![[Song for a Departure] A send-off song for you. A classic masterpiece among departure songs.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Z7yYeG26rx0/maxresdefault.webp)
Starting a new chapter—whether it’s pursuing further education, changing jobs, or chasing your dreams in a new place—there are many kinds of departures in life.
Leaving the familiar and stepping into a new environment is never easy, and you may face many tough moments along the way.
Here, we’ll introduce uplifting songs to cheer you on—songs for setting out, graduation songs that give you the courage to keep going in a new place.
We’ve carefully selected powerful anthems that will push you forward as you take your next step, and that are also perfect for sending to the dear friends and companions who are about to embark on their own journeys.
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[Song of Departure] A send-off song for you. Classic graduation/leave-taking songs (1–10)
Song of DepartureMr.Children
When you’re setting off feeling anxious, Mr.Children’s “Tabidachi no Uta” gently and tenderly wraps around your heart.
It was chosen as the theme song for the film “Koizora,” based on a cell phone novel and starring Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura.
Kazutoshi Sakurai’s gentle vocals and the warm melody ease the worries that come with departures.
As you walk the path ahead, you’ll feel both excitement and unease, and there will be times when you feel a little timid.
In those moments, as the song describes, remember the smiles and words of the family and friends you love, and the many memories you share.
Along with this song, they will surely give you great strength!
A place where smiles awaitOfisharu Higedan Dism
Official HIGE DANDism’s “The Place Where Smiles Await” gently watches over those setting off and taking a new step.
It was included as an iTunes pre-order bonus for their indie-era mini album “MAN IN THE MIRROR.” The song was also chosen as the theme to celebrate the 45th anniversary of a TV station in their home region of San’in.
Starting a new chapter can be full of anxiety, right? But when things get tough, remember the wonderful smiles of your family and friends back home.
Along with this song, they’re sure to give you strength!
We againSG
This is a piece by Sogyoung that conveys the image of cheering on friends as they set off to different places.
Its powerful rhythm evokes forward steps toward the future, and the layered, game-music-like lightness of the sound is striking.
The inclusion of the melody from Pachelbel’s Canon, a staple in music education, also adds a youthful touch.
It’s a warm song that carries a message of looking back on the memories built up before setting out, while pledging to meet again.
Friend ~Time to Depart~yuzu
It’s a cheer song sending encouragement to a friend who’s setting off.
The message is to remember the bonds with your companions and keep going whenever things get tough in a new environment.
The assurance that you’ll meet again and are connected somewhere is really heartening.
Bye-Bye ShowBiSH
This is a song performed by BiSH that wholeheartedly expresses gratitude to those who have supported them up to the future they’re heading toward.
Kazuya Yoshii, the vocalist of THE YELLOW MONKEY, wrote the lyrics and composed the music.
The fact that it was released as their final single just before the group’s disbandment also strongly evokes the feeling of a send-off.
True to their nickname as a “punk band without instruments,” it conveys an image of throwing their emotions forward and a power that seems to carve open the future.
It’s a song that suggests all memories—including the sadness of parting—become the strength to move ahead into what comes next.
proofflumpool
Although the group temporarily paused activities due to member Mr.
Yamamura’s medical treatment, they made a much-anticipated return in 2019.
The song “Akashi” is widely known as the set piece for the junior high division of the 2011 NHK All-Japan School Choir Contest.
Alongside Angela Aki’s “Tegami,” several modern classics have emerged from this NHK competition.
The lyrics center on the theme of “the sorrow of parting with dear friends at graduation and the hope of setting out on individual paths.” It’s a song I’d love for anyone starting a new life this spring to hear!
On the day of departure…Kawashima Ai
Released in 2006, this song is included on Ai Kawashima’s eighth single.
It is a retake of I WiSH’s “Ashita e no Tobira,” with both the arrangement and lyrics rewritten.
While the original focused on themes of romance, this version shifts to lyrics centered on school graduation.
The words expressing gratitude for the school building where everyone spent time together and for friends, along with the desire to meet again after graduation, linger in the listener’s ears.