[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)
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.
Love at Its WhimIijima Mari
As a bittersweet love song about a breakup just before Christmas, this classic conveys the wintry atmosphere of the ’80s to the present day.
Mari Iijima’s clear, pure vocals vividly capture the wavering emotions of a woman who has lost her love.
The track was included on the 1985 album Midori.
With its lively rhythm and distinctive guitar cutting, it shines with the refined musical sensibilities of the ’80s, influenced by bands like TOTO.
It deftly portrays winter memories spent with a lover and the feelings of facing Christmas while carrying the pain of heartbreak, letting you sense a love that changes with the seasons.
It’s a perfect pick for those seeking a mature love song to listen to alone on a winter night.
[Japanese Pop in the ’80s] Popular Christmas Songs: From Big Hits to Hidden Gems! (31–40)
A Dusty Christmas Treeitō ginji
It was included on the omnibus album “WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,” produced by the brothers Nobuyuki and Yukihiro Takahashi and released in 1983.
Both the vocals and the composition were handled entirely by music producer Ginji Ito.
Nowadays, when we think of Christmas songs, we often imagine sleigh bells and a shuffle beat, and I believe this track may have been the starting point for that style in Japanese music.
It’s a song that resonates directly with that distinctly Christmas feeling—cold season on the outside, yet wrapped in a certain warmth.
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.
Full of ChristmasKudō Shizuka
After her group activities with Onyanko Club and Ushirogami Hikaretai, Shizuka Kudo made her solo debut with this Christmas song.
It’s a track where her singing still retains an innocent quality before her signature “Shizuka-bushi” style became prominent, and she went on to release many hit songs afterward.
She later married Kimutaku (Takuya Kimura), held solo art exhibitions, and has been active across a wide range of fields.
Third ChristmasSHOW-YA
Included on the 1987 album “IMMIGRATION.” With lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto and music by Kyohei Tsutsumi, it’s a lavishly crafted number.
It showcases a different side of SHOW-YA, who were pioneers of the ’80s band boom and female rock bands.
The intro, reminiscent of “Last Christmas,” conjures a world of gently falling snow.
It depicts a bittersweet, adult love, and Terada’s powerful, soaring vocals draw you even deeper into the emotion.
And yet, there’s something romantic and warm about it.
Winter GardenMatsuda Seiko
It sings about the bittersweet feeling of waiting to meet your sweetheart on a winter’s day.
It’s a Christmas song by the eternal idol, Seiko Matsuda, included on her second album, “North Wind,” released in 1980.
As she waits for her tardy boyfriend, her heart swirls with excitement and anxiety—those girlish feelings come through in the lyrics and make your heart flutter.
For those of that generation, it might bring back memories of past romances—a winter love song.