[80s Japanese Music] Popular Christmas songs: from hit tracks to hidden gems!
As the Christmas season approaches, even those who aren’t particularly into the holiday find themselves unconsciously humming timeless Christmas songs.
Japan’s 1980s music scene—an era that produced countless hits and classics in the nation’s musical history—gave rise to many Christmas songs that are still sung today.
In this article, we’re spotlighting those iconic Christmas tunes born in the ’80s, presenting a diverse lineup that ranges from chart-toppers everyone has heard at least once to hidden gems.
It’s also recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about 1980s kayōkyoku, which in recent years has been drawing keen attention from younger music fans.
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Japanese Pop of the ’80s: Popular Christmas Songs — From Big Hits to Hidden Gems! (21–30)
All on this nightYoshikawa Koji
Kohji Kikkawa’s ninth single, released in September 1986, is a gem of a rock number written and composed by Motoharu Sano.
The original song was offered to Kenji Sawada, but Kikkawa’s version features a minimalist, guitar-driven arrangement that fuses a romantic aesthetic with passionate vocals to create a world uniquely its own.
Peaking at No.
4 on the Oricon chart, this work also symbolizes a turning point as he shifted from idol image to rock artist.
With a melody that carries the quiet and poignancy of the night, it’s a song that will keep you company on a solitary Christmas Eve or add warmth to a special holy night with someone dear.
Last Christmas EveYazawa Eikichi
“Last Christmas Eve” is Eikichi Yazawa’s 15th single, released on November 16, 1983.
It was used as a commercial song for Johnnie Walker Red Label.
There’s an anecdote that before forming the band Carol, the melody came to him on a train; he hummed it so he wouldn’t forget, then wrote the song after getting home.
[Japanese Pop in the ’80s] Popular Christmas Songs: From Big Hits to Hidden Gems! (31–40)
Christmas NightOkamura Takako
Released in December 1988, this was Takako Okamura’s first Christmas song.
While centered on heartbreak, it beautifully captures the bittersweet atmosphere of the season.
The lyrics vividly conjure images of walking alone through a snowy town and looking up at the sky.
Okamura’s clear, translucent voice brings a touch of warmth to a cold winter night.
As a single cut from the album “SOLEIL,” it may be familiar to longtime fans.
It’s a song I recommend to those spending Christmas alone or thinking of someone special.
Christmas Dayofukōsu
A wonderfully soothing and heartwarming Christmas song.
It’s a track by Off Course, the band led by singer-songwriter Kazumasa Oda, which remains deeply loved even after their breakup.
The song is included on their 22nd single, “Ai no Naka e,” released in 1981.
The solemn, dreamlike sound arrangement is striking, and the beautiful choral work is superb.
It’s a moving number that seems to carry the scent of a winter’s day through its sound.
Highly recommended across generations.
Blue Christmas of SorrowZa Kingutonzu
Last year you were here, but this year you’re gone… It’s a Christmas song that sings of that bittersweet feeling.
It’s by The King Tones, the music group known for hits like “Good Night Baby,” and it was included as the B-side to their 18th single released in 1980, “Namida no Chapel” (Tears of the Chapel).
It has a doo-wop finish in terms of genre, with a very relaxed rhythm that leaves a strong impression.
It feels as if the protagonist’s emotions spill out from each and every word of the lyrics.
Please savor with your ears the nostalgic yet classic sound and the beautiful choral work.
As if singing a Christmas songNakajima Miyuki
This is a hidden gem that overlays the glittering, festive day of Christmas with a delicate, fleeting longing for love.
It’s included on Miyuki Nakajima’s 1987 live album “Utakoyomi,” and portrays the desire to be loved just for today.
On Christmas, when the city is covered in snow and people act with kindness, she wishes to be cherished as someone special.
While accepting a one-night relationship that will revert to strangers when the calendar turns, she still longs to spend that moment as if they were true lovers—a feeling that resonates deeply.
The quiet arrangement centered on voice and acoustic guitar highlights the tremors of restrained emotion.
It’s a song I’d recommend to anyone greeting Christmas night while carrying complicated feelings for someone dear.
SonatineMatsumoto Iyo
Iyo Matsumoto, who took the nation by storm as a leading idol of the 1980s.
Released in 1988, this song is a poignant ballad written and composed by Senri Oe.
It paints a winter night’s tale where regret and memories intertwine: in the bustle of Christmas, the narrator spots a former lover, but lets them pass by without calling out.
The delicate arrangement, centered on piano and strings, and her mature, low-register vocal delivery are striking, capturing another, less glittering side of Christmas.
The track was also included on the album “Private File” and sold around 5,000 copies.
It’s an adult Christmas song, perfect for nights when you wander the city with a touch of loneliness.