A classic that evokes the year’s end. Looking back on the year through music [Just a little left of this year!]
What kind of year has it been for you?
This year felt long yet short, and at last it’s time to wrap it up!
Year-end always comes with all sorts of events, and music is essential for getting into the spirit, right?
So in this article, we’ve picked out plenty of songs that are perfect for the end of the year.
From songs about the year’s end to winter tunes, we’ve gathered popular tracks across generations—so you’re sure to find the perfect song for you!
Whether you’re someone who says, “This year was great,” or someone who feels, “This year was so-so,” we’ve got a full lineup of year-end songs we hope you’ll listen to.
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Classic songs that evoke the year’s end. Looking back on the year through music [Almost time to say goodbye to this year!] (41–50)
End-of-year hydrangea double suicideIchikawa Yukino
Set against the tense moments before the New Year’s Eve bells toll, this work portrays the resolve of a woman who has chosen to stay by someone’s side.
Sung by Yukino Ichikawa to previously unpublished lyrics by Yū Aku, the song appears on the album “Utaonna III: Shōwa Kayō Collection & Yū Aku Works,” released in October 2018.
In July 2019, it was also paired on a single commemorating her first headlining run at the Shin-Kabukiza theater.
The scene-setting—right down to the proper noun Ajisai-sō—deepens the narrative amid the cold year-end air, while Kohei Kō’s shadowed melody and Megumi Wakakusa’s orchestral arrangement heighten the vocal contours.
When you want to look inward at the year’s end, why not immerse yourself in its profound lyrical world?
December MorningMatsuda Seiko
This winter ballad, which closes out the 1981 album “Kaze Tachinu” (The Wind Rises), paints a scene of waiting for a cherished visitor at a lodge on a morning when powdery snow is dancing in the air.
The delicate lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto and melody by Kazuo Zaitsu, a renowned duo, let you feel both the crisp, clear chill of December and the warmth indoors at the same time.
With acoustic production arranged by Shigeru Suzuki, the sound avoids flashiness yet gently seeps into the heart.
It’s the perfect song for a quiet morning as the year draws to a close, when you want to look back on the past year and take things slow.
Win TimeCHAI
There’s something exciting about New Year’s, isn’t there? For those who want to be wrapped in fun music as they say goodbye to a fast-paced year and welcome a new one, I recommend CHAI’s “Win Time.” CHAI’s cute vocals and melodies that slip right into your ears make it a pleasure to listen to and fill you with bliss.
You can almost picture a New Year’s Eve spent with only the things you love and the people you like.
It’s a happy winter song, perfect for wrapping up the year on a joyful note!
SnowdomeKimura Kaera
The song that warms up a cold year-end with a gentle melody is Kaela Kimura’s “Snowdome.” Released in 2007, it was used as the CM song for JR East’s “JR SKISKI,” in which Kaela herself also appeared.
The lyrics express the wish to never forget the beautiful snowy scenery seen together with someone special, and the hope to see it again someday.
While the words carry a touch of wistfulness, the warm melody and Kaela’s tender voice soften that sadness and fill your heart with a cozy glow.
Ode to JoyToukyou Sukapara Daisu Ookesutora
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra always delights us with their vibrant ska melodies.
Their track “Ode to Joy,” included on the 2014 album SKA ME FOREVER, is a year-end staple in Japan that many people love to sing and perform.
This piece, sung in the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No.
9, became a year-end tradition after the ensemble that is now the NHK Symphony Orchestra performed it at the end of 1947, in the postwar period.
The lyrics exuberantly praise joy and urge us to stride like heroes toward the paths we should follow.
They inspire us to greet the new year with our heads held high and a bright, hopeful spirit.
OH MY LITTLE GIRLOzaki Yutaka
“OH MY LITTLE GIRL” is a single released in 1994 and became Yutaka Ozaki’s biggest hit.
You can almost see a young couple walking close together through a bustling crowd in the north wind.
It has also been covered by numerous musicians.
DecemberFukuyama Masaharu
Masaharu Fukuyama’s straightforwardly titled song “December.” This track appears on Fukuyama’s acoustic cover album Tamashii Riku, and the original is a number sung by SION.
December brings Christmas to mind, and once that’s over, the city—and its people—suddenly grow busy preparing for the New Year.
This song feels like watching all of that from a step back, as if it doesn’t really have much to do with oneself.
If you’re one of those who has to rush through the season, take a moment to unwind with a tune like this.
