[Winter Songs] Classic Showa-era masterpieces. Popular songs you’ll want to listen to in winter.

The Color of WinterYamaguchi Momoe

Momoe Yamaguchi - Winter Colors

Momoe Yamaguchi, who enjoyed unwavering popularity as one of the defining idol singers of the 1970s.

Her seventh single, released in 1974, features a serene, ballad-like melody and restrained vocals that seep into the heart.

The lyrics—detailing the permitted shade of lipstick and a pure, budding love—delicately portray the scene of a distant romance, overlaying the chill and poignancy of winter.

Spending six weeks at No.

1 on the Oricon chart and becoming her first single to top the rankings, this work marked a turning point that signaled a deepening expressive power beyond the confines of idol pop.

An unfading winter classic you’ll want to listen to when you wish to quietly face your feelings of love.

Snow, fall.Gam

Let it Snow / Gam

This song, which opens Gam’s December 1981 album Kazabana, by the lyrical folk duo renowned in the 1980s, is a winter ballad that echoes with bittersweet feelings entrusted to gently falling snow.

Carried by soft guitar tones, it delicately portrays the tremor of a heart thinking of someone amid a scene of swirling snow.

The transparent harmonies and introspective lyrics weave a world imbued with Gam’s signature lyricism, offering a warmth that seems to nestle into winter’s stillness.

It’s a track that seeps into the heart when, alone in the cold season, you find yourself recalling days gone by or someone dear.

snow-cappedTeresa Ten

snow-capped

This is a single released in October 1974 by Teresa Teng, known as the Diva of Asia.

With lyrics by Michio Yamagami and music by Kosho Inomata, the song was performed on music programs such as “Hachiji da yo! Zen’in Shugo” and “The Best Ten,” and has long been cherished as a winter classic.

It depicts a woman gazing at fine snow quietly piling up outside the window while burning a love letter in the fireplace.

The lingering attachment to a lost romance—and the aching resolve to move forward nonetheless—is conveyed with rich emotion through Teresa Teng’s clear, translucent voice.

This gently enka-tinged melody that seeps into the heart is sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear.

STILL LOVE HER (A Lost Landscape)TM NETWORK

STILL LOVE HER (A Lost Landscape)

“STILL LOVE HER (The Lost Scenery),” which was also used as the ending theme for the anime City Hunter 2, is beloved by many as a quintessential winter song.

Included on the album CAROL ~A DAY IN A GIRL’S LIFE 1991~, released in December 1988, the track is known as one of TM NETWORK’s signature songs.

Built on a synthesizer-driven, ballad-like arrangement, it features a memorable harmonica solo by Naoto Kine.

The lyrics, depicting scenes of London, weave in lingering feelings for a lost love and bittersweet emotions, skillfully incorporating wintry images like winter sunlight and December constellations.

This heartwarming song has continued to be cherished by listeners over many years as a piece that you want to hear during the cold season.

snow-cappedMatsuyama Chiharu

snow-capped

A beloved winter song by Chiharu Matsuyama, a singer-songwriter from Hokkaido, first released to the world on his 1978 album “Arukitsuzukeru Toki” (When You Keep Walking).

It opens with the quiet image of white snow falling steadily, and gently sings of the feelings that well up while alone in a cold room.

There’s nothing in particular to be sad about, yet the restrained, powerful lyrics leave an impression as they convey the earnest wish to simply hold someone dear.

In 1997, it was remade as the B-side to the single “Christmas,” and was also used in a commercial for Corona heating appliances.

It’s a piece that stays close to you on a silent winter night, when the falling snow mirrors your thoughts, offering quiet companionship as you think of someone special in a warm room.