Winter hit songs released in the Heisei era. Classic tracks that colored the winters of the Heisei period.
The Heisei era was a golden age with many million-selling songs and booming CD sales.
From among the many tracks that lit up that dazzling Japanese music scene, we’ve gathered a selection of “winter songs.”
These winter hits are nostalgic, and many of them are still heard today.
It’s packed with songs that remain karaoke favorites and frequently appear in music program specials!
Whether you’re from the generation that looks back on those youthful days, or you’re younger and discovering them for the first time, enjoy these hit winter songs from the Heisei era!
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Winter hit songs released in the Heisei era. Masterpieces that colored the winters of the Heisei era (21–30)
snowTHC!!
Released independently in 2003 and re-released on a major label in 2005, this track by the Shonan-born crossover band THC!! is a classic that conjures warm memories in wintertime.
KANAMI’s translucent vocals intertwine exquisitely with Ritz’s groovy rap, while the hardcore-rooted, powerful band sound delivers a heat that won’t yield to the cold.
Set against a landscape of softly falling white, the lyrics—like holding onto feelings that won’t fade—are bittersweet yet forward-looking, conveying the protagonist’s determination to etch irreplaceable memories into their heart.
Chosen as the ending theme for TBS’s CDTV, it’s a song you’ll want to revisit every winter—perfect for nights spent with someone special or quiet moments of solitary reflection.
White BeachHY
Released as a single in 2006 by HY, a mixture band from Okinawa, this work is one of their signature songs from their early days.
From the opening lines, the parched wind, hints of winter, and scenes of white beaches weave a unique atmosphere that delicately captures the shifting seasons particular to the subtropics.
The refreshing guitar sound, warm vocals, and nostalgic melody resonate pleasantly, giving it a curious charm that makes you want to listen during the colder months.
Performed since the era of their early album Departure, it has remained a staple at their live shows.
Whether you’re spending a winter night reminiscing about a distant summer or feeling a sudden pang of wistfulness at the turn of the seasons, the song’s gentle warmth will be there to keep you company.
Winter hit songs released in the Heisei era. Masterpieces that colored the winters of the Heisei era (31–40)
The ending of EVEHattan Amika
How about a song that portrays a woman reflecting on days with her former lover as she sets out toward a new self? It’s a track by Amika Hattan, included on her first album, “Autumn Breeze,” released in September 1999.
With lyrics and composition by Hiromasa Ijichi and arrangement by Yasutaka Mizushima, this lyrical number quietly sings of the strength to break with the past and live in the present.
Created in the same year she won the Japan Record Awards’ Best New Artist, Hattan’s clear vocals resonate deeply.
It’s a perfect song for anyone looking to sort out the past and face forward in the New Year.
ChristmasJUDY AND MARY
This is a Christmas song by JUDY AND MARY, who blazed through the music scene of the ’90s.
It portrays a straightforward, heartfelt love that longs not for flashy presents, but simply for time spent with the person you love, which really warms the heart.
While the track is their signature, fast-paced guitar rock, YUKI’s cute vocals add a bittersweet sweetness to the atmosphere.
Included on the single “Cheese “PIZZA”” released in November 1994, the song was also used for Tokai Bank’s Christmas campaign.
It’s a buoyant, happy tune that’s perfect not only for a night with your lover but also for livening up a party with friends.
SNOW SONGMISIA
A winter lyric poem delivered by MISIA in the winter of 2003.
Included on a double A-side single cut from the album “MARS & ROSES,” it was chosen as the campaign song for J-WAVE’s Christmas season.
The lyrics are said to have originated the morning after she finished a New Year’s Eve concert in Hokkaido, when she saw a pure white snowy landscape through a frozen window.
A romantic ballad brimming with the sentiment of winter nights—like the kind of moment that makes you instinctively look up at the night sky when your heart is moved.
It’s a song that gently stays with you on winter nights when you want to be quiet, or when you’re thinking of someone far away.
Snow, Moon, Flowers -The End of Silence-GACKT
A symphonic rock masterpiece released in 2009 that paints a fantastical winter scene.
With powdery snow dancing on a crescent-moon night, bittersweet feelings for a loved one resound from within the silence.
The fleeting beauty woven by classical melodies and Japanese sensibilities is uniquely GACKT’s worldview.
Produced to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his solo career, this work was used as the ending theme for Koei’s game Samurai Warriors 3 and reached No.
4 on the Oricon Weekly chart.
It’s a piece that will keep you company on a quiet winter night alone, or when you’re thinking of someone far away.
Merry ChristmasBUMP OF CHICKEN
This track, included on the double A-side single “R.I.P.
/ Merry Christmas,” is set in a city aglow with dazzling Christmas illuminations and portrays the feelings of a protagonist who, despite carrying loneliness and inner conflict, wishes to remain kind.
Completed by Motoo Fujiwara after grappling with the challenge of “singing about happiness,” the piece carefully weaves emotional fluctuations over its approximately seven-minute length.
Released in November 2009, it reached No.
2 on the Oricon weekly chart.