I want to hear more than just the classics! Hidden gems of winter songs

holly (Japanese holly tree, Ilex crenata)Do As Infinity

Do As Infinity – FINAL – Hiiragi

Do As Infinity’s 17th single “Hiiragi,” released in 2003.

Speaking of hiiragi (holly), it’s a plant that’s at its best from autumn into winter.

The lyrics weave in this holly, crafting a song that seems to liken winter’s cold and harshness to the trials of life.

It suggests that beyond the cold winter, a warm spring awaits, yet it’s a very serious, piercing, and chilling number.

It’s a song that makes you think everyone has times like that, and it encourages you to keep going just a little longer.

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White BeachHY

HY – White Beach (Official Music Video)

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 SongSHISHAMO

Winter Song

This song, performed by three girls who were still in high school and included on their self-produced album “Graduation Project,” captivates with a fragility that feels like the crisp clarity of winter air turned into sound.

Its protagonist is a girl with a one-sided crush, and the lyrics intertwine her feelings for someone out of reach with the season’s chill, evoking bittersweet memories many of us share.

Clean guitar arpeggios and the surging dynamics in the chorus create a deeply affecting finish.

The track was included on an album released in January 2013 and was later re-released alongside their major-label debut album “SHISHAMO.” Although it had no tie-in, it has steadily become a seasonal staple.

On a winter night, when you want to quietly reflect on your feelings of love alone, this song is sure to keep you company.

The snow is piercingly coldatarayo

Atarayo – Snow Pierces the Chill (Music Video)

Set against the crisp, piercing air of winter, this work paints a scene of the season’s first snowfall.

Released by Atarayo in December 2022, the song tenderly portrays the ache of memories with a loved one—recollections of the four seasons flashing back like falling snow.

Seasonal images—cherry blossom-lined streets, a seaside café, a field of cosmos—illuminate the feelings of a protagonist who, despite the pain of parting, tries to take a step forward with a faint hope in their heart.

The transparent vocals and arpeggio-driven arrangement delicately capture winter’s quiet and an introspective worldview.

Chosen as the ending theme for ABEMA’s “ABEMA Prime,” it is performed frequently in winter setlists.

On a clear winter night, it will stay close to you as you look back on the past while resolving to face forward.

Lost SheepChatto Monchī

Lost Sheep

Using Christmas-like motifs, it portrays a relationship in a deep freeze, stuck in a period of ennui.

Even though reason says “I’m done,” a single email that just says “thank you” brings you to tears—this contradictory feeling is captured with raw honesty in lyrics by Akiko Fukuoka.

The song was included as the B-side to the 2006 single “Shangri-La,” and can also be heard on the 2010 compilation Hyōjō .

Try listening to it alone on a cold night when your feelings for someone are wavering.

In that moment when you sway between bravado and your true feelings, it will surely stay by your side.

snowNakanomori BAND

[MV] Nakanomori BAND / Snow (full ver.)

A winter classic written and composed by Masatoshi Mashima, beautifully performed by Nakanomori BAND.

Against a backdrop of white, piling snow, a bittersweet story unfolds in which distant memories and warmth quietly return.

It opens with images of snow drifting down onto everyday scenes like the morning assembly platform and cherry tree branches, and features striking lyrics where the scent and echoes of someone nostalgic fall into the heart like tiny particles.

Released in October 2007 as the double A-side single “Isoburavo/Yuki,” it was also selected for power play on Nippon TV’s “Ongaku Senshi MUSIC FIGHTER.” It’s a song that gently stays with you on a winter night when you find yourself wanting to drift into old memories.

Snow, fall and scatter toward you.Wagakki Band

Wagakki Band / Snow, Fall and Scatter Toward You

This is Wagakki Band’s enchanting winter ballad, where shamisen and koto weave their tones together with Yuko Suzuhana’s vocals interlaced with shigin (poetic recitation).

Included on the album “Shikisai,” released in March 2017, it was also chosen as the theme song for the stage play “Laughing in Purgatory,” performed that summer.

Set against a landscape of falling, accumulating snow, it portrays a heartrending tale of feelings that cannot reach the one who matters most.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for a dark, beautiful rock ballad that seeps into the depths of your heart on a cold night.