[2026] Japanese karaoke songs to sing at year’s end: a roundup of popular hits and classics

WINDING ROADAyaka × Kobukuro

Kobukuro – WINDING ROAD (Ayaka × Kobukuro)

Ayaka × Kobukuro’s memorable first single, released in February 2007, is a song that sings of life’s winding road and the hope that awaits beyond it.

Born from a collaboration sparked by a joint appearance on a music program, it was also featured in a Nissan Cube commercial and debuted at No.

2 on the Oricon weekly chart.

The grand choral work of the three vocalists and its message—encouraging listeners to keep moving forward step by step even through difficult times—are deeply moving.

It’s a perfect song to sing at year-end parties, reflecting on a year of hardships and challenges while channeling hope for the coming year.

If you have confident male and female singers, definitely try it as a duet: a powerful yet warm classic.

MAGICAdo

【Ado】MAGIC

This is the first collaboration with Vocaloid producer Tsumiki, released in October as the opening theme for the anime “Cat’s Eye.” The track, where a retro vibe intersects with a Reiwa-era modern sound, is highly addictive—guaranteed to be on repeat.

The contrast between lyrics that depict the duality of a phantom thief—deception and truth, stealing and being stolen from—and Ado’s shape-shifting vocals amps up the excitement.

It’s a stylish dance tune you’ll want to play when you want to lift your mood.

My subjectsKetsumeishi

Ketsumeishi “Wagamono-tachi yo” Lyric Video

The contradictions that become visible as we age, and our immaturity even as adults.

Frankly voicing such life-sized struggles, “Wagamono-tachi yo” is a message song that follows in Ketsumeishi’s tradition of “anthems to life.” Set to a laid-back beat, it carefully portrays the wavering emotions that arise as we juggle work, family, and the choices we make each day.

It’s a song that stays by your side when you’re unsure about everyday decisions and want to recheck your footing.

1991Yonezu Kenshi

1991

Kenshi Yonezu, the singer-songwriter leading Japan’s music scene.

This song, written as the theme for the live-action film “5 Centimeters per Second,” bears the title 1991—the year he was born—and conveys his deep attachment to the original work.

Woven with lyrics that follow themes of memory and loss and intimate emotions, it conveys a will to move forward while facing the past, making it widely relatable.

It’s a track that will resonate deeply with anyone at a turning point in life or wishing to confront cherished memories—an emotional number perfect for the year’s end.

The Story of the Wind and MeAdo

The Story of the Wind and Me [Ado]

This piece was written as the theme song for the film “The Silent Service: Great Battle in the Arctic Ocean,” slated for release in September 2025.

It drew attention as Hiroji Miyamoto’s first time providing a song to a female artist, with Mafumafu handling the arrangement.

From everyday scenes like the wind brushing your cheeks and the sparkle of the city, to the preciousness of human connections, the lyrics resonate with the film’s sweeping narrative.

It’s a beautiful rock ballad that stirs the heart, contrasting Miyamoto’s characteristically lyrical melody with Ado’s richly expressive vocals.

universal gravitationFukuyama Masaharu

Banyuinryoku

Released digitally in September 2025, “Universal Gravitation” was written as the theme song for the Nippon TV information program DayDay.

The song explores the idea that even when we feel lonely amid the clamor of the city, people are drawn to each other by an invisible force.

Its lyrics contrast a heart bewildered by the buildings’ scattered reflections with stars that, though unseen, are undeniably there—gently revealing the warm connections hidden in everyday life.

It’s a cheer song that stays by your side during the hectic morning rush and lifts you into a positive mood.

JANE DOEYonezu Kenshi, Utada Hikaru

Kenshi Yonezu, Hikaru Utada – JANE DOE

It’s a number that makes a swell of bittersweet emotion rise up.

Written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu, with vocals by Yonezu and Hikaru Utada, this track creates a one-of-a-kind chemical reaction.

It portrays a sorrowful yet beautiful love that seems to wish for someone to trace the blood left by wounds inflicted on oneself, and it’s the kind of song that loosens your tear ducts as you listen.

Utada’s voice, which sweeps through like the wind, further deepens the piece’s melancholic atmosphere.

Released in September 2025 on Yonezu’s single “IRIS OUT / JANE DOE,” this track served as the ending theme for the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc theatrical anime.

Please savor the lingering afterglow of the story.