.

Released as a single by Mana Kana in February 2009, the song was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu and became beloved as an insert song in the NHK morning drama “Dandan.” In January 2012, Takeuchi recorded a self-cover, which was also used as the theme song for the NHK docudrama “Pioneers.” Its message, carried by a beautiful melody, is perfect for graduation ceremonies to express gratitude to parents and teachers who raised us.

Through choral singing, it becomes a moving piece that helps children feel the value of their own lives.