[Winter Songs] Classic Showa-era masterpieces. Popular songs you’ll want to listen to in winter.
In the Showa era, countless classic and hit songs were born and cherished by many listeners.
Winter, in particular, was a season packed with events like Christmas and New Year’s, and filled with dramatic themes such as snowy landscapes.
In this special feature, we introduce some of the finest winter songs from the Showa period.
We hope that those who experienced the era in real time will feel nostalgic, while those who did not will find it fresh and enjoyable.
Please enjoy!
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[Winter Songs] Showa-era masterpieces. Popular songs you’ll want to listen to in winter (41–50)
The Last Holy NightSugiyama Kiyotaka
A perfect ballad for a winter night.
It evokes the bittersweet feelings of a couple huddling together on a street corner, wrapped in cold air and glittering lights.
Released in November 1986, it became Kiyotaka Sugiyama’s second solo single and is also included on the album “realtime to paradise.” The lyrics, filled with emotions beyond words, resonate deeply and have the power to move listeners.
It’s recommended both for those who feel nostalgic for the past and for those creating new winter memories.
Why not listen to it while quietly watching the snow fall outside your window?
The prank of timeMatsuyama Chiharu
A masterpiece that delicately depicts a winter landscape was created by Chiharu Matsuyama.
It sings of the sorrow of relationships that have changed with the passage of time, as a cold wind blows.
Former affection has now become a memory, and the lyrics—filled with a sense of resignation toward the flow of time—pierce the heart.
Released in November 1977 as Matsuyama’s third single, this song captured the hearts of many fans.
The anecdote involving Miyuki Nakajima’s “Wakare Uta” is also well known.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to alone in a quiet moment when winter’s chill overlaps with the coldness in your heart.
As a classic winter song of the Showa era, why not give it a listen on a cold, windy day?
LOVE (I want to hold you)sawada kenji
This is Kenji Sawada, also known as Julie’s, 25th single.
At the 1978 NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, it achieved the rare feat for the time of closing the show with a pop song.
The lyrics were written by Yu Aku, renowned as one of the great lyricists of Japanese popular music.
Even among Kenji Sawada’s fans, it’s widely praised as a masterpiece, with many saying, “The lyrics are just so good.” That said, the song portrays an adulterous love.
Many listeners at the time were likely shocked by the sensual vocals that repeatedly deliver frank expressions of affection.
The Camellia Sasanqua InnŌkawa Eisaku
This is Eisaka Okawa’s biggest hit, which sold a total of 1.8 million copies.
It won the Japan Record Award’s Long Seller Award, and with this song he also achieved his long-awaited first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
There’s also a story that the composer, Shosuke Ichikawa, was so pleased with how well the song had turned out that he went straight to Okawa’s home and waited for him to come back so he could play it for him.
The song portrays the inner conflict of knowing you mustn’t truly love someone who is married, yet finding your feelings for them grow every time you meet.
Fairy of Powder SnowShimada Nami
This is a masterpiece that beautifully captures the glitter of snow coloring a winter nightscape and the bittersweetness of love.
Released in November 1986, it was also used as the theme song for Japan Vicks’ “Clearasil” commercial.
The lyrics delicately portray the feelings of a woman waiting for her lover on a snowy Christmas Eve, and Nami Shimada’s clear voice further enhances the song’s world.
Its melody, built on minor chords, carries a sense of melancholy, expressing uncontrollable emotions within an up-tempo arrangement.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to on a winter night as you stand by the window reflecting on a past love, or while quietly watching the snowfall.
Lovers’ PavementTHE ALFEE
This is THE ALFEE’s 19th single and their first song to reach No.
1 on the Oricon chart.
Toshihiko Takamizawa’s clear, high-toned lead vocals leave a pleasantly lingering impression.
Although released in 1984, it has continued to be performed at music festivals in the 2010s and is widely supported by fans as one of THE ALFEE’s signature songs.
“Pavement” refers to a paved road.
The song expresses a straightforward love: a vow to walk along a path prepared just for the two of us for a lifetime.
White LoverMatsuda Seiko
Seiko Matsuda’s classic song that beautifully captures the winter season is included on her album “North Wind,” released in December 1980.
The lyrics, penned by Tokuko Miura, weave together the transience and fragility of love with wintry imagery.
Reflections of a tear-streaked face in a windowpane and memories of seasons gone by poignantly convey a heart aching with love.
This work, which portrays a summer fling and a winter’s love, captivated many as an emotionally rich love song.
It’s a perfect piece for those who want to recall warm memories in the cold season or who are troubled by love.
Paired with Matsuda’s clear, soaring vocals, it has long been cherished as a winter classic that resonates deeply with the heart.