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

Warship MarchSetoguchi Fujikichi

[Music] March 'Warship' ~ Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Band, Tokyo

This is a march composed in 1900 by Tokichi Setoguchi, based on a song originally written in 1893 as a military song.

Also known affectionately as the “Warship March,” it was widely known before the war and remains one of the pieces frequently performed by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force today.

As a work derived from a military song, it features a boldly dignified melody and crisp, march-like accompaniment—plenty of highlights to enjoy.

It conveys a refined atmosphere that suits not only use as a march for events like sports days but also concert performances.

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Hane Keisuke

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MiracleGReeeeN

Brass Band March: “Kiseki” by GReeeeN (March Version)

GReeeeN’s history was turned into a film, and tracks were released featuring the actors who appeared in it—sparking a renewed hit.

Their signature song has been arranged as a march.

With snare rolls, brass fanfares, and melodies voiced by the warm tones of woodwinds, it’s a wonderful arrangement packed with highlights! It’s very well-known, so it’s perfect for sports days, too.

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Hane Keisuke

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March “Blue Spring”Suzuki Masashi

[2022 Set Piece II] March “Blue Spring” / Masashi Suzuki (All Japan Band Competition)

March “Blue Spring,” composed by Masashi Suzuki—who visits school wind bands across Japan to provide performance coaching—was selected as the No.

2 set piece in 2022.

The brilliant fanfare at the beginning, led by trumpets, euphoniums, and saxophones, is especially striking.

The supporting accompaniment in the horns and trombones adds depth, while the woodwinds’ trills lend further sparkle.

The melody that unfolds from there is smooth and elegant, resulting in a concert march that possesses the refined beauty characteristic of a set piece.

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Hane Keisuke

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Combat MarchMiki Yūjirō

Combat March

Just by listening to this piece, most people will think of baseball.

Its history is shorter than you might expect: it was reportedly composed in 1965 by the Waseda University cheer squad band for the university’s baseball team.

It’s interesting that a song written by college students has remained famous for so long.

The composer, Yujiro Miki, said the piece became so famous that people wouldn’t believe he had written it.

He later registered the copyright at the suggestion of Hachidai Nakamura.

During baseball cheering, chants for the players are inserted between sections of this piece.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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March “Patriotism”Saitō Ushimatsu

March “Patriotism” / Patriotic March

This march, with a powerful wind band melody ringing out, was composed by Ushimatsu Saito in December 1937 for the Navy Band.

Its dignified, weighty atmosphere and the solemn lyrical melody of the middle section are beautifully balanced, and its high level of craftsmanship led to its selection as an official piece jointly adopted by the Navy and Army.

An SP record was released at the time by Polydor, featuring a performance by the Imperial Japanese Navy Band under the baton of Seigo Naitō.

From the wartime period through the postwar years, it was widely performed at ceremonies and events throughout the Asia-Pacific region and became familiar to local audiences in places like Indonesia and Palau.

The trio section incorporates Tokichi Setoguchi’s nationally beloved song “Aikoku Koshinkyoku” (Patriotic March), the composer also known for “Gunkan March.” This is a must-hear for those who wish to savor the rich sonorities and solemn melodic beauty of wind band music, as well as for anyone interested in the history of Japanese military music.

old friendCarl Teike

Alte Kameraden Carl Teike Old Comrades

Composed in 1889, this is one of Germany’s representative military marches.

Teike wrote many pieces as a member of the royal army band, but this piece failed to gain the approval of the bandmaster, leaving him disheartened and leading to his departure from the military band.

At his farewell party, however, some of his former colleagues played this march for him.

In gratitude, he is said to have named it “Old Comrades.” Its brisk melody and light rhythm make it perfect for marching.

Waterboys ‘Synchro BOM-BA-YE’Satō Naoki

Synchro BOM-BA-YE

It’s as if the surging energy of youth has been turned directly into sound—an irresistibly cool, passionate vibe! It kicks off with the universally familiar 3-3-7 handclap rhythm, then fuses exhilarating synthesizer tones with grand orchestration, making for a truly pulse-pounding track.

Listening to it, you can vividly picture the single-minded drive to charge toward a shared goal with your friends, and the sense of accomplishment that awaits beyond hardship.

Composed by Naoki Sato, it was included on the soundtrack album WATER BOYS, released in August 2003.

As the main theme of the drama Water Boys, it powerfully colored the story.

It’s a classic that’s perfect for bands wanting to deliver an energetic performance that pulls the entire venue in at school festivals or concerts.