Hakodate, a city of hills surrounded by the sea and mountains. Streetcars run through the city, which is a mix of Japanese and Western-style buildings. It's a picturesque city often used as a setting for movies and dramas. Hakodate has as many as 21 municipal junior high schools, each engaging in unique educational initiatives. Recently, based on the GIGA School Program, the city has been developing an environment for introducing one tablet device per student. Many of these ambitious schools are taking on new challenges, such as writing daily blogs about school life and holding student council meetings via ZOOM. In Hakodate's junior high schools, graduation ceremonies are typically held around March 15th, when the snow begins to melt. A staple of these ceremonies is the chorus sung by the graduating students. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, this year's graduation ceremonies have seen some changes from the usual. We found that "no graduation song was sung," "only graduating students attended, without the younger students," and "they sang while wearing masks." The big day, met with the cold sea breeze. Emotion is intertwined with song. So, we asked all 21 public junior high schools in the city what choral songs are being sung at Hakodate's graduation ceremonies today!

Tabidachi no Hi ni (On the Day of Departure)

The number one spot goes to the classic graduation song, 'Tabidachi no Hi ni.' This song was created in 1991 by the principal and a music teacher at Chichibu Municipal Kagemori Junior High School. Initially sung only at this school, it gradually spread. Around 2010, it surpassed long-standing graduation staples like 'Aogeba Totoshi,' 'Sudachi no Uta,' and 'Okuru Kotoba' to become the most widely sung graduation song across Japan. Some schools told us, "We sing this song at our graduation ceremony every year." Thirty years after its creation, it remains deeply popular. The way the mezzo and alto parts follow each other in the chorus might be one of the secrets to its popularity, making it fun to sing.

Gunjō (Ultramarine)

In second place is 'Gunjō.' This choral piece was created by the graduating students and a music teacher of Minamisoma Municipal Odaka Junior High School in Fukushima Prefecture, following the Great East Japan Earthquake. At a time when many so-called "reconstruction support songs" were being created, this piece was born as a "message song" from the side of the disaster victims and continues to be sung. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a significant milestone. We saw some schools choosing this song with the thought, "Let's sing it now, precisely because it's this year." Haruka / Seikai / Michi / Tegami ~Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e~ / Tomo ~Tabidachi no Toki~ / Toki o Koete / Yoake These songs tied for third place. Many are by popular artists, and some schools let students decide by vote. The songs chosen reflect the changing times. The top two graduation songs at Hakodate's junior high schools were both born from schools themselves. Songs become a significant part of looking back on memories of our school days. We hope for the day when everyone can sing together without any worries!