‘Tis the season of trees, tinsel and trying to find a spot that isn’t at the furthest end of the mall parking lot. It is also the only time of the year I can vaguely tolerate anything that has to deal with snow. While I bake my shortbread cookies, rum balls and Irish Cream fudge and avoid the drizzly outdoors of Atlanta (which I prefer to the harsh Calgary winters), I like to crank up my favourite Japanese Christmas songs and discover new additions for my growing annual playlist.
The 2010 Jpop Christmas Extravaganza Playlist:
- 12gatsu no Love Song – Gackt
- Itsuka no Merry Christmas – aiko (as well as the B’z and Ayumi/Gackt versions)
- White Xmas – KAT-TUN
- Mamoritai ~White Wishes~ – BoA
- I Love Dream World/Everlasting Snow/Himitsu no Christmas – 1st Xmas (feat. dream, Fruits Punch, SweetS)
- Merry Christmas to You/Let’s Hang On – 2nd Xmas (feat. dream, SweetS, Aiko Kayou)
- Giant Christmas ~ Yuujou ni Ribbon/Kibou no Uta ’05 – 3rd X’mas (feat. dream, SweetS, Nao Nagasawa, Nanase Hoshii, Aiko Kayou, Paradise GO GO, Michi Saito)
- White Song – Hyde
- Argent Snow – Paradise GO GO
- Hurry Xmas/I Wish – L’arc en Ciel
- Meri Kuri – BoA
- The Christmas Song – BoA
- Very First Christmas – Sowelu (feat. SHUHEI)
- Santa Claus – ELLEGARDEN
- Angel Song – the brilliant green
- Christmas Song – the brilliant green
- Shining/Snowflake/Happy Christmas/No More Blue Christmas – Crystal Kay
- White Light – Namie Amuro
- R.G.W. – PUFFY
- Jin Jin Jingle Bell – Moritaka Chisato (and Sasaki Nozomi’s 2010 version feat. Pentaphonic)
- Karera no Holy Xmas – Glay
- Kurisumasu Ibu Rap – Kick the Can Crew
- The Christmas Song – Skoop on Somebody
- Christmas – Judy and Mary
- Another Christmas – KinKi Kids
- I Believe – EXILE
- White Christmas – Every Little Thing
- Winter Bells – Mai Kuraki
- Holy Hold Me – Misia
- Happy Xmas – Nicotine
- Christmas Time – Sacra
- Christmas Time Forever – Southern All Stars
- Christmas Koushinkyoku – Yamamoto Sayaka
- Bokura wa Santa – ZONE
- Do You Hear What I Hear – melody.
- Blue Xmas Night/Santa ga Machi ni Yattekuru (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)/So Many Xmas – BON BON BLANCO
- Jingle Bells – Aya Hisakawa (as Ami from the Sailor Moon Christmas Special)
- Koibito ga Santa Claus – Matsutoya Yumi
- White Song – Aikawa Nanase
- Snow Smile – Bump of Chicken
- Aitai Lonely Christmas – C-ute
- Sounds of Snow – Skoop on Somebody
- This Christmas – Skoop on Somebody
- Xmas Dream – Two-Mix
- White Love Story – Raphael
- Snow Crystals – SweetS
- Ding-Dong – Tokio
- Christmas Eve – Yamashita Tatsuro
- Last Christmas – Yuuji Oda (as well as Michie Tomizawa and EXILE’s versions)
- Snow Angel – Kotoko
- Merry Xmas For You – Aya Maatsura
- 24 Xmas Time – Mai Kuraki
- Winter Winner – Orange Range
- Silent Night – Every Little Thing
- Winter Love – Aya Ueto
- Ai no Hi Kimi to Merry Christmas – SMAP
- White Love (Winter Version) – SPEED
In addition to the individual songs listed above, I also recommend Aoi Teshima’s Christmas Songs album which was released this year, and any of the Morning Musume Christmas tracks you can find. I have an album’s worth of them, but no idea if these were ever released as a single album or just part of holiday collections. CHEMISTRY’s Winter of Love album is another must have CD.
Meri Kuri, minna! ~Yukino