[For Middle Schoolers] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation Ceremonies
Have you already decided on the song to sing at the junior high school graduation ceremony?
When you graduate from junior high, it’s common for classmates to go their separate ways.
While reaching this milestone brings joy, many students also feel the sadness of parting from friends they spent every day with, as well as anxiety about entering a new environment.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of graduation songs that resonate with those pre-graduation feelings, including timeless staples and popular tracks.
Use it as a reference to help choose music that will brighten your graduation ceremony!
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[For Junior High School Students] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation Ceremonies (11–20)
spring sunlightKanapu × Kujira
It’s a graduation song that blends the gentle warmth of spring sunlight with the bittersweet ache of parting.
Created by virtual singer KAF and producer Kujira, who got his start as a Vocaloid P, it was released as a digital single in March 2022.
Produced as part of KAF’s third-anniversary project “Suite,” the track was written by Kujira specifically for KAF as she actually graduated from high school.
The lyrics avoid direct words like “goodbye,” instead delicately portraying the memories that resurface just before parting and the unspoken tremors of emotion.
With shimmering synths and guitar evoking bright spring sunshine, the song’s arrangement grows more heart-tugging the deeper you listen.
It’s perfect for anyone who wants to look back on memories with classmates before the graduation ceremony.
There’s an intentional openness that allows each listener’s own memories to overlap naturally, revealing something new every time you sing it.
sunflowerAdo
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.
Heralding springyama
Despite its bright title, this song stands out for lyrics that portray loneliness and inner conflict.
Released in April 2020 as yama’s first original track under that name, it grew popular mainly on YouTube and TikTok.
It peaked at No.
7 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and its total streaming plays have surpassed 300 million.
The song depicts the protagonist chasing their dreams in a cramped room late at night, the fragility of connections on social media, and the pain of performing a perfect self—capturing the genuine feelings of today’s youth.
While it portrays the complex emotions where endings and beginnings intersect, its appeal lies in the resolve to accept them and move forward.
It carries a message that will resonate especially with those at the milestone of graduation, facing farewells to friends and anxieties about new environments.
The crystalline vocals and catchy melody will add color to the day you set out on your journey.
Sakura RabbitKawasaki Takaya
Have you ever carried feelings you couldn’t express before graduation? In this song, Takaya Kawasaki portrays a protagonist who reaches graduation without ever saying “I like you” to the person they’ve admired for three years.
Comparing their timid self to a rabbit, the song’s world intertwines that image with the bittersweetness of cherry blossom season, striking straight at the heart.
Released in January 2021, it was also included on the June 2023 album Nukumori.
Kawasaki himself experienced an unrequited crush on a senior two years above him in high school, and later married her.
Reflecting that real-life experience, this work is compelling for its authentic emotional depiction.
It’s a song we especially recommend to anyone approaching graduation while keeping their feelings for someone secret.
Even if you can’t put it into words, it gently assures you that those feelings are never in vain.
To You — A Message for Your Departure
Anata e: A Message for Your Departure, a song presented by elementary school teacher Masako Tsutsui to her graduating students and widely known as a classic graduation song, carries a message for students who are closing the chapter of school life—filled with both joy and hardship—and standing at the threshold of a new beginning.
Its powerful yet beautiful piano melody is a hallmark, perfectly matching vocals that make use of the wide range of mixed male and female voices.
Singing clearly and with a strong, resonant voice will deliver a more compelling performance.
Beyond the tearsNakamura Hachidai
This song celebrates hope for the future and a forward-looking spirit.
Its lyrics capture the sense of anticipation for a brighter tomorrow and the radiant glow that comes from pure youth.
Released in November 1969 as Sing Out’s debut single, it became a major hit, selling 210,000 copies.
It was also frequently performed on NHK General TV’s music program “Stage 101,” leaving a deep impression on many people.
Cherished as a song for graduation ceremonies and choral performances, this piece is one I especially hope junior high school students about to take a new step will listen to.
Its powerful message of overcoming difficulties and moving forward will surely resonate in your heart!
[For Middle Schoolers] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation (21–30)
CorrectRADWIMPS
How about a heart-gripping, emotional number that truly resonates with the younger generation? It’s a song by the rock band RADWIMPS, included on their ninth album, ANTI ANTI GENERATION, released in 2018.
The track was written specifically for the event “RADWIMPS 18-sai,” which was planned for audiences aged 17 to 19.
The lyrics capture experiences and feelings that just about every junior and senior high school student goes through, making it highly relatable.
By the time you’ve listened—or sung—it through, you’ll likely feel inspired to live true to yourself.
