[New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations
Background music that enhances the New Year’s atmosphere is an essential part of kicking off a fresh year! The songs you choose may vary depending on the scene—whether it’s the cozy time spent gathered around osechi dishes, the lively moments with relatives, or music you’d like to play while getting ready for your first shrine visit of the year.
In this article, we’ve collected a wide range of music, from tracks that evoke traditional Japanese vibes to J-pop themed around the New Year.
You’re sure to find a song that will make your New Year’s celebration even more festive!
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- [For Seniors] Winter Classics to Sing in January: Heartwarming Moments with Nostalgic Children’s Songs and Kayōkyoku (Japanese Popular Songs)
- Winter Songs: Classic tracks you want to listen to in winter. Songs you long for during the winter.
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- Songs to Play at the End of 2026! A Roundup of New Year’s Eve and Winter J‑Pop
[New Year’s BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations (31–40)
Kiyobushi
What do you think when you hear the shamisen’s wonderfully supple sound in Akita Prefecture’s folk song “Kiyobushi”? Precisely because overseas holidays have taken root in Japan and are getting more and more popular these days, on traditional Japanese holidays like New Year’s, we’d like to listen to music that is quintessentially Japanese.
Longevity Lion
As a representative piece for the lion dance, many of you have probably heard it before.
This piece, “Kotobuki Shishi,” is said to have been brought from Baekje and has a very long history even among Japan’s traditional music.
As the title “Kotobuki Shishi” suggests, it is often used for auspicious occasions and is frequently performed during New Year’s festivities.
Spring comes even to the plum blossoms.
Hauta is a type of shamisen music that became popular in the late Edo period.
Among them, this piece “Ume nimo Haru” (Spring Even in the Plum) is a hauta that offers a glimpse of the joy of welcoming the New Year and the feelings of a woman in love.
Even in the short phrase “Ume nimo Haru,” which means sensing spring as the plum blossoms take on color, you can feel the beauty of the Japanese sensibility.
It might be nice during the New Year to listen to this kind of music with a long history and enjoy comparing it with a modern translation.
As with this piece, you may be surprised how much still resonates today!
Light of Fireflies
Although it has come to be strongly associated with the song that plays before closing time, a few decades ago it was famous as the song played when the New Year arrived at the countdown.
It’s often thought to be a Japanese song, but it’s actually a Scottish folk tune.
The image of it varies by generation, but it’s a representative song themed around the New Year.
The Blue DanubeJohann Strauss II
This piece, The Blue Danube, composed by Johann Strauss II, is a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert and a well-known classic in Japan.
Many people will recognize the phrase from the A section of the First Waltz.
[New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations (41–50)
Genroku Cherry-Blossom Viewing DanceSandaime Kineya Shojiro
Around New Year’s, you tend to hear more pleasant performances of traditional Japanese instruments, don’t you? It’s even kind of charming that convenience stores and family restaurants play popular songs arranged with Japanese-instrument percussion.
Speaking of Japanese instruments, the nagauta piece “Genroku Hanami Odori” is another tune you often hear at New Year’s.
In fact, this piece is considered most fitting for the cherry-blossom viewing season, but perhaps its famous “chan-cha-cha-chan~” melody evokes a bright, festive feeling of the new year, and it’s become a New Year’s staple as well.
Does that “chan-cha-cha~” ring a bell for you? If not, be sure to give it a listen at least once.
mochi poundingSakushi: Kobayashi Junichi / Sakkyoku: Nakada Yoshinao
This song splendidly captures traditional New Year’s scenes in Japan, masterfully expressed by the renowned duo of children’s music! Jun’ichi Kobayashi’s warm lyrics pair perfectly with Yoshinao Nakada’s friendly melody, joyfully portraying the lively atmosphere of rice-cake pounding.
Released in the 1950s, the song has continued to be sung by many people and cherished as a classic New Year’s tune.
It’s an excellent choice for setting a festive New Year mood or introducing children to Japan’s traditional culture.
Sing it together with family and friends, and it will surely become a delightful memory.