[New Year’s Songs] Timeless classics and popular New Year tunes you’ll want to listen to at the start of the year
For New Year’s, you want to listen to songs that fit the season, right?
You might think of traditional pieces like “Haru no Umi,” but isn’t it surprisingly hard to find J-pop that feels perfect for New Year’s?
In fact, while there are tons of Christmas songs, there are relatively few songs for the New Year.
In this article, we’ll introduce lots of tracks you’ll want to play as the year begins, focusing mainly on J-pop!
Be sure to read to the end and soak up the New Year’s spirit!
Of course, we’ve also picked out the classic New Year’s staples!
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[New Year’s Songs] Classic and Popular Tracks to Listen to at New Year (1–10)
this winterMakihara Noriyuki
Noriyuki Makihara’s serene ballad depicting winter gently weaves in the season’s atmosphere alongside the quiet happiness of everyday life.
Through distinctly wintry visual motifs—like the cold and white breaths—you feel a tender gaze that contemplates the closeness of lovers and the accumulation of time, which truly resonates.
Included on the album “PHARMACY,” released in October 1994, and later selected for the 1997 best-of compilation “SMILING II ~THE BEST OF NORIYUKI MAKIHARA~,” the song may not be flashy, but it has long been cherished as a beloved winter staple.
It’s the kind of track you’ll want to play softly on a quiet night before the New Year, while spending time with someone special.
HAPPY NEW SHOW TIME!Katorina Guriiberu (CV: Amaki Sarii) Otori Kokona (CV: Iwami Manaka) Shizuka (CV: Hasegawa Ikumi)
It’s a bright, poppy number that’s perfect for kicking off the New Year.
Released in January 2024 as an insert song for the game “World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium,” it weaves traditional Japanese New Year scenes—like temple bells on New Year’s Eve, first shrine visits, and osechi cuisine—into its lyrics.
The blend of traditional Japanese instruments and lively, sparkling vocals makes it festive and fun.
Give it a listen when you want to fill your heart with hope for the year ahead—it’s sure to lift your spirits.
The Bell of BeginningsUguisumaru Tomonari (CV: Shimizu Ayaka) Namazuo Toushirou (CV: Watada Misaki) Hotarumaru Kunitoshi (CV: Tachibana Meemu)
This is a character song that vividly colors the dawn of a new year.
It was released digitally by Pony Canyon in January 2021 and later included on the album “Hyakka Ryouran Vol.
3” in July of the same year.
The lyrics intertwine the sound of the New Year’s bell with inner resolve, capturing the exhilaration of straightening one’s back in festive attire and stepping forward into a new self.
Blending the crisp air of the season with a melody full of hope, this number is perfect for watching the first sunrise as you set your resolutions for the year.
The clear, translucent vocals of Ayaka Shimizu, Riho Sugiyama, and Mayuka Nomura gently deliver the sparkle of the New Year.
[New Year’s Songs] Classic Hits and Popular New Year Tracks to Listen to in the New Year (11–20)
first shrine visit of the New YearPort Town FM
Released in March 2021 as the final track on the album “Jumble,” Port Town FM’s song is a heartfelt number that paints scenes where past and present intersect in a port town over the New Year holidays.
In a quiet winter city after the bustle of summer has faded, it recalls the days of receiving New Year’s money, while singing of reunions with old friends and the warmth of human connection.
The harmonies woven by the mixed male–female triple vocals align perfectly with the atmosphere of the first shrine visit of the year, gently delivering a message of renewal and fresh starts.
Its refreshing guitar-pop sound conveys even the humidity of the port and the feel of winter air, making it an ideal song for the very moment you welcome a new year.
Striking a fine balance between nostalgia and hope, this track is perfect for New Year’s spent with people you haven’t seen in a while on your trip home.
It’s also recommended for anyone wanting to begin the year with a refreshed heart!
This is Nyaa’s way of life.nya~tan (CV: Murakawa Rie)
From the anime Etotama, whose heroine is Nyaa-tan, the cat who couldn’t make it into the twelve zodiac signs, here’s a character song sung by Rie Murakawa.
It’s a solo track included on the character song mini-album “Geki-Meshi!! Waga Nya no Bangohan,” released in May 2015.
Set to a high-BPM electropop track by the IOSYS crew, it portrays Nyaa-tan charging forward optimistically on her own path.
The story of a cat striving to join the zodiac perfectly mirrors New Year’s resolutions to work toward our goals in the year ahead.
The energetic call-and-response shouts and Rie Murakawa’s vibrant vocals are sure to boost your New Year mood!
UFO ShrineLOVE JETS
How about an offbeat New Year’s song from LOVE JETS, the masked rock ’n’ roll unit that flew in from outer space? This unique track, which captures scenes of hatsumode and shrine visits from the perspective of aliens who’ve landed on Earth, was included on a single released in December 2003.
Its danceable sound blends a solid rock ’n’ roll beat with elements of disco and techno.
The lighthearted lyrics, where Japan’s annual traditions intersect with a cosmic point of view, are sure to bring a smile.
It’s the perfect song for anyone who wants to enjoy New Year’s festivities from a slightly different angle or to get the party going at a New Year’s gathering.
Relative shock!gurūpu damashii
This is a Group Tamashii number that humorously portrays how kids typically feel when making New Year’s visits to relatives.
It comically depicts the shock of not getting New Year’s gift money, with a touch of lighthearted humor.
The song was included as the B-side to the single “I’ll Buy You Juice ♥,” released in October 2005.
With its energetic punk-style sound and skit-like storytelling that mesh perfectly, this track is sure to put a smile on your face when you listen to it at New Year’s.