A poignant winter classic. A winter song that seeps into the heart on cold days.
Do you ever have those moments when, as it gets colder, you suddenly feel lonely for no clear reason?
You might find yourself craving someone’s warmth or wanting to see your partner more than usual—perhaps you’ve felt that too.
In this article, we’re introducing bittersweet songs that feel especially dear in winter scenes.
Why not listen to some poignant winter tunes that make you think of someone special or a partner you can’t meet?
We’ve picked out deeply relatable, heartrending songs—from new releases to timeless classics.
Be sure to listen with your winter days.
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A poignant winter classic. Winter songs that touch the heart in the cold season (21–30)
Christmas EveYuuri
A song that gently wraps the sadness of winter.
This is Yuuri’s first Christmas song, released in November 2022.
The lyrics, which overlay lost love and loneliness with Christmas Eve, deeply resonate.
The delicate depiction evokes the aching feeling of a candle’s light slowly fading.
The music video, directed by Elizabeth Miyaji and starring actress Sara Minami, further draws you in through her expressive performance.
It’s the perfect song for a cold winter night when you find yourself reminiscing about past love—a quiet companion for reflecting on the feelings you keep in your heart.
Farewell in FebruaryTHE SLUT BANKS
THE SLUT BANKS are a rock band that performs under the unique concept of all members being “undead spirits.” This track of theirs brilliantly fuses a driving sense of speed with a poignant scene of farewell.
The lyrics depict a February night with snow dancing in the air, a parting where someone waves with a laugh—conveying not just sadness, but a dry, stinging ache.
Included on the album “Rock’n’Roll to the MAX,” released in May 2020, the song’s vocals were actually recorded around mid-February 2020, and it’s said that the uneasy atmosphere pervading the world at the time is sealed within the sound.
True to the season in its title, listening on a chilly night might set your heart aglow.
It’s a deeply wistful song that keeps you company on lonely nights while you wait for spring.
Poignant winter masterpieces: Winter songs that touch the heart in the cold season (31–40)
Around the time winter endsberii guddoman
A single ray of light offered in a frigid season, this song wraps gratitude born from farewell in a beautiful harmony.
It’s a track from the 2014 album “SING SING SING 2.” Standing on the seasonal boundary where snow turns to rain, it gently accepts a relationship that can never return, while expressing kindness in praying for the other person’s happiness “just as they are.” In 2015, it was chosen as an ending theme for TBS’s “Hiruobi!” and Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting’s “Dooo” among others, etching itself deeply into viewers’ winter memories across regions.
Though originally an indie-era song, it was included in a remastered version on a best-of album in 2018, and remains a staple that unites audiences at winter live shows.
For those trying to move forward while carrying a sense of loss, or when you need gentle words on a solitary night, let this one song by Benri Goodman be your companion.
HEROMr.Children
When you’re feeling down, one option is to quietly wait for someone who can help you.
This song by the nationally beloved rock band Mr.
Children was released in 2002 as their 24th single.
Many of you have probably heard it, as it was used in a commercial.
The claymation music video, with its memorable snowy scenery, was also a hot topic at the time.
It makes you think, “This person is my hero,” or “I want to be someone’s hero, too.”
knit hatOfisharu Higedan Dism
This is a winter heartbreak song by Official HIGE DANDism, who have created various love songs such as “Pretender” and “1,150,000 Kilometer Film.” It was included on their 2016 album “What’s Going On?” and could be considered a hidden gem.
The lyrics depict a man who still has feelings for his ex, spending his first winter since their breakup.
Since winter was his former girlfriend’s favorite season, the cold and the unique loneliness of winter pierce deep into his heart.
Throughout the lyrics, memories of happier times and the crushing sadness of the present are vividly conveyed, making it a song that tightens your chest as you listen.
hot milknishina
A song I want you to listen to on long winter nights is “Hot Milk.” It’s a track by singer-songwriter Nishina, created as the theme song for episode 1 of the drama “I Want a Love Like a Romance Drama in NEW YORK.” It depicts someone spending a long night alone, thinking about an ex.
The content is quite heartrending, but Nishina’s gentle voice seems to warm the heart when you listen.
Also, I’d like you to pay attention to the conclusion the protagonist reaches at the end of the song.
Heroineback number
These days, back number is so popular across such a wide audience that it’s almost impossible to talk about love songs without mentioning them.
This song is, of course, a love ballad as well, set in winter and beloved as a classic winter tune.
The lyrics’ protagonist loves someone deeply, yet knows it’s an unrequited love.
The wish to look at the same scenery and say, “It’s beautiful,” together is heartbreaking, and the lyrics squeeze your chest with their bittersweet pain.