Lovely hit song

[1980s J-Pop] Popular winter songs: from chart-toppers to hidden gems!

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

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.

[80s J-Pop] Popular Winter Songs: From Hit Tracks to Hidden Gems! (21–30)

Farewell, Siberian RailwayOhtaki Eiichi

Farewell, Siberian Railway / Eiichi Ohtaki cover

Farewell, Siberian RailwayOhtaki Eiichi

This song was composed by Eiichi Ohtaki and provided to Hiromi Ohta.

Originally, Ohtaki wrote it under the influence of “Johnny in the Fog” with the intention of including it on his own album, but since the lyrics were from a woman’s perspective, he decided to offer it to Ohta.

The song is about Russia, which the narrator heads to after a heartbreak, so the arrangement has a touch of Russian folk-song influence.

Both Ohta’s version and Ohtaki’s version are wonderful, so it’s fun to compare them.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Today, at last, I will change my heartMariko Nagai

Mariko Nagai “Today I’ll Change My Heart”

Today, at last, I will change my heart Mariko Nagai

This is a hidden gem performed by Mariko Nagai, included in the omnibus release “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU” from November 1989.

With lyrics penned by Nagai herself, the song delicately portrays a bittersweet crush on a man she always sees on the same train.

The lyrics convey the frustration of being unable to confess her feelings despite truly liking him, along with the protagonist’s resolve to make a fresh start and finally express her heart on Christmas Day—evoking a universally relatable flutter of first love.

The brilliant strings and horn section, composed by Katsuki Maeda and arranged by Takayuki Negishi, perfectly capture the exhilaration of the season.

Blending warmth with poignancy, this song is a Christmas recommendation for anyone who wants to cherish the feeling of being in love.

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Ruby RingTerao Akira

Akira Terao – Ruby Ring (1981)

Ruby RingTerao Akira

Released in February 1981, it topped the Oricon chart for 10 consecutive weeks and became the best-selling single of the year.

The song was composed by Akira Terao himself, who also performed it, with lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto.

It won the Gold Prize at the Japan Record Awards that year, and Terao also received the Composer’s Award; it additionally earned the FNS Music Festival Grand Prix and the Japan Music Awards.

It remains Terao’s biggest hit as a singer.

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Snow, fall.Gam

Let it Snow / Gam

Snow, fall.Gam

This song, which opens Gam’s December 1981 album Kazabana, by the lyrical folk duo renowned in the 1980s, is a winter ballad that echoes with bittersweet feelings entrusted to gently falling snow.

Carried by soft guitar tones, it delicately portrays the tremor of a heart thinking of someone amid a scene of swirling snow.

The transparent harmonies and introspective lyrics weave a world imbued with Gam’s signature lyricism, offering a warmth that seems to nestle into winter’s stillness.

It’s a track that seeps into the heart when, alone in the cold season, you find yourself recalling days gone by or someone dear.

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Winter RivieraMori Shinichi

Shinichi Mori - Winter Riviera

Winter RivieraMori Shinichi

This song by Shinichi Mori, known as an enka singer beloved by many, is a winter-themed love ballad that showcases a musical breadth beyond the bounds of enka.

The bittersweet feelings of a man facing a breakup are exquisitely conveyed through Mori’s distinctive husky voice, resonating deeply with listeners.

Released in November 1982, the song reached No.

10 on the Oricon weekly chart and received a Special Gold Award at the 25th Japan Record Awards, earning high acclaim.

It’s a track you’ll want to savor quietly when the chill of winter sets in.

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