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.

[Marches] A curated selection of popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic meets! (11–20)

The Zero Sense10-FEET

The Zeroth Sense / 10-FEET [Wind Ensemble] Rocket Music POP454

The Zero Sense10-FEET

A gymnasium anthem that sets your basketball spirit ablaze—marked by fierce rock sounds and deeply relatable, heart-grabbing lyrics! Featured on the December 2022 album “Collins,” this track dynamically captures the explosive joy of sinking a shot and the rhythmic pulse of dribbling, layered with 10-FEET’s signature high-energy performance.

As the ending theme for the animated film “THE FIRST SLAM DUNK,” it powerfully conveys the passion of youths sprinting across the gym and their resolve to chase their dreams.

It’s sure to fire up everyone’s fighting spirit during entrances and exits at sports days and school athletic festivals.

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Kaiju no Hanabuta (Monster’s Flower Song)Vaundy

Kaiju no Hanauta / Vaundy [Osaka Toin Wind Ensemble]

Kaiju no Hanabuta (Monster's Flower Song)Vaundy

This song set records such as surpassing 49 million views on its official YouTube music video and exceeding 300 million total streams, making Vaundy a household name.

Its bittersweet lyrics and catchy melody are especially memorable.

Released in May 2020, the track was also used as the CM song for Maruha Nichiro’s WILDish series “For Us” campaign.

Because the melody’s range isn’t very wide and the rhythm is simple, it’s relatively easy to perform in marching band or concert band arrangements.

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Cinderella GirlKing&Prince

Tokai University Suwa High School Brass Band “Cinderella Girl”

Cinderella GirlKing&Prince

A pop tune by King & Prince, rich with message, that uses the fairy tale Cinderella as its motif and powerfully sings of the protagonist’s single-minded feelings for a loved one.

Its catchy melody blends beautifully with the piano line, vividly capturing the flutter of a heart in love.

Released in May 2018, the song was also selected as the theme for the TBS drama “Hana Nochi Hare: Hanadan Next Season,” debuted at No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, and became a massive hit with total sales surpassing one million copies.

It’s an ideal track for uniting everyone’s spirits as an entrance march at a school sports day, and also perfect as a cheer song for sharing energy and courage.

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We are!kitadani hiroshi

ONE PIECE 'We Are!' Ritsumeikan University Cheerleading Squad Wind Ensemble

We are!kitadani hiroshi

This is one of Hiroshi Kitadani’s signature songs, blending an up-tempo, powerful rock sound with irresistibly positive lyrics.

The words, which express the courage to chase dreams with your friends and the strong will to face challenges, make it perfect for school sports day marches! Released in November 1999, it earned high acclaim as the opening theme for the hugely popular anime ONE PIECE.

Its driving sound and energetic vocals will add vibrant color to entry and exit scenes at sports events.

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African SymphonyVan McCoy

African Symphony

African SymphonyVan McCoy

The original song is faster than a marching tempo, so it needs to be slowed down a bit to use, but it’s a familiar classic that’s even played at Koshien.

As expected, under the hot sun, lively songs with impact are the best! The African-style rhythms really lift the energy.

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March, April, MayYabe Masao

1993 Required Piece (IV): March—April—May

March, April, MayYabe Masao

This is a required piece for the 1993 wind band competition.

The piece expresses the changing seasons with “March,” “April,” and “May,” and it gives a very fresh, uplifting feeling.

The snare drum brings out that quintessential “march!” atmosphere, making it perfect for a sports day.

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[March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals! (21–30)

HeroYOASOBI

Hero/YOASOBI 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' [Osaka Toin High School Brass Band]

HeroYOASOBI

Composed as the opening theme for an anime set in a world after the hero’s tale has ended and released in October 2023, this piece features YOASOBI’s hallmark narrative-driven lyrics and memorable melodies, making it a perfect fit for performance by wind ensemble.

Its subtly forlorn mood pairs exquisitely with a pop sensibility, and if played as an entrance march for a school sports day, it can create a dignified atmosphere while still lifting the children’s spirits.

As a march, it may feel a bit restrained, but precisely for that reason it can be expected to ease nerves.

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