[2025] Japanese karaoke songs you’ll want to sing at year’s end: A roundup of popular hits and classics
As December comes around each year and the end of the year approaches, chances to sing karaoke at year-end parties and company gatherings tend to increase.
Since it’s a special time, you might be thinking of singing the perfect year-end song to get everyone excited.
In this article, we introduce classic J-pop songs about December scenery, the year’s end, and New Year’s Eve, spanning different eras and genres.
Whether you want to fire up the crowd with a group singalong for one last hurrah, or deliver a gentle performance to bid farewell to the year, pick a song that suits you and enjoy a wonderful year-end!
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[2025] Japanese karaoke songs to sing at year’s end: roundup of popular and classic tracks (1–10)
The limits of languageHinatazaka46
This is a track included as a coupling on the single “Onegai Bach!” released in September 2025.
Hina Kawata, who was about to graduate, served as the center.
The song contemplates the vastness of the universe while expressing the limits of putting precious feelings into words and celebrates the bonds of the heart that transcend language.
Its acoustic sound is warm and wonderful.
It’s a message song you’ll want to dedicate to someone setting off on a new journey.
Spaceship on New Year’s EveShikao Suga
Scenes of the year-end city come to mind and put me in an emotional mood.
New Year’s Eve carries a touch of sadness that the year is ending, yet it’s also one of the fun events, isn’t it? This song expresses that sense of fun, too.
Let’s lift our spirits from the year’s end and enjoy ringing in the New Year.
The Land of ‘Good Job’ (Otsukaresama)Kazuyoshi Saito
Kazuyoshi Saito continues to add his own distinctive color to the Japanese music scene.
Released in December 2008, this song gained major attention as the theme for Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Alinamin commercial.
Its gentle melody—crafted as a cheer for people leading busy lives—and Saito’s warm, slightly wistful vocals resonate deeply.
Centered on the gratitude and care embodied in the phrase “Otsukaresama desu” (“thank you for your hard work”), the song is perfect for year-end parties and farewell gatherings.
It’s sure to become a karaoke staple that everyone can sing together to encourage one another.
[2025] Japanese karaoke songs to sing at year’s end: A roundup of popular hits and classics (11–20)
New Year's EveMasashi Sada
It’s written “Ōmisoka,” but read as “Ōtsugomori.” It’s a gentle, folk-style song characteristic of Masashi Sada.
Calm and easy to sing.
The song says to forget the sad events of this year and welcome the new year in a good mood.
It makes you look forward to that slightly bittersweet year-end moment when the year comes to a close.
A town where it snowsUnicorn
A winter classic woven from the sight of a snow-dusted city and the unhurried pace of year’s end.
Released in December 1992, the song peaked at No.
4 on the Oricon charts.
The lyrics by Tamio Okuda depict the hustle and bustle of the year-end streets, contrasted with a couple quietly spending time together.
Its shuffle-based beat and melody are said to be heavily influenced by the mid-period Beatles.
It’s a perfect track not only for livening up year-end parties and karaoke, but also for sharing calm moments with someone special.
You Are the One Who Rings That BellAkiko Wada
As a song perfectly suited for December at the year’s end, we’d like to introduce one of Akiko Wada’s well-known numbers.
Released in March 1972, this track is among the most popular and representative works in Wada’s long career.
With lyrics by Yu Aku that explore themes of the era and solitude, paired with an emotionally rich melody by Koichi Morita, it resonates deeply with many listeners.
It has been performed six times on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, and was also used in a commercial in 1991.
The hopeful lyrics and Wada’s powerful vocals are sure to provide a moving conclusion to the year.
Subaru -Subaru-Shinji Tanimura
It’s a masterpiece known for its profound lyrics that explore life and dreams from a cosmic perspective, paired with a melody that resonates deeply.
Released by Shinji Tanimura in 1980, it has since been covered by many artists and has gained great popularity not only in Japan but across Asia.
In 1987, it appeared at the 38th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, and Hibari Misora also covered it in her 1984 album “Sui-sen no Uta: Hibari Misora Sings Pops.” At year-end karaoke, its lyrics—where nostalgia and hope intersect—can make for memorable moments.
If you’re in the mood to reflect on the meaning of life and our cosmic connections, give it a listen.