Wonderful entertainment/performances

[2025] Liven Up Your Party! A Roundup of the Newest J‑Pop Hits and All-Time Crowd Favorites

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering audio, lighting, and video technologies, and I acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined my current music production company and have consistently built experience on the production side ever since, working on a wide range of tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle content for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as the insights and knowledge I’ve gained from engaging with my kids every day. I hope my work can be of help to you, even just a little!

Music is essential for livening up year-end parties, New Year’s gatherings, welcome and farewell parties, and other banquets.

If you’re the organizer or in charge of entertainment, you’ll want to pick songs that get everyone excited.

Still, it can be hard to know which tracks will really hype up the crowd.

For those in that situation, this article introduces recommended Japanese songs perfect as BGM to energize any banquet.

Focusing on the latest trend-aware hits while also picking timeless favorites, it offers a lineup that people of all generations can enjoy, making it suitable for a wide variety of events.

Be sure to check it out!

[2025] Get the Party Going! A Roundup of the Newest and All-Time Popular J-Pop Hits (91–100)

Otona BlueAtarashii Gakkou no Leaders

ATARASHII GAKKO! – OTONABLUE / THE FIRST TAKE

Otona Blue - ATARASHII GAKKO! (Leaders of the New School)

The four-member dance performance unit Atarashii Gakko! released a song in April 2023 that expresses the gap between a mature outward appearance and an innocent inner self.

Singing about the desire to connect with people not just by looks but heart-to-heart, the track won the Grand Prize at the TikTok First Half Trend Awards 2023.

Combined with its choreography known as the “head-shaking dance,” it influenced many.

They also opened the 2023 Kohaku Uta Gassen, earning support from a wide audience.

It’s a perfect song to liven up parties, with a melody that’s friendly to all generations.

We recommend adding it to your setlist as part of entertainment or to boost the mood.

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Aim to be a Pokémon MasterRika Matsumoto

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master! - Rika Matsumoto

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Rika Matsumoto

Recently, Pokémon GO has become popular, hasn’t it? It’s an anime whose long-standing popularity never fades.

Since everyone knows the song, I think it’s a very approachable choice for performances or entertainment, like singing while doing a spray routine.

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[2025] Liven Up Your Party! A Roundup of the Newest and All-Time Favorite J-Pop Hits (101–110)

Nihon no Mikata: I came from Nevada.Yajima Beauty Salon

Yajima Beauty Salon / Nihon no Mikata – We Came from Nevada

Nihon no Mikata: Yajima Biyoshitsu Came from Nevada

It’s entertaining to watch and listen to, as you’d expect from a top veteran comedian.

If you dress like this and imitate it as a performance, it’ll definitely be funny.

It’s a trio, but doing it with a large group on purpose could turn it into something really powerful.

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KICKBACKKenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu – KICKBACK

KICK BACK Kenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu’s 13th single, released in October 2022.

It serves as the opening theme for the TV anime Chainsaw Man, and with the co-arrangement by Daiki Tsuneta of King Gnu, it’s an ultra-sharp, undeniably cool rock number.

With its complex melodic lines and dizzying key changes, it’s a characteristically challenging piece from Yonezu—but just ride the momentum and power through.

It’s also packed with playful touches, like sampling Morning Musume’s “Souda! We’re ALIVE,” so have fun and get hyped!

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Best FriendKana Nishino

Kana Nishino 'Best Friend (short ver.)'

Best Friend Kana Nishino

This is the song “Best Friend” by Kana Nishino, who is immensely popular among high school girls.

People often say her lyrics reveal a heavy view on love, but I think that makes it easier to get emotionally absorbed, which is good.

I’d love to have a close pair of friends sing this song to me—it would be so comforting.

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astronomical observationBUMP OF CHICKEN

BUMP OF CHICKEN “Stargazing”

Astronomical Observation BUMP OF CHICKEN

A universally known rock classic.

The performance is kept simple enough for high schoolers to play, and the vocal key isn’t too high, so it’s a great pick for those just starting a band.

If you’re unsure, this is the song I recommend covering!

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Yo-kai Exercise No. 1Dream5

Yo-kai Watch: Yokai Exercise No. 1

Yo-kai Exercise No. 1 Dream5

This is a song used in Yo-kai Watch.

Even if you don’t know the anime, the lyrics are funny, and there are some simple dance moves, so I think it’s a lot of fun to just watch the PV and do it together.

The vocal range is easy to sing, so it’s perfect for a quick break.

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