TERU Writes New School Cheer Song "函商応援歌" for His Alma Mater, Hakodate Commercial High School

To mark the 140th anniversary of his alma mater, Hakodate Commercial High School in Hokkaido, TERU has written the lyrics and music for a new cheer song titled "函商応援歌" (Kansho Ouenka). The song will replace the cheer song that has been sung since around 1922, and is set to be performed for the first time by the whole student body, led by the choir club, at the school's founding anniversary ceremony on October 24, 2026.

Details

Hakodate Commercial High School in Hokkaido was established in 1886 (Meiji 19) as the first public commercial school in Hokkaido, and in 2026 it celebrated its 140th anniversary. As part of the commemorative project, the school's alumni association asked TERU, a graduate of the school, to create a new cheer song. TERU gladly accepted, writing both the lyrics and music for what became "函商応援歌."

The lyrics are said to incorporate the scenery of Hakodate, the characteristics of the local area, and words that evoke memories of the school. Students in the choir club practiced intensively over a short period, and in early September 2026 they received direct guidance from TERU himself during the recording session. Finished as a two-part song for male and female voices, "函商応援歌" will be performed for the first time by the whole student body, led by the choir club, at the school's founding anniversary ceremony to be held at the school gymnasium starting at 1:00 p.m. on October 24, 2026.

Connection to His Past Work

This is not the first time TERU has written a song for his hometown of Hakodate. On July 23, 2025, he wrote the lyrics and music for "ワッショイはこだて," the parade song for the Hakodate Port Festival, and released it for streaming. It seems that TERU continues to create music tied to local events and milestones, engaging with Hakodate, his roots, each time.

The previous cheer song that is now being replaced was created around 1922 (Taisho 11) and had been sung at the school for a long time since. TERU, a graduate of the school, has now taken on the role of renewing a cheer song with roughly a century of history.

One More Thing

The unveiling of the new cheer song "函商応援歌" is scheduled to take place during the 140th anniversary ceremony at Hakodate Commercial High School's gymnasium, starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Since it will be the first performance of the two-part song for male and female voices, finished under TERU's direct guidance to the choir club students, it promises to be a special occasion for those connected to the school.

This project was also announced on the official GLAY website's NEWS section on October 14, 2026, under the headline "TERU creates '函商応援歌' to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Hakodate Commercial High School," and local media outlets such as Hakodate Keizai Shimbun and Hakodate Shimbun Digital have reported on the background of its creation as well. Since the ceremony is a school event, it is not yet known whether it will be open to the public, but further updates may follow, and GLAYER will report any news as it becomes available.