‘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