Songs that have won the Japan Record Award throughout its history
The Japan Record Awards, cherished as a year-end staple in the music scene.
Launched in 1959, the award has annually honored the songs that drew the most attention that year.
Many of you are probably wondering, “What song will be chosen this year?” or thinking, “It’s got to be that one, right?”
In this article, we present all the past Grand Prize–winning songs at a glance.
Seeing the winners lined up like this lets you enjoy a wealth of masterpieces from Japan’s music history all at once.
Take this opportunity to revisit and listen to the timeless classics that have defined the domestic music scene.
- Masterpieces of the Reiwa Era: Hit Songs That Define the Times
- Old songs from the Showa to Heisei eras: a collection of timeless classics loved across generations
- Hit songs in Japan in the late 1960s
- [Showa Era] A Collection of Enka Hits: Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations
- Songs from the Heisei retro era that will get any generation excited! Timeless tracks you’ll want to listen to now.
- Showa-era love songs: A roundup of timeless love songs cherished across generations
- A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
- Just listening to it purifies the heart... A healing song born in the Showa era.
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- Classic Christmas Songs That Resonate with the Hearts of Those in Their 80s
- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
- Resonates across generations! Hit songs that colored the Heisei era, perfect as BGM
- Heisei Song Collection: Iconic Hits That Colored the ’90s and 2000s
Japan Record Award-winning songs through the years (21–30)
White StraitŌtsuki Miyako
Miyako Otsuki is a leading enka singer in Japan, and in 1992 she won the Japan Record Award as well as the top prize in the enka category.
Although her highest position on the Oricon chart was 30th, she was selected for the award due to sustained long-term sales.
She also appeared on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen with the song “Shiroi Kaikyō” (White Strait).
Paradise GalaxyHikaru GENJI
Grand Prize of 1988 (Showa 63).
Hikaru Genji’s biggest hit single.
From their debut up to this release, all songs were written and composed by CHAGE & ASKA (mainly Ryo Asuka).
They were hugely popular idols at the time, and their style of dancing while roller-skating was groundbreaking.
Lonely Tropical FishWink
The grand prize of 1989 (Heisei 1).
The choreography was memorable for the so-called “Daimajin pose,” where they spun while moving a horizontally held arm up and down in front of their face.
Although this song is not Wink’s top seller—since their No.
1 is a Western cover—this track is their best-selling original song, and it is still broadcast on TV and elsewhere whenever Wink is featured.
Things I like about youNishino Kana
The 2016 grand prize winner.
It’s a song inspired by the overseas trend “52 Reasons I Love You,” where you write “things I like about you” on each playing card and give the deck to someone you love.
The singer often focuses on universal forms of affection such as romance and friendship.
EnchantedJudi Ongu
The grand prize of 1979 (Showa 54).
It’s not widely known, but it has the subtitle “Theme of the Aegean Sea.” The costume, which spreads out like wings into a fan shape when the arms are extended, is striking.
With the slightly lisping pronunciation characteristic of foreign singers and an exotic melody, the song overflows with a sense of the foreign and mysterious.
One SwordHikawa Kiyoshi
The Grand Prize of 2006 (Heisei 18).
It was the first enka Grand Prize in 12 years since Kaori Kozai in 1993 (Heisei 5).
Since Kiyoshi Hikawa had already won the 42nd Best New Artist Award (Hakoneshiri no Hanjirō) and the 45th Best Vocal Performance Award (Hakuun no Shiro), winning the Grand Prize with this work earned him the triple crown.
The Northern LandKitajima Saburō
Since Saburo Kitajima’s hometown is Hokkaido, the song was composed with an image of the great land.
Released in 1991, it won that year’s Japan Record Award.
As befits a true master, his vocal ability stands out as exceptional even among enka singers.