Good songs recommended for junior high school students. Classic and popular Japanese hits.

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

A coming-of-age song that delivers the importance of embracing your true self on a refreshing melody.

The protagonist portrayed by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE carries a earnest resolve to keep looking forward while battling self-denial.

Gratitude and hope toward someone who accepts their true self gently envelop the listener, together with a melody that resonates in the heart.

Released in January 2025 as the theme song for NHK General’s special program “Mrs.

GREEN APPLE 18-sai-sai,” it was performed together with 1,000 members of the 18-year-old generation.

It’s a track recommended for moments when you want to face yourself with a gentle gaze, or when you want to share your feelings with someone important.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE has delivered a gem of a song that beautifully captures both the brilliance and the fragility of youth.

It delicately portrays the feelings of trying to embrace everyday anxieties, inner conflicts, and the pains of growth as cherished memories.

The song was also chosen as the opening theme for the anime “Oblivion Battery” and won the 66th Japan Record Awards in December 2024, marking an unprecedented achievement of back-to-back wins for the band.

This heartwarming track offers empathy and encouragement to middle school students grappling with the uniquely turbulent emotions of adolescence and feelings of self-doubt.

It will surely stay close to your heart and give you the courage to look ahead.

To You Who Don’t Know LoveNEWS

NEWS: To You Who Don't Know Love | cover by Lifanghsieh Hsieh Lifang

To You Who Don’t Know Love is a single by NEWS released in July 2016.

It reached No.

1 on the Oricon weekly chart and was certified Gold.

It also served as the ending theme for the TV drama The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

CorrectRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Music Video]

RADWIMPS delivers a tender melody with a profound message that resonates deeply during graduation season.

The warm soundscape woven by piano tones and a student choir gently embraces moments of looking back on youthful days.

The lyrics, which depict the search for the right answers in life and the journey to find one’s true self, strike a universal chord that anyone can relate to.

Released for streaming in January 2024 and followed by a limited-production CD in February, this work was born from encounters with the younger generation and takes on a new challenge by incorporating a student choir.

It is a heartwarming song that stands beside young people leaving their schools and those facing turning points in life.

We againSG

We Again (Wind Ensemble ver.) – SG (Official Behind-the-Scenes Music Video)

This work by SG has gained support as an encouraging song that resonates deeply during graduations and farewells.

Its gentle melody, which accompanies young people as they overcome partings and take new steps forward, and its lyrics filled with hope for reunion are especially appealing.

Released in April 2021, it has become a popular track with a cumulative 150 million streams.

Starting in November 2024, it has also been featured in Calorie Mate’s exam-season support commercial, and a concert band version by the Hanazono Tokuei High School Wind Ensemble has been making waves.

It’s a heartwarming song for farewells, graduation ceremonies, and moments when you long to see someone special again.

It’s a recommended track for times when you want to cherish your memories while looking ahead and doing your best.

Love☆Sparkle-cation!!!SUPER☆GiRLS

SUPER☆GiRLS / Love☆Sparkle-mication!!! (Short ver.)

It’s a single released in December 2016 by the female idol group SUPER☆GiRLS, which ranked 9th on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

For Ami Maeshima, who graduated in 2017, it was her last single.

Run, SAKAMOTOVaundy

Run, SAKAMOTO / Vaundy: SAKAMOTO DAYS with Vaundy

This is a masterful work by Vaundy, written specifically as the opening theme for a popular anime! The energetic melody generated by its heavy bassline and sharp guitar sound will set your heart racing.

Recorded in London, UK, this piece brings new musical challenges to life through collaboration with overseas staff.

Chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime “SAKAMOTO DAYS,” airing from January 2025, it brilliantly captures the protagonist’s overwhelming strength and determination to protect his family.

It’s the perfect anthem not only for anime fans, but also for anyone who needs courage and a boost in their daily life!