This is the definitive BGM for the graduation ceremony! A moving collection of songs you can use for everything from the entrance march to the thank-you party.

Kitearashi

ARASHI – Kite [Official Music Video]

A grand message song by Arashi that you’ll want to give to friends setting off on a new chapter.

Like a kite catching the wind and soaring high, it portrays the resolve to move forward despite uncertainty.

There’s a warmth in this song that gently watches over that figure and gives a soft push from behind.

The single “Kite,” released in 2020, was written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu as the “NHK 2020 Song.” It was also aired on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” making it beloved across generations.

Parting with friends is lonely, but the sentiment embedded in this work—“we’re connected no matter where we are”—will surely reach their hearts.

If everyone sings it together at a farewell party, it becomes the perfect cheer, powerfully supporting the future of the one setting out.

My TreasureNEUTRINO

My Treasure — Song: NEUTRINO (with lyrics)

This song gently accompanies the season of preschool graduation and moving up, soothing the sadness of farewells.

Written by a former childcare worker, the lyrics are filled with warmth, singing that the encounters and memories from preschool life are treasures.

Included on the album “Congratulations on Graduation from Preschool ~ Graduation Songs & Music Collection, sent with heartfelt thanks for all the smiles and energy you gave us,” released in December 2016, it has been cherished as a standard graduation song.

In this piece, NEUTRINO handles the vocals, and the clear, transparent voice delivers the message of the lyrics straight to the heart.

Sing it at a thank-you party or graduation ceremony, and the entire venue is sure to be moved.

Try singing it together with your child as you look back on preschool life and your precious memories.

Song of a FriendBUMP OF CHICKEN

BUMP OF CHICKEN “Friend’s Song”

The song I want to listen to while reflecting on a friend I’m parting ways with is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Tomodachi no Uta” (“Song of Friends”).

The lyrics, written by Motoo Fujiwara as he thought of characters from works he loved since childhood, convey a clumsy yet warm sense of friendship, and the grand sound incorporating trumpet is sure to resonate deeply with men as well.

Released in February 2011 as their 19th single, this track moved many as the theme song for the film “Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops—Angel Wings.” It’s a song that wraps up the anxieties of a new departure and gently nudges you forward.

Even if you end up walking separate paths, it makes you believe the time you shared won’t disappear—a masterpiece filled with kindness.

Someday, these tearsLittle Glee Monster

“Someday These Tears Will” – Little Glee Monster

Little Glee Monster, who always moves us with their stunning harmonies.

Released in December 2017, this song was created as the support anthem for the 96th All Japan High School Soccer Championship.

It delivers a powerful cheer to those striving toward their dreams, carrying a message that the tears shed in frustration or setback will one day turn into badges of honor you can be proud of.

The track was also included on their album “juice,” released the following January, and it continues to be loved as one of their signature songs.

It’s a perfect song for graduation—a milestone in life—offering the courage to take a new step while reflecting on past efforts and days spent with friends.

We especially recommend it to those who have devoted themselves to club activities or studies, and to anyone who has created many cherished memories.

cherry blossomberii guddoman

Very Good Man – “Sakura” Music Video (Everyone’s Graduation Album Ver.)

A graduation song by Berry Goodman that you’ll want to listen to in the season when cherry blossoms scatter.

Included on the March 2017 album “Spring Spring Spring,” this track conveys a message of sending someone off with a smile rather than tears, even as it portrays the sadness of parting.

Scenes from school life—like the playing field and the hallways—are woven into the lyrics, cleverly overlapping with each listener’s own memories.

It was also chosen as the ending theme for MBS’s program “ENT” in March, adding color to the season of farewells.

The arrangement by HiDEX offers an appealing sound that isn’t overly mellow and gives you the strength to move forward.

It’s perfect not only for graduation ceremonies—processional and recessional alike—but also for moments like retiring from a club or transferring to a new workplace, and other milestones in life.

It’s the ideal song for when you want to convey the feeling of ending not with tears, but with a smile.

Run Through the MemoriesMy Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – Dash Through the Memories

A ballad by My Hair is Bad filled with a warm message of gratitude to friends who shared irreplaceable time together, and of turning even painful experiences into strength for the future.

The sincere words penned by vocalist Tomohito Shiiki affirm the days that have passed in their entirety and give you the courage to take a new step forward.

Released in June 2024, the song also drew attention for being written as the theme for the film Crayon Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary.

It’s an important track that closes out the album ghosts, featuring a grand band sound worthy of a story’s end credits.

It’s a song that gently supports graduates as they etch their memories into their hearts and move on toward tomorrow—why not listen to it together with your cherished friends?

It will be sunny tomorrow.Sakata Osamu

Ashita wa Hareru (Okaasan to Issho) / Osamu Sakata

When it comes to a song that cheers on children setting off on their own paths, this is the one.

Written and composed by Osamu Sakata, it was first broadcast in March 1999 as the Monthly Song on NHK E-Tele’s “Okaasan to Issho.” It was penned to coincide with the graduation of the show’s then “big brother” and “big sister” singers, and it beautifully weaves together the sadness of parting with the hope of meeting again.

Its gentle melody carries a message encouraging children to remember their friends especially in times of sadness or anxiety.

Featured even in elementary school music textbooks, it has become a timeless standard sung across generations.

It’s perfect for tender moments like graduation slideshow presentations or exit scenes.