Thank you, Teacher: A Song of Gratitude for Teachers and Mentors — An Emotional Farewell Song for the Journey Ahead
On graduation day, you’ll want to make sure you don’t forget to express your gratitude not only to your friends and parents, but also to your homeroom teacher and the mentors who guided you! Many of you might be thinking about surprising your teacher with a class-wide song performance, but are you having trouble choosing the right song? In this article, we’ll introduce a wide selection of songs that can convey your thanks to the teachers who have supported you in so many ways and steered you in the right direction when you went astray.
These are all heartwarming classics that not only express gratitude but also make you feel the bonds you’ve built up until now, so be sure to use them as a reference!
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[Thank You, Teacher] Songs of Gratitude for Teachers and Mentors: Moving Graduation/Departure Songs (11–20)
Graduation, goodbye.haji→
While melancholic ballads are the norm for graduation season, a single released by Hajime in March 2014 offers an empowering, forward-looking boost.
Chosen as the opening theme for Nippon TV’s “Music Dragon,” the song drew attention as a track that accompanies moments of parting, such as graduation ceremonies and farewell gatherings.
Its lyrics carefully spell out the reluctance to part and the resolve to take a new step forward, naturally bringing to mind the faces of teachers and mentors who supported us.
The contrast between the conversational rap verses and the soaring melody of the chorus is pleasing, making it a perfect cheer song that gives you a gentle push.
It’s also highly recommended as a surprise song for the whole class to express their gratitude!
Until we meet againyuzu
Farewells are not an “ending,” but a “promise to meet again.” This is the uplifting message carried by Yuzu’s 14th single.
Released in October 2002, the song was used as the ending theme for the TV Asahi anime Doraemon and also featured in the film Doraemon: Nobita and the Windmasters.
The lyrics were created with contributions from children at an “Adventure Camp,” with Yujin Kitagawa carefully weaving their sincere words into lines that resonate deeply.
It peaked at No.
2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and was performed as part of a medley at the 2003 NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
It’s a perfect choice for a class that wants to express gratitude to their teacher at a graduation ceremony.
Singing of bonds that don’t fade even when apart and the hope of meeting again, this song is ideal for showing appreciation to a beloved teacher while presenting how much you’ve grown.
hanatabamilet
This is a song by milet, released as a single in June 2024 as the theme for TBS’s Sunday drama “Anti Hero.” Co-produced with Koichi Tsutaya, it’s a mid-tempo ballad that delicately portrays the wavering of emotions that can’t be neatly defined as black or white.
The lyrics, using a bouquet as a motif, strikingly capture the complexity of the human heart, where love and hate, right and wrong can coexist.
Your relationship with your teacher surely had days when you clashed yet gradually came to understand each other.
This piece is perfect for reflecting on that kind of bond that isn’t simple or straightforward.
It’s a recommended song for those who, at the milestone of graduation, want to express a determination to move forward—not only with gratitude, but also while carrying doubts and inner conflict.
Letter to the SkyGReeeeN
Like sending a letter with no address up into the sky, this GReeeeN song gives voice to feelings you want to convey even if they never reach their destination.
It’s included on the album “Shio, Kosho,” released in June 2009, which won Best Album at the 51st Japan Record Awards.
Though it had no flashy tie-ins, this piece has quietly resonated with many listeners as a ballad that leaves a deep afterglow toward the end of the album.
The layered vocals and choral work—spreading out as if gently supporting a single prayer—are especially striking.
It’s a song we particularly want to send to those standing at the milestone of graduation, carrying unspoken gratitude and words left unsaid.
As you look back on the days when you couldn’t be honest with a teacher or mentor, why not entrust your feelings to this song?
Because you’re my hero.LiSA
LiSA’s 12th single, released in August 2017, is a rock anthem written as the ending theme for season 2 of the TV anime My Hero Academia.
It sings of “heroes” not as titles reserved for distant others, but as words for everyone who, despite their doubts, tries to move forward.
The song is filled with gratitude for those who supported and guided her, and the feeling that she became stronger thanks to them.
In the music video, TOTALFAT—whom LiSA admired—appears alongside her, and the setup of “playing together with respected seniors” gives the song’s message greater dimension.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who wants to tell a teacher or mentor, “I am who I am today because of you.”
Thank youOhashi Takuya
This is one of the signature songs released under the solo name of Takuya Ohashi, a member of Sukima Switch.
As the title “Arigatou” (Thank You) suggests, it’s a song about gratitude, and it was originally written to express thanks to one’s parents.
I imagine many students think of a teacher who has taught them so much every day as a kind of parental figure.
When you want to express deep gratitude to a teacher who has supported you that much and with whom you feel close, choosing to give them this song can be a wonderful gesture.
[Thank You, Teacher] Songs of gratitude for teachers and mentors. Moving graduation/farewell songs (21–30)
Gift SongCHiCO with HoneyWorks
This is CHiCO with HoneyWorks’ song “Okuriga.” As the title “Okuriga” (Song as a Gift) suggests, the lyrics are about sending gratitude to parents and mentors who have supported you.
There may have been difficult times along the way, but if you were given a song like this at the end, any teacher would surely be moved to tears! Please present it with heartfelt thanks.
