Songs we want to sing at the graduation ceremony! A special feature on moving, heart-touching preschool graduation songs

Friend’s FlowerFukuda Sho

Tomodachi no Hana / Sho Fukuda

This is a graduation song written and composed by Sho Fukuda, a former nursery teacher and children’s song writer.

It carries a warm message: the days spent with friends become buds in our hearts and eventually bloom into flowers.

Instead of saying “goodbye,” it makes a positive promise to remain friends, sure to bring tears to teachers and parents alike.

Released in February 2020, it was later included on the album “Tomodachi no Hana” (Friends’ Flower).

Sho Fukuda is active in a wide range of work, including providing music for NHK Educational TV.

Centered on the piano, this gentle ballad has a simple structure that makes it easy for children to sing along.

It’s a perfect song for choral performances at graduation ceremonies or for expressing gratitude at thank-you gatherings.

Please give me wingsSakushi: Yamagami Michio / Sakkyoku: Murai Kunihiko

Please give me wings

This is a timeless folk song beloved across generations.

The lyricist, Michio Yamagami, is known for depicting everyday scenes in unadorned language, and in this piece, the simple wish to take to the sky resonates deeply.

The music was composed by Kunihiko Murai, and the song was released in February 1971 as a single by Akaitori.

It was later included in school textbooks and spread nationwide as a choral piece, and it has been cherished in many settings, from being sung as a support song for Japan’s national soccer team to performances at the Nagano Olympics.

Cover versions by Kaori Kawamura and Junko Yamamoto also drew attention, reaching a wide range of listeners.

It’s perfect for preschool graduation ceremonies as background music for slideshows or as a recessional.

The song has a warmth that gently encourages children as they step into a new world.

Thank you, goodbye.NEUTRINO

Thank You / Goodbye — Song: NEUTRINO (with lyrics)

First broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in February 1985, this has become a standard song for graduation season.

Composer Wakako Fukuda is said to have created it with the hope of making “a masterpiece that lasts 100 years.” The lyrics carefully express gratitude to friends who laughed together, the classrooms and desks we ran around, and the teachers who sometimes scolded us.

It’s a gentle, slow-tempo ballad with a melody that naturally conveys emotion even through children’s simple voices.

The cover version by NEUTRINO features the distinctive stability of AI singing synthesis, making it useful for practice as well.

It’s a highly recommended song for conveying “thank you” to teachers at a preschool graduation ceremony.

Dokidoki Don! First Graderssakushi: itō akira / sakkyoku: sakurai jun

A classic song sung at preschools: “Dokidoki Don! First Graders” [Classic graduation and entrance ceremony song / Preschool music]

This is a song with lyrics by Akira Ito and music by Jun Sakurai that portrays the feelings of children about to enter elementary school.

It was released in 1986 as an insert song on Fuji TV’s Hirake! Ponkikki.

Set to a bright, lighthearted melody, it expresses a mix of excitement and anxiety about a new environment.

Its charm lies in how it carefully conveys, from a child’s perspective, simple feelings like “Will I be able to walk to school by myself?” and “Will I get along with the child sitting next to me?” When sung by the oldest class at a preschool graduation ceremony, it can convey to the teachers the children’s resolve for the new life that lies ahead.

Even as they carry their worries, their willingness to take a step forward is a heartening sign of growth for the teachers.

It’s a song that simultaneously communicates gratitude to the teachers who watched over their days at the preschool and hope for a new beginning.

Goodbye Marchkowase tamami

[Children’s Song] Farewell March (with Lyrics) / Lyrics by Tamami Kowase, Music by Takao Takai, Composition by Shiro Hayakawa, Arrangement / Kindergarten Graduation・First Graders / Piano, Sing and Play

Sayonara March is a lively, classic graduation song with lyrics by Tamami Kowase, who is also known as a picture book author.

You can almost see the children marching, waving to their friends against a dazzling backdrop of sky and clouds.

Instead of dwelling on the sadness of parting, it wonderfully portrays graduation as a bright send-off into a new world.

Even as the farewell words are repeated, the lyrics move forward in step with the rhythm, making you want to give the children a gentle push on their backs.

Released in October 2010, the album “Best Graduation Songs for Kindergarten” and many other graduation commemorative albums have featured this beloved track.

Ceremonies can feel a bit solemn, but with this song that ends in smiles, let’s watch over the children as they set off with hope in their hearts!

Nice friendKeroponzu

Nice friend

Time spent with friends is a treasure that can’t be replaced.

This collaboration between Keropons—hugely popular among children—and Tomohiko Fujimoto is a warm number that directly expresses the joy of meeting and the happiness of laughing together.

It carries a positive, gentle message that makes you truly think, “Friends are wonderful.” Released in July 2012 on the album ‘Chokotto Asobi Daisakusen!,’ the song has long been loved by many teachers and children, even being featured as a Hall of Fame song on the childcare information site Hoick.

During graduation season, singing it while looking at your dear friends’ faces will fill your heart with joyful memories of your time at the preschool.

It’s also a perfect choice to bring everyone together at a farewell party.

It will be sunny tomorrow.Sakata Osamu

Ashita wa Hareru (Okaasan to Issho) / Osamu Sakata

This is “Ashita wa Hareru,” a staple song for graduation season written and composed by singer-songwriter Osamu Sakata.

Its lyrics are memorable for gently supporting the wavering hearts of children about to graduate, encouraging them to remember their friends especially when they feel sad or want to cry.

Broadcast in March 1999 as the “Song of the Month” on NHK’s Okaasan to Issho, the piece was created to coincide with the graduation of the show’s then “big brother” and “big sister” singers.

The message that hearts remain connected even when apart warmly encourages children as they set out into a new world.

Why not sing it together with teachers and parents at the graduation ceremony or thank-you party, cherishing those precious memories?