[Songs to Listen to in December] J-POP and Christmas Songs that Feel Like Winter [2026]

First Christmas feat. JUNON (BE:FIRST)Reiko

REIKO ‘First Christmas feat. JUNON (BE:FIRST)’ Music Video

A collaboration by REIKO and BE:FIRST’s JUNON, portraying a December romance deepening in the cold, leaves you with a warm feeling.

Written and composed by singer-songwriter Shota Shimizu, the song delicately captures the thrill and happiness of spending a first Christmas with a loved one.

Released digitally in November 2024 and included on the EP “Debut” released in December, the track was also performed at “REIKO’s Winterland” held at Billboard Live YOKOHAMA on December 16.

The duo’s crystal-clear harmonies make a perfect soundtrack for couples strolling through city streets aglow with holiday lights.

Holy Lightimase

【imase】Holy Light（Official Audio）

Singer-songwriter imase, who began his career on TikTok and made his major-label debut in 2021.

Written as a collaboration track with Shibuya Scramble Square, this piece served as the campaign song for the Christmas fair “SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE XMAS,” held from November 17 to December 25, 2022.

Its light, breezy ensemble—capturing wintry scenes in sound—accompanies the chime of bells to evoke a festive holiday mood.

The lyrics, which conjure images of the bustling city Christmas and glittering street decorations, seem to overlap with Shibuya’s nightscape.

A cool vocal and stylish production color the winter nights—an urban pop tune through and through.

chicksaidāgāru

chick

It’s a song that captures delicate shifts of the heart—waking in the morning light and trying to move forward despite weakness and anxiety.

Crafted by Cidergirl, it carries the resolve to take flight even while feeling afraid, like a fledgling at the moment it leaves the nest.

Its sound is both light and introspective, perfectly suited to the clear air of winter.

Included on the album “CIDERPIA,” released in May 2025, it has become a track that symbolizes a new phase for the band.

It’s a work that stays close to you when you want to face yourself at year’s end, and when you need the courage to take a step into the new year.

Stars are falling.Senchimirimentaru

Sentimental - “Hoshi ga Furu” (Falling Stars) Music Video

This is a winter ballad that sings of lingering feelings for a former lover.

Released by Centimillimental in November 2025, the song was written as the commercial theme for the Laguna Illumination “Carnival of Light and Water,” held at the Laguna Ten Bosch resort in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture.

Grand piano-and-strings arrangements are layered with Atsushi’s delicate vocals to paint a poignant world where longing and bravado intersect.

The protagonist, torn between wishing happiness for the person they parted from and emotions that won’t fade, resonates powerfully alongside the image of lights pouring down the winter night sky.

It’s a track I especially recommend to anyone trying to face forward after a heartbreak.

Snow Magic FantasySEKAI NO OWARI

SEKAI NO OWARI “Snow Magic Fantasy”

A winter song overflowing with the fantasy-like worldview characteristic of SEKAI NO OWARI at the time.

Written specifically as the 2013 JR SKISKI commercial song, it remains a highly popular track people love to listen to in winter.

The lyrics tell the story of an encounter with a snow fairy living in a country where it snows all year round, giving it a very romantic and charming feel.

Both the lyrics and the overall mood are perfect for Christmas, so be sure to give it a listen when December comes!

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Hane Keisuke

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TOKYO SNOWSakurazaka46

TOKYO SNOW

A winter ballad by Sakurazaka46 that overlays the fleeting snowfall in Tokyo with an unrequited love.

It’s included on the standard edition of the single “I want tomorrow to come,” released in October 2024.

Opening with a poetry reading by Shizuki Yamashita, the song expresses a contradictory longing—wishing the snow would settle even while knowing it won’t—through a serene, piano-centered sound.

The feelings that melt away before they can be put into words, and the aching tenderness that still compels a wish, press close to the heart.

It’s a song that gently keeps you company on a night of quietly falling snow, as you think of the one you love from afar.

White LoversKuwata Keisuke

Keisuke Kuwata – Shiroi Koibitotachi (Full ver.)

This song, which enjoys immense popularity as a winter anthem, isn’t by Southern All Stars but is actually one of Keisuke Kuwata’s signature solo tracks.

It’s a classic that always comes up as a must-listen in winter! The bell and string tones that evoke the season are beautiful, while the lyrics, which depict a sorrowful love, gently seep into the heart.

On top of that, Kuwata’s sexy, husky voice further amplifies the poignant world of the lyrics.

Many listeners are deeply moved by the story told in the song, so you should immerse yourself in its world, too.

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Hane Keisuke

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