[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!
- Masterpieces to Listen to in January: New Year-Themed, New Year-Ready, and Winter Songs
- [New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations
- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] Winter Classics to Sing in January: Heartwarming Moments with Nostalgic Children’s Songs and Kayōkyoku (Japanese Popular Songs)
- Songs to Play at the End of 2026! A Roundup of New Year’s Eve and Winter J‑Pop
- [2026] Classic Western songs to celebrate the New Year: Popular tracks to kick off the year
- [1980s J-Pop] Popular winter songs: from chart-toppers to hidden gems!
- [2026] Perfect for reunions and New Year’s parties! Karaoke songs to sing at New Year’s
- [Winter Songs] The Best Classic and Popular Winter Tunes to Listen to in Winter
- Winter songs in 90s J-pop: a roundup of popular winter tunes
- [Masterpiece] Big Winter Anime Song Special!
- Winter songs you'll want to listen to in the cold season! Recommended for the yutori generation
- Winter Songs: Classic tracks you want to listen to in winter. Songs you long for during the winter.
[New Year’s Songs] Classic and Popular New Year Tunes to Enjoy (21–30)
Grandma used to say—on the morning when a new year is born—magcafe at garden
The lyrics tell a story I heard from my grandmother: that during the New Year, a deity called Toshigami-sama comes to bring happiness.
The song also weaves in imagery of small children.
With its gentle performance and themes of grandmothers and little ones, it’s a heartwarming piece.
Is the bath nice?shiritsu ebisu chūgaku
A perfect song for those who go back to their family home every year for New Year’s, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku’s “Ii Yu Kana.” For people who can only see their grandparents once in a while, or who live away from their parents, New Year’s is a time to finally see Dad and Mom again.
The lyrics are about running a bath for them during that New Year’s visit, and the content really tugs at the heartstrings.
You can picture the smiles of those who are happy to see how much you’ve grown since they last saw you.
Listen to this song and welcome the New Year with your family in a gentle, warm frame of mind!
[New Year’s Songs] Masterpieces and Popular New Year Tracks to Hear in the New Year (31–40)
New Year’s gift (money given to children)yunikōn
A Unicorn track that gently captures the New Year’s excitement.
It was included as the B-side to the single “Yuki ga Furu Machi,” released in December 1992, and its warm melody—imbued with a prayer for the new year—strikingly contrasts with the A-side’s year-end scenes.
The lyrics tenderly convey the New Year’s distinctive sacred atmosphere and the wish for a good year, evoking peaceful year-end and New Year imagery.
The refreshing arrangement, featuring a variety of instruments like accordion and banjo, feels wonderfully pleasant.
Happy New YearBeibī Reizu JAPAN
Renamed from Babyraids and later disbanded in 2018, Babyraids JAPAN had this song, “Happy New Year.” New Year’s is the time when you declare, “This year I’m going to do ___!” right? This is a quintessential idol-style New Year’s song packed with dreams and hopes like “This year I want to do this, I want to do that.” Even if you’re not that into idols, this track is recommended as one that will make you feel happy and give you a positive boost.
January 1st
It’s a hymn that celebrates the first day of a new year and conveys a sense of strength.
It’s a well-known piece, often played during the New Year season and used as the theme song for Fuji TV’s “New Year’s Hidden Talent Show.” There are several versions with different lyricists and composers, but the one with lyrics by Sonpo Senge and music by Shinko Ue is the most famous.
Because Sonpo Senge had close ties to Izumo Taisha, a monument inscribed with the song was erected on the east side of the Kaguraden at Izumo Taisha.
The song conveys gratitude for welcoming the New Year and a strong wish for a good year ahead.
A HAPPY NEW YEARBase Ball Bear
A song by the rock band Base Ball Bear, included on their October 2021 album DIARY KEY.
Drawing on motifs of New Year’s visits to Meiji Shrine and the rising sun, it expresses heartfelt wishes for people’s happiness.
Its refreshing, buoyant band sound and Sekine’s gentle vocals are striking.
I think it’s the perfect number for spending time with someone special over the New Year holidays.
Let’s fill our hearts with hope for the coming year!
Rat♡Ox♡Tiger♡Rabbit♡Dragon♡Snake♡denpagumi.inc
Dempa-gumi.inc’s 18th single, “Rat♡Ox♡Tiger♡Rabbit♡Dragon♡Snake♡,” released in 2019.
It’s a high-energy, poppy love song that’s very Dempa-gumi.inc, and as the title suggests, it’s themed around the twelve zodiac signs—making it a must for New Year’s (lol).
When you fall in love, you want to know the other person’s birthday; then you find out their date of birth to check compatibility, worry about age differences—one way or another, no, about everything—you just can’t help being curious and wanting to know.