[Songs to Listen to in December] J-POP and Christmas Songs that Feel Like Winter [2026]
December, which wraps up the year, becomes even more beautiful with illuminations lighting up and sometimes snow falling.
There are plenty of events too, like Christmas and New Year’s countdown concerts.
Around this time every year, you hear more Christmas songs and winter tunes on TV and in the streets.
In this article, we’ll introduce winter songs perfect for December, including the latest tracks! From songs that hype up your events to Christmas-themed pieces that warm a chilly heart, enjoy a variety of Japanese winter songs!
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Songs to Listen to in December: J-Pop and Christmas Songs That Feel Like Winter [2026] (41–50)
Holy Lightimase
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.
[Songs to Listen to in December] J-POP and Christmas Songs That Feel Like Winter [2026] (51–60)
chicksaidāgāru
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.
My PrincessROIROM
This is a love song, the second pre-debut release from ROIROM, the duo of Hiromu Honda and Michi Hamakawa.
Set against a Christmas backdrop, the lyrics are memorable for expressing feelings toward an irreplaceable person.
Winter motifs like candlelight and snowy scenery are woven throughout, creating a romantic world.
Sonically, warm melodies blend with a stylish beat, resulting in contemporary pop that avoids leaning too sweet.
It’s a song that gently stays by your side on a winter night spent with someone special.
Merry XmasBoA
This song, by BoA, a Korean-born singer who debuted in Japan in 2001, has long been loved as a Christmas classic.
Her lustrous, crystal-clear vocals are a perfect match for the grand orchestral accompaniment.
Although it was released in 2004, it has become one of her signature tracks, with a self-cover version included on a single released in 2015.
The lyrics, depicting two people deeply in love, make it perfect for Christmas.
I promiseKing&Prince
A heartrending ballad about winter love.
It’s a song by King & Prince, released as a single in December 2020.
It also drew attention as the Christmas commercial song for 7-Eleven.
The lyrics portray a promise between lovers and a resolve to stay true to love, touching the heart.
It sold 567,000 copies in its first week, topping the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It was a remarkable achievement—the first in 12 years and 10 months, and only the third act in history to do so.
Christmas, New Year’s, the time spent with someone special… it makes you wonder if there’s any happiness greater than that.
Do you have someone like that in your life? Wrapped in the voices of King & Prince, please give it a listen.
TOKYO SNOWSakurazaka46
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.
A Lump of LoveDOMOTO
After changing their name, the duo DOMOTO took a fresh step forward in 2025.
Their first release after restarting, “Ai no Katamari,” was originally included on a single released in November 2001 and is known as the song from Morinaga’s DARS chocolate commercial.
With lyrics by Tsuyoshi Domoto and composition by Koichi Domoto, the piece is a love ballad that delicately portrays a wavering heart in the winter cold, and it has long been cherished by fans.
In this self-cover, new messages have been added to parts of the lyrics, conveying both the duo’s bond and their evolution.
It’s a heartwarming track, perfect for listening to while gazing at winter illuminations.