Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

The parade of classes and groups that kicks off sports days and athletic festivals.

In the past, classical pieces were the mainstay, but in recent years you often see entrance scenes on social media set to a wide range of music—from classic marches to popular J-pop.

In this article, we’ll introduce famous pieces originally composed as marches, as well as J-pop and anime songs arranged for marching.

If you can hum the melody but can’t recall the title, this might be your solution!

We hope you find the perfect track to energize those entrance and exit marches.

[March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrances and exits at sports days and athletic meets (81–90)

Sports MarchMayuzumi Toshirō

Sports March / Toshiro Mayuzumi — Nippon TV sports program theme song

Sports MarchMayuzumi Toshirō

This is a march for orchestra known as a landmark masterpiece that blazed a new trail, distinguished by its powerful, dynamic melody.

Composed by Toshiro Mayuzumi in 1953 at the request of Nippon Television, the work is a wonderful piece that evokes a bright, forward-looking spirit.

Its brilliant trumpet sonorities and exhilarating rhythms lift the heart.

It has been a mainstay on Nippon Television’s sports programs, boasting a track record of use across numerous shows, including professional wrestling broadcasts, professional baseball night games, and the Hakone Ekiden.

It is truly a piece that has walked alongside the history of sports broadcasting in Japan.

It’s a perfect choice when you want to energize a school sports day or athletic event, or when you simply need a boost.

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It starts here!DREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE “It Starts Here!”

It starts here!DREAMS COME TRUE

Brimming with dynamic rhythm and a powerful melody, this track serves as a heartwarming anthem that, while a theme song for an ekiden relay race, also celebrates life’s challenges, hard work, and those taking a bold new step forward.

DREAMS COME TRUE fuse ’80s disco sounds with Latin grooves into a lively arrangement that gently pushes listeners onward.

The song was released digitally ahead of time in January 2025 and was later included as a single in March of the same year as the theme song for the “ACN EXPO EKIDEN 2025 Commemorating the Osaka-Kansai Expo.” It’s a buoyant tune that, when played during practice for school sports days or athletic festivals, naturally sparks a sense of camaraderie with teammates and a renewed determination to reach your goals.

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March ‘Memories Refrain’Itō Shion

2025 All-Japan Band Competition Required Piece III: March “Memories Refrain” / Shion Ito [Osaka Toin Wind Orchestra]

March 'Memories Refrain'Itō Shion

A march notable for its dazzling modulations from the very beginning and the lively interplay unique to wind band instrumentation.

With refined tonal writing and beautiful harmonies, it incorporates contemporary elements to create an ambitious work.

While honoring tradition, it brings in a fresh breeze—showcasing the talent of the young composer, Shion Ito.

Published by the All-Japan Band Association in February 2025 and selected as the 2025 All Japan Band Competition Required Piece III, its appeal is spreading through performances by ensembles across the country.

This piece enables performers to rediscover the allure of their own instruments and offers a heart-stirring experience that captures the joy of ensemble playing.

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March “Sky of Hope”Wada Makoto

March “Sky of Hope”

March “Sky of Hope”Wada Makoto

This piece was selected as the No.

4 set piece in 2012.

The composer, Shin Wada, reportedly studied under Masao Yabe, the composer of March April May, which was also a set piece in the 1993 competition and remains highly popular today.

For that reason, the opening section of this piece is said to quote March April May.

It features a lively, refreshing march-like character, making it well-suited not only for concerts but also for scenes where musicians actually march while performing.

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Ceremonial MarchSakai Takasuke

Ceremonial March / Takamasa Sakai — Kobe College Department of Music Wind Orchestra (Conductor: Satoshi Yagisawa)

Ceremonial MarchSakai Takasuke

Opening with a brilliant fanfare, this masterpiece features a powerful, dynamic performance that stirs the heart.

One of Takamasa Sakai’s signature works, it received the Shitaya Prize from the Japan Band Directors Association in 2000, and was selected as a set piece for the Central Japan Band Competition in 2005 and 2006.

With its majestic atmosphere—often chosen as a concert opener—why not use this piece to grace the opening of your sports day?

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