[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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[1980s J-Pop] Popular Winter Songs: From Hit Tracks to Hidden Gems! (51–60)
1985THE BLUE HEARTS
It’s a politically charged punk number included on The Blue Hearts’ debut album.
The song stirred up controversy in various ways—its lyrics weren’t even printed in the booklet, and it couldn’t be aired on television.
I’m introducing it because the words “Santa Claus” and “Christmas” appear in the lyrics.
Come to the snowy mountainsŌe Senri
It’s a cheerful winter song about spending a fun time in the snowy mountains.
It’s included on the album “redmonkey yellowfish,” released in 1989.
The lyrics, which evoke warm foods and scenic views, along with the lively melody, make it perfect as Christmas background music! But in fact, it’s a love song about inviting someone you like.
If it’s with someone who can play such a joyful melody, even a bittersweet winter could be spent warmly, don’t you think?
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.
