[1980s J-Pop] Popular winter songs: from chart-toppers to hidden gems!
Thanks to eternally beloved hits and the renewed appreciation for city pop, many masterpiece songs from Japanese music of the 1980s continue to be loved by people of all ages even now, well into the 2020s.
With the resort boom and the popularity of leisure activities, a stream of glamorous winter hits was also released.
In this article, we present winter hit songs from 1980s Japanese music!
We’ll cover everything from massive hits everyone knows to hidden gems that weren’t singles but have become beloved winter staples.
If you spent your youth in the ’80s, these will feel nostalgic; if you’re not from that generation, they’ll feel fresh—so be sure to check them out.
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[80s J-Pop] Popular winter songs: From chart-toppers to hidden gems! (61–70)
Shinin’ On, You’re SadLOOK
This song, notable for Toru Suzuki’s delicate high notes, was Look’s debut single, released in 1985.
While I feel Suzuki’s vocals shape the song’s overall image, it was originally planned for pianist Jin Chisawa to be the lead vocalist; however, the key was too high, so Suzuki ended up singing it.
Cheap Hiroishi’s saxophone was also memorable, though he passed away from kidney cancer in 2014.
They really had the image of a very pop-oriented band.
Carol of the North WindOginome Yōko
“Kitakaze no Carol” is Yoko Oginome’s 13th single, released in 1987.
It also served as the theme song for the TV drama she starred in, “Kampai! to the Baby.” With a catchy melody, it depicts a Christmas number from a woman’s perspective, spending a melancholic night alone.
The lyrics were written by Masao Urino, who also worked on songs such as “Megumi no Hito.”
Street Corner of SnowflakeAnri
When it comes to popular winter songs from the ’80s, this track is indispensable.
Set on a city street corner with powdery snow drifting down, it’s a classic that poignantly sings of love and farewell.
Anri’s crystalline vocals beautifully capture the feelings of a heart wrapped in winter’s chill.
Released in December 1988, the song was used in a JT SomeTime LIGHTS commercial and even reached No.
12 on the Oricon charts.
Anri’s signature sophisticated city-pop sound pairs perfectly with the lyrics that sink into your heart, making it a song you’ll want to savor on long winter nights.
Highly recommended for adults wrestling with matters of the heart.
LAST CHRISTMAS SONGHamada Mari
Here’s María Hamada’s mature Christmas song, “LAST CHRISTMAS SONG,” by an artist who could be called the foremother of female rock singers.
It’s a track she put real effort into—so much so that it was included on her second best-of album, Sincere, and it’s truly an adult Christmas ballad.
The lyrics, which tenderly recount “a youthful love remembered every time Christmas comes,” are wonderful.
Hamada wrote the words herself, and every expression chosen for a love that has ended is gentle.
In that sense, it might be a good song to listen to when getting over a breakup.
Her original album Soar, released to mark the 40th anniversary of her debut, is also highly recommended!
Winter Sanatoriumagata morio
This is a winter song by Morio Agata, a folk singer with a devoted following among music fans, a film director, and, more recently, an actor who has appeared in popular dramas—an artist of many talents.
It’s a lonely song about lying alone on a sanatorium bed in winter, gazing out the window.
The Makioka SistersItsuki Hiroshi
When it comes to classic, orthodox enka songs for winter, this is the one: Hiroshi Itsuki’s “Sasameyuki.” Released in 1983, it became a hit, ranking fourth among Itsuki’s singles.
The poignant song, in which the image of fleeting, vanishing snow overlaps with that of the female protagonist, is perfect for the cold winter season.
Itsuki’s seasoned vocals are, as expected, outstanding.
Although it has no relation to Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s “Sasameyuki” (The Makioka Sisters), the shared title may evoke that work and leave a memorable impression.
Full of ChristmasKudō Shizuka
Shizuka Kudo is a singer who thrives across a wide range of fields—not only in music, but also as an actor, TV personality, jewelry designer, and painter.
The song that closes her best-of album “gradation,” X’mas ga Ippai (Full of Christmas), features a dreamy intro that conjures the holiday just as the title suggests.
Its lyrics, filled with love for someone special, seem perfectly suited to color the holy night.
With a melody that blends pop brightness with a touch of wistfulness, it’s an unforgettable, timeless winter song.
