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

March 9Remioromen

Remioromen – March 9

A classic song for graduation season that continues to be loved, this Remioromen masterpiece was released in 2004.

It was originally created to celebrate a friend’s wedding, but its lyrics moved many listeners, and when it was used in the 2005 drama “1 Litre of Tears,” it began to be widely sung as a graduation chorus piece as well.

Warmly expressing memories to date and gratitude toward loved ones, it’s a song that brings tears just by listening.

It’s a deeply resonant track that gently accompanies graduation memory videos and farewell scenes with friends.

Youth PhotographLittle Glee Monster

[Little Glee Monster] Youth Photograph [Litoguri]

This is a classic song that makes both tears and smiles shine at the milestone of graduation.

Its lively beat and beautiful harmonies overlap, capturing both the bittersweet feeling of parting with friends and the anticipation for the future.

The lyrics, which sing about how the messages written behind the school building and the ordinary days spent in the classroom were irreplaceable treasures, are a page of youth that anyone can relate to.

Released in March 2015 as one of the tracks on a double A-side single, this song cheerfully embraces the honest feelings of graduates who want to say goodbye with laughter—yet end up in tears all the same.

Memento moriŌmori Motoki

Motoki Ohmori – 'Memento Mori' Official Lyric Video

This song gently embraces the inevitability of parting with a warm, affirming gaze.

Bearing a Latin title that means “remember death,” it carefully weaves universal themes such as departures, memories, and the meaning of being born.

It’s a track from Motoki Omori’s 2021 solo digital EP “French”—Omori is also the frontman of Mrs.

GREEN APPLE—and it was later adapted into a picture book and a staged reading.

When we reach milestones like graduation, we often want the courage to look back on our days so far and take a step into the future.

This piece is sure to spread a quiet sense of emotion throughout the venue as exit music for the ceremony or as the BGM for a memory video.

A graduation song, a song of friends.19

A graduation song, a song of friends.

This work, which depicts the moment you realize that ordinary daily life was actually a special time, is a song included on 19’s single “Ano Kami Hikouki Kumo rizora Watte” released in March 1999.

It was originally planned to be the title track, but because “Ano Kami Hikouki Kumo rizora Watte” was chosen as TBS’s spring campaign song, that track took center stage.

Its message—that time changes form the moment you become aware of endings, and that farewells are in fact new beginnings—gently encourages graduates filled with anxiety.

The arrangement, with Kenji Okahira and Keigo Iwase trading lines over the tender tones of an acoustic guitar, is also striking.

It’s a warm song that you can listen to with friends to reaffirm a bond that will remain unchanged as you move forward.

Starting Oversumika

sumika / Starting Over [Music Video] - TV Anime “MIX MEISEI STORY: The Second Summer, Beyond the Sky” Opening Theme

The song that gives you a gentle push as you approach graduation is a track released by sumika in 2023.

Written as the opening theme for the anime “MIX MEISEI STORY: The Second Summer, Beyond the Sky,” it sings about the courage to take your first steps toward your dreams, even while feeling uncertain and anxious about a new season.

It’s okay to cry, there’s no need to rush—but don’t ever let go of what you love.

The warm message woven into the lyrics truly resonates.

It’s a song I hope those who are unsure about their path after graduation, or those about to take a step into a new environment, will listen to.

On nights when cherry blossoms fallaimyon

Aimyon – On the Night the Cherry Blossoms Fall [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Aimyon is a singer-songwriter who enjoys broad support across a wide range of listeners, especially among younger generations.

The theme song for the dating reality show “Koi to Ookami ni wa Damasarenai,” released in February 2021, is a track that portrays the feelings of unrequited love set against a night of falling cherry blossoms.

The image of the protagonist deepening their feelings for the other person on a chilly April night is striking.

Many people may find themselves relating to that universal longing—the kind that makes you want to see someone for no clear reason.

It’s the perfect number for filming Reels with friends after graduation ceremonies or for memory videos during cherry blossom season.

Friend ~Time of Departure~yuzu

Yuzu “Friend ~The Time of Departure~”

An uplifting anthem that sends heartfelt cheers to friends facing the season of farewells.

Originally written by Yujin Kitagawa as a message of gratitude to the staff who supported their nationwide tour after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the song served as the prototype.

It was later reworked as the compulsory piece for the Middle School Division of the 80th NHK National School Music Competition and released as a single in September 2013.

It was also featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” and has since become widely beloved as a choral piece.

Its message—wishing that those who carry anxiety and uncertainty as they embark on a new path will look forward while holding memories of irreplaceable friends close to their hearts—resonates alongside beautiful harmonies.

If you’re making a graduation ceremony reel, this song is perfect for reaffirming the bond that keeps hearts connected even when you’re apart.