Japanese Music Entrance Song Rankings [2026]

Song of Springsupittsu57rank/position

Spitz / Spring Song

This is a number with a refreshingly memorable melody that I can’t help but want to listen to when I feel the spring breeze.

The lyrics, which capture the wavering of the heart on the way from winter to spring—not only hope but also a touch of chill—will gently accompany those of you standing at the milestone of entering high school.

Released in April 2005 as their 30th single, it’s also included on the album “Souvenir.” You probably know it as the song used in commercials for Japan Coca-Cola’s Aquarius and Lotte’s Ghana Chocolate.

Spitz’s characteristically universal melody and Masamune Kusano’s clear, transparent vocals give you the courage to take a new step forward.

As you embark on a slightly more grown-up high school life, on your commute where anticipation and anxiety mingle, listen to this track and let it lift your spirits!

CorrectRADWIMPS58rank/position

RADWIMPS – The Answer [Official Music Video]

When you find yourself lost in the journey ahead, this work gives you the courage to discover answers that are yours alone.

It’s “Seikai” (“Answer”), a song RADWIMPS—who capture young people’s hearts with their original worldview—created for NHK’s RADWIMPS 18 Festival in 2018.

Unlike school tests, it portrays a journey to seek one’s own answers, gently asking how you want to live the time called the rest of your life.

In February 2024, a CD was released that includes the studio recording version, and its grand sound incorporating choral elements, along with Yojiro Noda’s warm vocals, sinks deep into the heart.

It’s a song I especially want new students—those stepping into a new environment with uncertainty—to listen to as a source of support.

We areONE OK ROCK59rank/position

ONE OK ROCK – We are -Japanese Ver.- [Official Music Video]

Even those who aren’t fond of English lyrics and don’t often listen to Western music still often listen to ONE OK ROCK.

This song, “We are,” also mixes English and Japanese lyrics.

It was created for NHK’s “18-sai-sai” (the 18 Festival), a program made together with 18-year-olds and their generation, and “We are” is the song ONE OK ROCK wrote for them.

The English parts of the lyrics feel like they stand by your anxieties and help ease them.

Try listening while reading the Japanese translation.

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utatane

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rainbowAqua Timez60rank/position

Aqua Timez “Niji” Music Video (Theme song for the drama Gokusen Season 3)

This gem from Aqua Timez, a band that colored the Heisei era, is a song that gently pushes forward those embarking on a new chapter.

Chosen as the theme song for Nippon TV’s drama Gokusen Season 3, it was released in May 2008.

Brimming with the hopeful message that any hardship can be overcome, it resonates with people stepping into new stages of life, such as advancing to higher education or starting a job.

The lyrics, which compare the happiness that awaits beyond adversity to a rainbow, strike a deep chord with listeners.

It’s a heartwarming ballad that teaches the importance of keeping your head up and continuing to move forward.

far; distant; by farGReeeeN61rank/position

GReeeeN – Haruka

It’s a classic song depicting the season when cherry blossoms dance in the air.

Released in May 2009, it was used as the theme song for the film “ROOKIES: Graduation.” The track is included on GReeeeN’s third album, “Shio, Kosho,” as well as their best-of album, “Imamade no A-men, B-men desu to!?” This song expresses gratitude toward family and friends and a resolve to set off into a new world.

Through imagery of spring breezes and cherry blossoms, it conveys the anticipation and anxiety of starting a new life, along with the sorrow of parting from loved ones.

It’s a perfect song for those entering a new chapter—graduation, matriculation, or starting a career.

Listening to it in spring makes it resonate even more deeply.

ComedyHoshino Gen62rank/position

Gen Hoshino – Comedy (Official Video)

Gen Hoshino brings music that gently supports those on the verge of a new beginning.

Released in April 2022 as the ending theme for the anime SPY×FAMILY, this song warmly portrays the meaning of family and the preciousness of everyday life.

Feelings of loneliness and the hopeful search for a new place to belong are expressed through tender vocals and a groovy sound.

Hoshino also included the song on his album Orange, conveying the importance of embracing any hardship with a positive mindset through his unique style infused with funk and soul.

When you find yourself trying too hard alone, or feeling anxious about a new environment before a school entrance ceremony, give this song a listen.

Its gentle warmth is sure to reach your heart.

Tomorrow will surely be a good day.Takahashi Yuu63rank/position

Yū Takahashi’s directorial debut MV “Tomorrow Will Surely Be a Good Day” — Omokuri Director Edit Version (Short Size)

This is a song by singer-songwriter Yu Takahashi whose gentle lyrics give you courage, telling you that even unpleasant things that happen in everyday life might not seem like a big deal if you change your perspective! It’s a waste to let yourself be tied down by that hazy, frustrating feeling and be unable to move forward.

If you shift your mindset like in the lyrics of “Ashita wa Kitto Ii Hi ni Naru” (“Tomorrow Will Surely Be a Good Day”), you might be able to say goodbye to the version of yourself who used to fret over little things! Why not take the start of high school as an opportunity to sweep away your old negative mindset?

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yuri

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