Winter songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic winter anthems that never lose their shine.
In the 2000s, many timeless hits were born—songs like Remioromen’s “Konayuki” and Mika Nakashima’s “Yuki no Hana,” which are still loved by people of all ages today.
For those who remember when these songs were topping the charts, they likely feel especially familiar.
In this article, we’ve gathered winter songs from the 2000s—from dazzling tracks that make you hum along to exquisite ballads with beautiful melodies.
Please use this playlist as background music to reminisce about winter memories or to relax and enjoy this year’s winter at your own pace!
Winter songs that were hits in the 2000s. Timeless winter song classics (1–10)
A town where it snowsFUNKY MONKEY BABYS
A poignant winter song released as a DVD single in January 2009.
Also included on the album “FUNKY MONKEY BABYS 3,” this track depicts emotions where swirling, snowy cityscapes intersect with lingering feelings for a love that has ended.
The sound, reminiscent of sparkling snow, heightens the sense of longing, and the dramatic progression—from a quiet intro to a gradual build—really tugs at the heart.
The music video features Aya Sugimoto and was filmed on location in Nagano Prefecture.
It’s a gentle ballad that stays by your side when you want to stroll through a winter city, reminiscing about a past romance or reflecting on a season to which you can never return.
White LoversKuwata Keisuke
When people think of iconic songs that colored the winters of the 2000s, many probably picture Keisuke Kuwata’s “Shiroi Koibitotachi.” It was released in 2001 as his seventh solo single.
Many love songs from the 2000s straightforwardly express the scenes before our eyes and the emotions felt in the moment.
In particular, this song reflects the bittersweetness of winter romance directly onto a snowy landscape, making it resonate even more deeply.
Its wistful melody also envelops you in a nostalgic mood.
Let this classic warm the memories of past loves.
SNOW SONGMISIA
A winter lyric poem delivered by MISIA in the winter of 2003.
Included on a double A-side single cut from the album “MARS & ROSES,” it was chosen as the campaign song for J-WAVE’s Christmas season.
The lyrics are said to have originated the morning after she finished a New Year’s Eve concert in Hokkaido, when she saw a pure white snowy landscape through a frozen window.
A romantic ballad brimming with the sentiment of winter nights—like the kind of moment that makes you instinctively look up at the night sky when your heart is moved.
It’s a song that gently stays with you on winter nights when you want to be quiet, or when you’re thinking of someone far away.
Snow BlossomNakajima Mika
Whenever the first snow begins to fall, I invariably feel like listening to Mika Nakashima’s “Yuki no Hana.” Since its 2003 release, it has remained an enduringly popular, sublime winter song.
It’s a piece that keeps you company during the season when we long for connection and tend to sink into a sentimental mood, and her gentle voice brings snowy scenes to mind.
It’s a heartrending love ballad that layers the fleeting nature of snow with the fragility of love—never knowing when it might disappear.
Precisely because love is so precious, it makes you want to cherish it all the more.
JEWELHamasaki Ayumi
This piece, included on the November 2006 album “Secret,” was featured in a commercial for Panasonic’s LUMIX FX07 digital camera and is also remembered for its unusual showcase as an album track at the 57th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Feelings for a precious person met under gray skies, and gratitude toward the one who transformed the deep-seated scars in the heart into kindness, resonate poignantly alongside the piano’s melody.
Its introspective, lyrical worldview will gently accompany you on quiet, solitary winter days or when you wish to reaffirm the value of time spent with someone irreplaceable.
Memorial SnowTRF
A wistful winter ballad included on TRF’s 2009 single.
Drawing attention as an answer song that carries on the world of their earlier signature track “Samui Yoru Dakara…,” it’s a poignant work that speaks to feelings for someone lost, set against the scene of powdery snow falling.
The song was also used in a Takasu Clinic commercial and as the theme for the 60th Sapporo Snow Festival.
It’s a winter tune that accompanies those who want to spend a winter night reflecting on past love, or who have experienced parting with someone dear.
Winter lander!!AAA
This work, which begins with a scene of heading for the slopes in a van while thinking about a loved one in the passenger seat, is included on the 2006 single “Black & White.” Rather than a ballad, it unfolds with an upbeat disco- and funk-tinged rhythm, with handbells and sleigh bells evoking the pure, wintry atmosphere.
Lyrics that intertwine the fun of being with friends and the stirrings of romance depict kisses and romantic moments against a snowy white landscape.
It’s perfect for winter sports outings or a drive with someone special.