Happy Holidays! Here is the No1 Christmas song in Japan.  As I was researching about popularity on Japanese Christmas songs, it was obvious that this song was at the top of the list in almost every ranking.  If you were in Japan now, I am sure you would be hearing this song over and over everywhere.  This song is called : Christmas Eve (クリスマスイブ) by Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎). This song was originally released in 1983 (yes it was exactly 30 years ago); however, it didn’t become so popular until the song was used in 1988 for one of the JR’s (Japan Rail Company) commercial. This fall, 30th Anniversary Edition was just released.

Here is the Japanese version of the song-(30th Anniversary Edition):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-oBQQMKV8

Lyrics of the song below:

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雨は夜更け過ぎに 雪へと変わるだろう
Silent night, Holy night
きっと君は来ない ひとりきりのクリスマス・イブ
Silent night, Holy night

心深く 秘めた想い 叶えられそうもない
必ず今夜なら 言えそうな気がした
Silent night, Holy night

まだ消え残る 君への想い 夜へと降り続く
街角には クリスマス・トゥリー 銀色のきらめき
Silent night, Holy night

雨は夜更け過ぎに 雪へと変わるだろう
Silent night, Holy night
きっと君は来ない ひとりきりのクリスマス・イブ
Silent night, Holy night

心深く 秘めた想い 叶えられそうもない
必ず今夜なら 言えそうな気がした
Silent night, Holy night

まだ消え残る 君への想い 夜へと降り続く
街角には クリスマス・トゥリー 銀色のきらめき
Silent night, Holy night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course since this song became so popular, there is an English version too, by the same singer, Tatsuro Yamashita.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCogdLJenKM

English version Lyrics:

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All alone I watch the quiet rain
Wonder if it’s gonna snow again
Silent night, Holy night

I was praying
you’d be here with me
But Christmas Eve ain’t
what it used to be
Silent night, Holy night

If you were beside me
Then I could hear angels
And I’d give you rainbows,
for Christmas

Somewhere far away
the sleighbells ring
I remember
when we used to sing
Silent night, Holy night

I keep you inside me
Oh the truth is unspoken,
So my heart won’t be broken,
on Christmas

They lit the trees
along the avenue
Twinkling silver with a touch of blue
Silent night, Holy night

All alone I watch the quiet rain
Wonder if it’s gonna snow again
Silent night, Holy night

I was praying
you’d be here with me
But Christmas Eve ain’t
what it used to be
Silent night, Holy night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, here is the CREAM version of the song; which I think is nicely arranged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCKBVR_BWiQ

How did you like these Japanese Christmas songs?  Around this time of the year, regardless of the language, it is nice to listen to Christmas songs! Hope you enjoyed these Japanese Christmas songs along with your favorite ones!

Merry Christmas (メリークリスマス)!