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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- 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
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- [For Seniors] Beloved songs to sing in December: heartwarming moments with nostalgic kayōkyoku and children’s songs
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- [2026] A Special Feature on Classic Western Songs to Listen to in December!
[2026] Songs to Play at Year’s End! A Roundup of New Year’s Eve and Winter J‑Pop (31–40)
HOMEShimizu Shota
I know some of you may not be planning to go back to your family home for the New Year’s holidays, but listening to this might make you want to.
It’s a signature song by Shota Shimizu, a singer-songwriter from Osaka Prefecture, released in 2008 as his debut single.
It captures the feeling of leaving your hometown to chase your dreams, only to suddenly recall where you came from once you’ve arrived somewhere new.
The lyrics trace that bittersweet emotion, tightening your chest.
It doesn’t have to be about your parents’ home—listen while thinking of whatever “home” means to you.
Even when next year comesMy Hair is Bad
A song by My Hair is Bad that resonates at year’s end.
It delicately portrays the shifting emotions caught between hope and reality as the year draws to a close.
Included on the acclaimed 2016 album “woman’s,” it features the band’s emotive lyrics and distinctive sound.
The image of someone constantly longing for a happy ending yet struggling with reality is striking.
Even so, the forward-looking resolve to “try just a little harder” will encourage anyone hoping to firm up new resolutions at the end of the year.
This work is recommended for those who want to reflect on the past twelve months while finding hope for the next.
My Hair is Bad’s candid emotional expression will surely stay close to your heart.
Shiroi Koibito-tachiKuwata Keisuke
Many people probably feel like listening to this during the colder season.
It’s a song by Keisuke Kuwata, the frontman of the beloved national rock band Southern All Stars.
It was released in 2001 as his seventh solo single.
Sparked by its use in a Coca-Cola commercial in which he also appeared, it became a major hit.
The lyrics alone—overflowing with the longing to see someone precious—are enough to bring you to tears.
And the piano and strings are truly beautiful.
Please give it a listen when you’re spending the end of the year on your own.
Snow halationμ’s
Love Live! has expanded so rapidly—into manga, live concerts, stage plays, novels—that it’s hard to keep up.
Its smartphone game is also a huge hit, and its standout winter song is Snow halation.
Of course, it’s performed by μ’s, idols who go beyond the bounds of a mere voice-actor unit! With the anime’s voice actors singing and dancing in their own voices, there may be no idols greater than this! The lyrics tell a story brimming with courage: a shy girl deciding to face love seriously.
Though it’s a winter song, it isn’t subdued—it’s a bright track that always lifts your spirits.
I hope even those who aren’t into anime or games will give it a listen!
Sorrow like snowHamada Shogo
Released in 1981 and then becoming a major hit again in 1992 as the theme song for the drama “Ai to Iu Na no Moto ni,” this track is so widely known that it could be called one of Shogo Hamada’s signature songs.
While Hamada’s music often carries the image of “singing a man’s heart” due to his voice and style, this song is a moving piece that “resonates deeply with anyone who listens.” It’s surely a song that strikes a chord across generations.
The word “snow” plays a particularly meaningful role in the lyrics.
Give it a listen during the busy year-end season and let it lift your spirits.
[2026] Songs to Hear at Year’s End! New Year’s Eve/Year-End Songs and Winter J‑Pop Roundup (41–50)
orionYonezu Kenshi
Orion is a winter constellation.
Like stars sparkling in a crisp, cold winter night sky, “orion” is a glittering song and Kenshi Yonezu’s sixth major-label single.
It was also used as the ending theme for the anime March Comes in Like a Lion.
The piece is a slightly sorrowful song that sings of a beloved person who is no longer by one’s side, wishing—like the stars of Orion—to be connected with you once more.
Overflowing feelings that will never again be delivered are woven into “orion,” whose strings resonate beautifully—perfect for the winter sky.
Why not spend a quiet New Year’s holiday listening to Kenshi Yonezu’s solemn “orion”?
White winter songCharcoal Filter
This is CHARCOAL FILTER’s winter single, released in December 2002.
It capped off the year when “Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto” became a major hit, reaching No.
19 on the Oricon chart.
Produced by Seiji Kameda, it’s a gentle ballad featuring piano and strings.
The lyrics are memorable, expressing the belief that hearts can connect even when apart, set against year-end city streets glowing with illuminations.
As it contemplates a distance that can only be bridged by being close, the imagery contrasts winter’s chill with the warmth of human touch, leaving a deep impression.
It’s a perfect song for ringing in the New Year with someone special or reflecting on the past year alone.