[Instagram Reels] Moving J-POP and Heart-Touching Classics Perfect for Graduation Season [2026]

YELLikimonogakari

Ikimono-gakari “YELL” Music Video

YELL portrays farewell words not as something sad, but as a promise to soar into the future.

Released in September 2009, it is a single by Ikimonogakari, the musical group known for Kiyoe Yoshioka’s clear, expansive vocals.

Loved as the set piece for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition’s junior high division, the song speaks to the importance of starting to walk on your own feet while facing loneliness and anxiety.

Holding the days spent together in your heart, the lyrics convey the resolve to set off on separate paths, gently accompanying the tears and smiles of graduation season.

This piece adds a moving touch to school-life memory videos—woven from countless photos with friends from club activities, school trips, and more—so be sure to give it a listen.

Precious thingsroodo obu mejyaa

Lord of Major / Precious Things

A signature number by Road of Major that powerfully sings of irreplaceable bonds with friends and the bittersweet pain of parting.

Released as an indie single in August 2002, it set an astounding record by staying in the Oricon Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks.

It’s also known for being completed by members who had been brought together for a TV show project, after enduring a grueling tour with their breakup on the line.

Their passionate spirit crossed the sea, and in 2009 the song was even used in a Taiwanese commercial.

Its driving rock sound and warm melody make it perfect as BGM for a graduation video when you want to express gratitude without getting too sentimental.

Revisit this classic—also included on the album “ROAD OF MAJOR”—alongside your cherished memories with dear friends.

Because we’re friends.Ochiai Wataru

Wataru Ochiai – Because We’re Friends (Music Video)

Singer-songwriter Wataru Ochiai, whose warm voice and down-to-earth words resonate with many listeners.

Perfect for graduation season, “Tomodachi Yakarane” is a friendship song written in unpretentious language with a touch of Kansai dialect.

Its warm message—that even if you’re apart, the relationship doesn’t end—helps ease the sadness of parting.

Released as a digital single in February 2022, the song was also chosen as the tie-up track for Tokyo Dome City Attractions’ spring event “Welcome, Graduates 2023.” The lyrics, sprinkled with concrete memories from student days, are sure to awaken each listener’s own recollections.

How about giving it to a friend who’s graduating to convey your unchanging bond?

spring skySuzuki Suzuki

【Graduation】Spring Sky – Suzuki Suzuki【Official Music Video】

This is a ballad by the brother duo Suzuki Suzuki, featuring beautiful harmonies that resonate deeply.

Written in down-to-earth language, the song captures the anxiety and excitement of leaving your hometown at graduation to head somewhere new, along with the sadness of parting.

Rather than pushing you forward, its appeal lies in the gentle warmth that softly stays by your side through shifting emotions, making it a supportive companion for anyone starting a new chapter.

Released digitally in February 2022, it is also included on the album “313.” The music video drew attention for featuring popular video creators, and karaoke service DAM even ran a scoring battle campaign, offering not just a listening experience but plenty of ways to enjoy singing it as well.

Give it a listen when you’re bidding farewell to a dear friend, or as a cheer for yourself.

Go, Sakura! / Cheer up, Sakura!THE SUPER FRUIT

THE SUPER FRUIT – Sakura Fure Fure [Official Music Video]

THE SUPER FRUIT is a boy group from Tsubasa Danshi Production.

Their second single, “Sakura Fure Fure,” released in March 2023, features a high-energy band sound that evokes the arrival of spring.

True to its title—which layers the image of “falling cherry blossoms” with the cheer of “fure fure” (go, go!)—it’s a gentle push forward during a season when anxiety and excitement about new beginnings are intertwined.

The song was selected as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “Buzz Rhythm 02” for March 2023 and is also included on the album “Aoi Kajitsu” (Blue Fruit).

Its message—that it’s okay to bloom in your own time, without rushing—will likely resonate deeply with those embarking on a new path after graduation.

Just like the memorable visuals featuring pink school uniforms, try using it as background music to brighten commemorative photos with friends.

Last SongOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Last Song [Studio Live Session]

This song, included on the 2019 album “Traveler,” was used as an insert track for the special drama “U-NEXT presents Ato 3-kai, Kimi ni Aeru” (“I Can See You Three More Times”).

The lyrics convey feelings one wishes to express at the moment of parting and gratitude toward someone they may never meet again, imbued with the hope that saying “see you” can make farewells a little easier.

Expressing the transience of passing time and the bittersweetness of cherishing memories with someone important, this piece is perfect for scenes of bidding farewell to friends and teachers on graduation day.

Playing it while creating a yearbook or a retrospective video will help set a moving, emotional tone.

spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Spring Melancholy

This song, which Motoki Omori is said to have written the day after his own graduation ceremony, faithfully captures the complex emotions felt during the season of farewells.

It was released to the world in February 2018 as the B-side to the single “Love me, Love you.” It was also featured in a Suntory Craft Boss commercial, resonating with many listeners.

The inability to be honest with friends and companions, the moment you realize that the routines of everyday life were irreplaceable—these genuine feelings of graduates are conveyed over a gentle melody.

Chosen as an entrance piece for graduation ceremonies or as background music for reels that look back on memories, it will surely add color to a special day.