Winter Songs: Classic tracks you want to listen to in winter. Songs you long for during the winter.
When you think of “songs you want to listen to in winter,” what comes to mind?
In the J-POP scene, countless winter songs are released every year, and there are so many popular hits as well as hidden gems!
Of course there are tracks that depict snow and Christmas, but even songs without explicit seasonal words—those whose sound evokes the atmosphere of winter—are captivating.
I’m sure you also have a special winter song of your own.
In this article, we introduce timeless tunes that will stir up fond memories or make you want to listen as they match the winter scenery.
From love songs to pieces that sing of beautiful winter landscapes, we hope you’ll find a track that resonates with your heart.
[Winter Songs] Timeless tracks you want to hear in winter. Songs you long for in the winter (1–10)
White cityNEW!aibii karaa
A heartwarming love song you’ll want to listen to with someone special on a cold winter day.
Glittering strings and piano melodies vividly reflect a winter cityscape lit up with illuminations.
It’s filled with the excitement of heading to a meeting spot and the happy moments between lovers who find even the cold endearing, brightening the listener’s heart.
Released in November 2022 as the first installment of Ivy to Color’s “Pure Love Diptych,” this track is perfect not only for those on their way to a date, but also for nights when you want to feel the warmth of someone you love close by.
Winter Snow MagicNEW!Hirai Dai
A romantic number by Dai Hirai—an artist strongly associated with summer—that feels like it’s under a winter spell.
The grand arrangement featuring strings and his warm vocals dramatically color the feelings of two people pledging their love in the cold season.
Many listeners will likely find comfort in the imagery of savoring happiness with a loved one amid a landscape blanketed in snow.
Released first as a digital pre-release in December 2013 and later included on the mini-album “The Light,” which came out in January 2014, this song’s sweet world of confirming eternal love is perfect for setting the mood on a couple’s special night.
Snow Song – yukiutaNEW!Myuk
Inspired by “The Grateful Crane,” this song portrays a heartrending farewell with a loved one.
The lyrics, which employ a distinctive, folk-like melodic phrasing and archaic expressions, beautifully capture both the chill of a snowy landscape and the pain of the heart.
Released by Myuk in December 2025, the track drew major attention, surpassing a cumulative 30 million plays on social media even in its demo stage.
Its sound, blending acoustic warmth with digital textures, feels contemporary yet somehow nostalgic.
It’s the perfect number for a quiet night with steady snowfall, when you want to immerse yourself alone in the world of the lyrics.
As her first self-composed song in about two years, it’s a track brimming with her charm—be sure to give it a listen.
HibernationNEW!Yorushika
A track that strikes the heart with the impatience felt as the seasons change and the earnest wish to simply spend quiet time with you.
Yorushika—comprised of composer n-buna and vocalist suis—included this song on their May 2018 mini-album “An Encore Is Not Needed for a Loser.” Set to a driving, exhilarating guitar-rock sound, the piece portrays emotions so delicate they make you want to escape reality.
In the online concert “Previous Life” held in January 2021, it was performed as the song that closed the story, leaving a deep afterglow.
As the cold grows harsher, if you listen on a solitary night in a warm room, lost in thought, or while thinking of someone dear, it’s sure to resonate deeply in your heart.
Before it turns whiteNEW!Ryuya Miyase
Set to a light, jazzy pop sound, this winter song celebrates the arrival of the season and budding romance.
Actor Ryubi Miyase wrote the lyrics under the name “Ryubi Miyase,” infusing them with a desire to vividly capture both the cityscape before it turns completely white with snow and the moments spent with a loved one.
The track was newly written as the opening theme for Miyase’s first leading drama, “First Love of the Snowdrop,” which began airing in October 2024.
It was released for streaming to coincide with the broadcast and was packaged as a long-awaited first single in December 2024.
With stylish chord progressions and a sweet, soothing vocal, it’s perfect for nights when you want to sink into a romantic mood.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who wants to enjoy a winter romance while reflecting on the drama’s storyline.
SNOWNEW!B’z
A hidden gem of a ballad by the rock duo B’z, it evokes a winter landscape wrapped in silence.
Included on the mini-album FRIENDS II released in November 1996, this track reins in the flashy guitar sound in favor of a delicate arrangement that leans heavily on piano and falsetto.
Its worldview—depicting the quiet of a snowy night and a loneliness that spreads through the heart—carries a cold yet beautiful resonance that seems to gently lower the listener’s body temperature.
Though it wasn’t released as a single and had no prominent tie-ins, it holds a special presence for fans, even closing out the ballad best-of The Ballads ~Love & B’z~.
It’s a deeply introspective winter song that makes you want to listen alone on a quiet winter night, far from the bustle.
SNOW SOUND[Alexandros]
![SNOW SOUND[Alexandros]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e7GvXNOxhng/sddefault.jpg)
“SNOW SOUND,” the 14th single by [Alexandros], released in 2017.
This track was also used as the theme song for the 2016–2017 “JR SKI SKI” commercial.
As the title “SNOW” suggests, it’s a song that perfectly suits heavy, quietly falling snow; its sound evokes vivid images of winter and snow.
It’s an ideal winter tune for those looking for a song to play on cold days or when it’s snowing—one that stirs a touch of bittersweet emotion.
