[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] (51–60)
PresentAwich
The hip-hop artist Awich from Okinawa released a song in December 2020 that was created as an insert track for the film “Silent Tokyo.” The title carries a double meaning—“gift” and “the present”—and, in her own words, conveys the message that “each of our existences is the greatest present.” It’s an R&B-infused number built on gentle piano and a subdued beat, with lyrics interweaving English and Japanese that are sure to resonate.
Centered on appreciating a loved one’s very existence, it’s a warm track perfect for those spending Christmas with someone special.
On Christmas nightYUTORI-SEDAI
This release by YUTORI-SEDAI, a three-piece band from West Tokyo, dropped digitally in November 2021 and is a ballad that straightforwardly captures the feeling of wanting to see someone special on Christmas night.
While the narrator blames their trembling legs on the cold, in truth they’re wrapped in the nervous tension of love—a delicate inner state expressed with great care.
Ryouki Kanehara’s tender, heartrending vocals resonate over the band’s unhurried performance, taking nearly six minutes to carefully convey the nuances of emotion.
It’s a winter night love song that expands on YUTORI-SEDAI’s signature world—lyrics about love that invite empathy.
A perfect track for anyone spending that moment when you wish to confess your feelings to someone you like.
The Christmas SongISSA
This is an adult Christmas song released via streaming in November 2024 by ISSA, the vocalist of DA PUMP.
There’s a touching backstory: the song was originally co-written in a casual, playful session in 2001 with Hatake from Sharam Q at his private studio, and after a long 23 years, it has finally been officially released.
It’s a classic-style Christmas tune where ISSA’s rich, layered chorus work intertwines with Hatake’s lustrous guitar solo.
The roughly five-minute track is also slated to appear on ISSA’s solo album “I SING,” due out in March 2025.
Rather than showcasing intense dance moves, this work is filled with ISSA’s new approach that returns to the essence of singing itself—a lovely song you’ll want to listen to on a quiet winter night.
RikaSIX LOUNGE
This song, originally included on SIX LOUNGE’s 2016 album Shinonome by the three-piece rock band from Oita Prefecture, drew attention when a newly recorded version was released digitally in August 2023.
Set in December and themed around a mad, obsessive love, the lyrics depict a resolve to head toward ruin together in a world of just the two of them, delivering a striking portrayal that pursues universal emotions to their limits.
Though built on a simple band sound, it’s crafted as a mid-tempo track whose richly expressive melody lingers in the heart.
It’s recommended as a song that warms a chilled heart and helps you rediscover the preciousness of time spent with someone important.
[Songs to Listen to in December] Wintery J-POP & Christmas Songs [2026] (61–70)
Hot Lemon (feat. SKRYU) (Remix)nozomi
This is a winter song that delicately captures the gap between the cold of the season and the warmth of the heart.
By adding SKRYU’s rap to Noashi’s signature, true-to-life portrayal of romantic feelings, hip-hop elements blend in, giving it a distinct flavor from the original.
Like a hot lemon warming your fingertips, the frustrating distance of wanting to be close yet unable to be honest stands out, overlapping with the first snowfall and the white cityscape to heighten the poignancy.
Released as a digital single in December 2023, this ambitious work features maeshima soshi as producer.
It’s the perfect song to warm your heart when feelings for someone special overflow in the cold season, or while walking through streets lit with winter illuminations.
Highly recommended for those who want to savor the uniquely bittersweet romance of winter.
Holy ChristmasOnda Masanori
The song released for streaming in November 2023 by singer-songwriter Masanori Onda from Kyoto Prefecture is a beautiful ballad that paints a wintry scene with motifs like snow, trees, and candles.
Its melody, steeped in lyricism and tinged with bittersweetness that echoes memories with a lover, is given an orchestral sheen through strings and a full band arrangement, weaving together quiet moments and dramatic swells.
A music video featuring actor Gai Ueno was also produced, and the track was highlighted as a notable song by USEN.
An acoustic version followed in December 2024, offering a listening experience that spotlights the texture of piano and vocals.
It’s a recommended track for spending Christmas night with someone special or when you want to reminisce about winter memories.
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.
