Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: powerful BGM that ignites your fighting spirit

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

When you hear “music for tug-of-war at a school sports day,” does any song come to mind?

You might easily imagine tracks for relays or sprints, but when it comes to tug-of-war, nothing quite clicks—that’s probably true for many people.

So in this article, we’ll introduce songs from a wide range of genres—popular J-pop, international pop, video game music, and more—that seem like a great match for tug-of-war.

From powerful, driving tunes to high-energy tracks that stoke your fighting spirit, we’ve gathered plenty of punchy songs.

Use this as a reference when choosing your BGM!

[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: powerful BGM that fires you up (21–30)

Goodbye ElegySuda Masaki

Masaki Suda “Sayonara Elegy”

Goodbye ElegySuda Masaki

This is Masaki Suda’s “Sayonara Elegy,” which was the theme song for the drama Kiss that Kills starring Kento Yamazaki.

Although Masaki Suda is popular among women, he looks really cool in the music video strumming an acoustic guitar.

It’s the kind of thing that even elementary and middle school boys would admire.

With its upbeat, driving feel, it’s a song that would really hype up a tug-of-war as background music, wouldn’t it?

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A view I’ve never seen beforeSuda Masaki

Masaki Suda “A Scenery I’ve Never Seen”

A view I've never seen beforeSuda Masaki

The actor Masaki Suda’s debut single as a solo singer, “Mitakoto mo nai Keshiki,” is a landmark first release from 2017.

While his songs may often be associated with ballads, this one is an up-tempo rock tune.

Its moving lyrics, delivered powerfully in Suda’s voice, carry an energy that can make a special day even more special.

As expected from someone who excels as both an actor and a voice actor, the expressive quality he brings to the song gives it an extraordinary sense of drama.

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Murakami Shinpei

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[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: powerful BGM that stirs your fighting spirit (31–40)

Rocky Theme

Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme)

Rocky Theme

Do you have a song that naturally fires up your fighting spirit when you hear it? Whether you like pro wrestling or not, I bet “Rocky’s Theme” gets your adrenaline pumping.

It’s originally known as the entrance theme for pro wrestler Mitsuo Momota, but you hear it in all kinds of sports scenes.

If you play this song as the entrance music before a tug-of-war match, it will definitely get everyone hyped.

And of course, it’d be great to play during the competition too.

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kinoshita ayaka

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One moreFUNKY MONKEY BABYS

FUNKY MONKEY BABYS “One More”

One moreFUNKY MONKEY BABYS

When it comes to sports days and athletic festivals, they’re the stars of school events—youthful moments that become lifelong memories.

And if we’re talking about artists who support that youthful spirit, it’s got to be FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S.

Among their songs, “Ato Hitotsu” is especially great for tug-of-war.

Tug-of-war is all about stamina and teamwork.

When you want to dig deep and push just a little more, this song coming on will definitely help you hold your ground!

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kinoshita ayaka

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Night Sky Patrol of TomorrowOrangestar

Orangestar – Asunoyozora Shoukaihan (feat. IA) Official Video

Night Sky Patrol of TomorrowOrangestar

It’s the Vocaloid masterpiece “Asu no Yozora Shoukaihan,” released in 2015.

The title is a bit tricky—“哨戒班” is read “shoukaihan.” The lyrics, which feel like they look at a farewell and the future beyond it, are profound and thought-provoking.

Even so, the strong sense of moving forward into the future makes it, I think, a perfect fit as background music for a sports day event.

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RISINGYoshida Kyōdai

Yoshida Brothers 'RISING'

RISINGYoshida Kyōdai

When it comes to songs that hype up a tug-of-war where the whole team works together, “RISING” is the go-to.

Performed by the Yoshida Brothers on Tsugaru shamisen, it was released in 2005.

The track opens with grand drumming, making it a great choice to start right at the cue for the tug-of-war.

The passionate band arrangement intertwined with the Tsugaru shamisen’s tones will ignite the competition.

It’s a track with a driving sound that perfectly matches tug-of-war—one of the marquee events in school sports festivals.

Why not use this Japanese-style instrumental as your BGM?

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poofKing Gnu

King Gnu – Doron

poofKing Gnu

In 2020, the rock band King Gnu has been on an unstoppable winning streak—you could say they’re so powerful they could knock birds out of the sky.

Their songs have an explosive impact that makes any listener—from discerning band aficionados to casual fans—think “This is cool!” in an instant.

Their track ‘Dororon’ is exactly that kind of song, and it’s highly recommended as background music for a tug-of-war at a school sports day.

Can you feel that sense of darkness that draws out the inner power of this boy?

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Murakami Shinpei

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