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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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[New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations (1–10)
A HAPPY NEW YEARBase Ball Bear
This is a warm, heartfelt song about spending New Year’s with a loved one.
It paints scenes of ringing in the year in the city—visiting Meiji Shrine for the first prayer of the year and driving through Hibiya to catch the sunrise—bringing the special moment of welcoming a new year vividly to life.
Included on the album “DIARY KEY,” released in October 2021, it is the only track on which Shiori Sekine—who usually handles bass and backing vocals—takes the lead vocal solo.
A heartwarming number perfect for those welcoming the New Year with someone special.
Happy New YearChatto Monchī
A track from Chatmonchy’s 2011 album YOU MORE.
It’s a love song in which the protagonist, welcoming the New Year and watching the line of people heading to their first shrine visit, thinks about everyday life with the partner by their side.
Through snippets of daily life—like the temptations of food stalls and memories of drives—it expresses the wish to stay together forever from here on out.
And Eriko Hashimoto’s catchy vocals paired with the band’s light, breezy sound feel so good.
It’s the perfect song if you’re looking for a cute New Year’s tune.
Shin-Takasago
Composed in the early Meiji period by Terashima Kano, this jiuta koto piece is known as a quintessential celebratory work that takes its lyrics from a Noh “machiai” chant.
Set against the tradition that regards the paired pines of Takasago in Harima and Sumiyoshi in Settsu as symbols of marital harmony and longevity, it features a compelling, weighty sonority woven from a two-part koto ensemble, shakuhachi, and voice.
Recorded in May 1997 on Koto Masterpieces (9): Meiji New Works 2, the performance by Masae Tada Kore, Yasuko Nakajima, Shin’ichi Tada Kore, and Hōzan Yamamoto is considered definitive.
Long performed at celebratory occasions such as wedding receptions and ceremonies, this piece will also lend an elegant Japanese atmosphere to festive family gatherings around New Year’s cuisine and lively reunions with relatives.
Warbling of Spring Nightingales
A representative grand piece of Japanese court music (gagaku), this bugaku work in the Ichikotsu mode expresses the warbling of the Japanese bush warbler through music.
According to tradition, it was transcribed by court musicians at the behest of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, who heard the bird’s song in a spring garden.
The work is characterized by an expansive structure of six movements, lasting around two hours.
In July 1973, the Gagaku Shigenkai ensemble of Imperial Household Agency musicians released the album “Gagaku (Bugaku): Shun’ōden (Complete Set),” which includes the entire piece from Yūsei to Kyūsei.
It’s a perfect selection for savoring an elegant New Year-to-early-spring atmosphere or immersing yourself in the traditional Japanese aesthetic.
The youngest’s vow
This is a celebrated jiuta koto piece by Matsuura Kengyo, a composer from the late Edo period.
Set against a seaside backdrop, it portrays the feelings of a woman who has thrown herself into a love made difficult by differences in social status.
The lyrics are beautiful, intertwining the woman’s wavering heart with images of a small boat tossed by the waves and cranes crying on a rocky shore.
Widely released in May 1997 as the album “Masterpieces of Koto Music (II): Matsuura Kengyo,” it is also included in the acclaimed collection “Comprehensive Anthology of Jiuta Koto.” As a classic masterpiece often performed at traditional music concerts and New Year’s sankyoku programs, it continues to be cherished by many performers today.
Happy Happy GreetingKinKi Kids
Included on KinKi Kids’ double A-side single released in December 1998, this song is a festive number composed and arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita.
Featuring a lavish sound arrangement with Japanese taiko drums, harp, and brass, its warmth embraces celebrations throughout the year—not just New Year’s, but also Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and more.
Play it during family gatherings around the New Year’s feast or when relatives come together, and the atmosphere will instantly feel more vibrant and celebratory!
O-SHO-GA-TSUONIGAWARA
Released in December 2016, this is a New Year’s song that shines with ONIGAWARA’s signature playfulness.
The excitement of the new year and the lively celebratory mood unfold over a four-on-the-floor dance beat.
Centered on a band-driven sound, the track is extremely catchy—one listen and you’ll be grooving.
It’s perfect as background music for cheerful moments like family gatherings around osechi or get-togethers with relatives.