Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

A cherry blossom song with great lyrics. A wonderful, heartwarming message.

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

In Japan, when spring arrives, a lot of cherry blossom songs start to appear, don’t they?

For a long time, cherry blossoms have held a special place in the hearts of Japanese people, inspiring many songs filled with different emotions.

Love, graduation and farewells, starting school and new encounters… It’s precisely because of the season of spring and its beauty that cherry blossoms have become something we entrust our feelings to.

Among those sakura songs, there must be many people who want to listen to tracks with truly moving lyrics—songs that feel like they’re speaking on your behalf.

So in this article, we’ll introduce cherry blossom songs with wonderful lyrics!

They’re all masterpieces that will stay close to your heart, so if you find a favorite, try listening while reading the lyrics.

Cherry blossom songs with great lyrics. Touching, beautiful messages (1–10)

Only the graduation photo knowsHinatazaka46

The Only One Who Knows Is the Graduation Photo by Hinatazaka46

Only the graduation photos know Hinatazaka46

A bittersweet love story you’ll want to listen to during cherry blossom season.

Sung by Hinatazaka46, this song beautifully portrays unspoken feelings set against the backdrop of graduation day.

Yasushi Akimoto’s lyrics delicately express regret and nostalgia for a youth that has slipped away.

The lingering thought of “What if, back then…?” is sure to resonate deeply with listeners.

Released in January 2025, the track features center Nao Kosaka’s clear, translucent vocals that leave a lasting impression.

When spring arrives and you find yourself reflecting on someone special, be sure to give it a listen.

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Sakura RabbitTakaya Kawasaki

Takanori Kawasaki - Sakura Usagi [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Sakura Usagi Kawasaki Takaya

This song, Takanoya Kawasaki’s “Sakura Usagi,” is about graduation and feelings that never reach their destination, weaving in a tender first love.

The girl at the center of the song compares herself—unable to confess her feelings to the boy she has longed for—to a timid rabbit.

Seeing everything from her perspective, you can feel your chest tighten as you realize how deeply she has always loved him.

Even when graduation day arrives, she still can’t honestly express how she feels.

It’s frustrating, yet surely many people have had a similar experience.

The beautiful scenes of spring seem to come vividly to mind, and that, too, makes it a song that brings tears.

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Taiwan cherryRen

Ren – Taiwan Cherry (Music Video)

Hikan-zakura Ren

This work is striking for Ren’s empathetic, heartfelt vocals.

It delicately portrays a woman who, after overcoming the pain of parting, is determined to move forward.

Many listeners will likely relate to the lyrics, which feel as if they speak directly for their own feelings.

Released as a digital single in February 2023, it also came with a lyric video.

Recommended for those sensing the end of a romance or wanting to take a new step.

The poised, resolute strength in the vocals will surely give you a gentle push forward.

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Cherry blossom songs with great lyrics: beautiful, heartwarming messages (11–20)

Sakura Clear SkiesYuri

Sakura Clear Skies

Sakura Haru Yuri

When we think of graduation songs or spring send-off songs, many of them express feelings toward friends who are parting ways and celebrate friendship.

Yuri’s song “Sakurabare,” however, is perfect for the graduation season because it’s filled with gratitude directed toward one’s parents.

As you slowly come to feel the weight of graduating, many people naturally find themselves thinking about their father and mother—thanking them for raising them to this point.

It’s a beautiful song with lyrics that may well bring tears to your eyes this spring.

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Homeward Road in MarchHirai Dai

Dai Hirai / The Way Home in March (Lyric Video)

March no Kaerimichi by Dai Hirai

A heartwarming song that fits perfectly with the cherry blossom season has arrived.

Carried by Dai Hirai’s gentle vocals, it weaves together the complex emotions of parting and new beginnings.

Set against the backdrop of March’s scenery, it carefully portrays a blend of loneliness and dignity, resonating deeply with listeners.

Released digitally in February 2022, the track is also included on the best-of album “LOVE＋PEACE.” Its piano and strings arrangement makes for a moving listen.

It’s a song we especially recommend to those entering graduation season or anyone standing at a turning point in life.

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Cherry Blossom Timeaiko

aiko - “Sakura no Toki” music video

Sakura no Toki by aiko

Released in 2000, aiko’s “Sakura no Toki” overflows with the giddy feelings of warm spring right from its melody.

The lyrics portray scenes of unrequited love, and aiko’s signature, cute word choices make your heart flutter.

I hope you’ll always be the kind of person who loves watching the cherry blossoms together forever! The honest feelings of someone in unrequited love are expressed just as they are, straight and true.

If this song gives you strength, try inviting the person you like to go see the cherry blossoms together!

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cherry blossomNaotaro Moriyama

Sakura

Sakura Moriyama Naotaro

It’s one of the quintessential “sakura songs” you want to listen to when spring arrives.

Virtually synonymous with Naotaro Moriyama, this track was released as a single in March 2003 and sold over a million copies.

Its lyrics superimpose farewells to dear friends and moments of new beginnings onto the image of cherry blossoms that bloom beautifully and fall all too quickly, resonating deeply in the heart.

Beyond the sadness of parting, the song also conveys a warm, resilient strength, pledging to reunite in the future while holding onto unchanging feelings.

It was also beloved as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS program “Sekai Ururun Taizai-ki.” It’s a classic you’ll want to play on the day of graduation, reminiscing about the days spent with your friends.

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