Songs to Play at the End of 2026! A Roundup of New Year’s Eve and Winter J‑Pop
The year that felt both long and short is already coming to an end.
From around the time Christmas passes, you really start to sense that the year is winding down, don’t you?
And as we reach the year’s end, a variety of music programs and events take place, starting with the Red and White Song Battle on New Year’s Eve.
Every year, I bet a lot of people ring in the New Year while listening to music.
With that in mind, this article rounds up a bunch of songs perfect for the end of the year, including tracks about New Year’s Eve and classic winter tunes.
It’s a playlist you can enjoy on your own to reflect on the past year, or throw on with everyone to hype up the countdown.
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- Masterpieces to Listen to in January: New Year-Themed, New Year-Ready, and Winter Songs
- [Winter Songs] The Best Classic and Popular Winter Tunes to Listen to in Winter
- [New Year’s Songs] Timeless classics and popular New Year tunes you’ll want to listen to at the start of the year
- Winter Songs: Classic tracks you want to listen to in winter. Songs you long for during the winter.
- Winter songs you'll want to listen to in the cold season! Recommended for the yutori generation
- Winter songs in 90s J-pop: a roundup of popular winter tunes
- [For Seniors] Beloved songs to sing in December: heartwarming moments with nostalgic kayōkyoku and children’s songs
- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [2026] A Special Feature on Classic Western Songs to Listen to in December!
[2026] Songs to Play at Year’s End! New Year’s Countdown & Winter J‑Pop Roundup (11–20)
December without youYokoyama Yui
A winter ballad that quietly sets down the premonition and ache of losing someone precious in December.
Yui Yokoyama—who served at the core of AKB48 for many years and also as general manager—released it to the world alongside a music video she herself conceived and directed upon her graduation in December 2021.
Included as a graduation song on Type C of the September 2021 single “Root and Leaf Rumor” (Nemo Hamo Rumor), its piano- and string-centered arrangement gently wraps feelings of gratitude and farewell.
The visuals, crafted by Yokoyama herself after studying filmmaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, also have a Kyoto version, reflecting her affection for her hometown.
It’s a perfect track for looking back on twelve years with the group—or for quietly reexamining precious moments at year’s end.
Four-Mon coinMOROHA
A song with a fiery soul that you’ll want to listen to on a quiet year-end night.
Included on MOROHA’s album MOROHA III, released in December 2016, this track sings of a strong will to face life’s hardships.
Its unique blend of acoustic guitar and rap is perfect for looking back on the past year at the end of December and renewing your resolve for the year ahead.
You can almost picture people striving to overcome harsh realities and trials.
Recommended for those who want to reflect on themselves before welcoming the New Year.
MOROHA’s powerful message is sure to resonate with your heart.
the last day of the monthsupittsu
This song by Spitz is a masterpiece that, while evoking year-end sentimentality, powerfully sings of hope for the future.
As the closing track of the album “Souvenir,” it was released in January 2005 and is characterized by a distinctly Spitz-like, exhilarating rock sound.
In 2006, it was also used as the campaign song for the soft drink “Aquarius,” leaving a lasting impression on many listeners.
It’s especially recommended for New Year’s season, particularly on New Year’s Eve.
In that moment when you reflect on the year and your anticipation for the next one grows, listening to this song will surely fill you with courage and hope.
It’s also a great choice to listen to with friends and family to share your feelings for the coming year.
Cats and Allergieskinoko teikoku
It’s the perfect song for a night when you want to quietly close out the year while facing the memory of a bittersweet goodbye.
It’s the title track from Kinoko Teikoku’s major-label debut album, “Neko to Arerugī” (Cat and Allergies), released in 2015, and vocalist Chiaki Sato’s clear, translucent voice pierces the heart.
Set in December, the lyrics candidly trace lingering feelings and regrets for a lost lover, with the image of someone loving a cat despite having allergies serving as a poignant metaphor for painful affection.
The gentle sound, boldly incorporating piano and strings, marks a departure from their previously shoegaze-heavy style.
It’s a piece you’ll want to listen to alone at the end of the year, while remembering someone who once meant a great deal to you.
The Magic of DecemberMakihara Noriyuki
It’s a song that leaves a strong impression with its narrator, single-mindedly inviting someone out in the hope of conveying the warmth of a winter city.
Layering quintessential winter scenes—white breaths in the cold, the glow of street trees—it uses the word “magic” to express a clumsy yet unflinchingly sincere love.
Included on Noriyuki Makihara’s debut album “Kimi ga Warau Toki Kimi no Mune ga Itamanai You ni” in October 1990, this track is positioned as an origin point for the later lineage of winter-themed songs.
Its warm arrangement—melding strings and bell tones into a breezy band ensemble—perfectly complements lyrics so straightforward they’re almost embarrassing.
It’s a number you’ll want to hear when quietly seeing out the year while looking back on the months gone by.
travel anecdoteCreepy Nuts
A perfect year-end song for anyone chasing their dreams or passionately sticking with something is Creepy Nuts’ “Miyagebanashi” (Souvenir Tale).
Fans, of course, but even those who aren’t will likely find themselves moved to tears.
It’s the closing track of their second album, “Case,” released in 2021.
Packed with the duo’s journey and their feelings toward their dreams—now active not only in music but across many fields—their fiery lyrics hit with real emotion.
It’s a song that lets you praise yourself for working hard all year and gives you the strength to keep pursuing your dreams!
[2026] Songs to Listen to at Year’s End! New Year’s Eve Tracks and Winter J‑Pop Roundup (21–30)
Happy Endingback number
This is a song by back number that portrays feelings for a beloved person and the sorrow of parting.
It was also chosen as the theme song for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.” The arrangement is striking: it starts with an acoustic, singer-songwriter-like guitar tone, then adds piano and strings as it builds toward the chorus.
Amid the grand and moving atmosphere, there seems to be a sense of loneliness as well.
As the memories are revisited, the emotions grow stronger, conveying how the impending farewell becomes ever more palpable.
