I had a lot of fun putting a winter-themed song calendar and playlist last December, so I wanted to do it again this year.
This will only start on Dec 1st (which I realize it already is in some locations).
I wrote the title as “Advent Calendar,” but it’s actually 31 songs, 1 each day until 12/31, and then it’s time for 紅白歌合戦, Japan’s annual New Year’s music competition show on NHK (see these links if you’re not familiar with Kōhaku: Kōhaku Uta Gassen - Wikipedia, 第74回NHK紅白歌合戦).
Every day from December 1st to December 31st 2023, you open the 冬の唄2023 link and click on the current date.
That day will have a youtube video with a (most of the time) winter-themed song, as well as a link to the lyrics for that song (if you click on a date too early, nothing happens)
Listen to the song of the day
Read the linked lyrics (if you want to)
Share any impressions/thoughts!
You’re also welcome to share any of your own winter song suggestions or thoughts on possible/announced Kōhaku artists in this thread! I love talking about music.
I did try to make the full list so that each song flows (relatively) well into the next and makes for a good playlist, so if you want to go ahead and listen to ALL the songs, I will include the full song list in spoiler tags below. I just ask that you please, if you are commenting on a song not yet unlocked for most people (i.e. multiple days ahead), be courteous and also use spoiler tags for your comment.
So excited for this! Thank you so much for making it and sharing! And I think I might be listening back to back with your playlist from last year too!
Happy December, let’s enjoy the holidays!
It’s funny how even though both playlists are “winter-themed” they have a really different overall feel to them. I’m not sure if that speaks to anything other than what mood I was in while I was making them.
BTW, last year’s list for anyone curious (note: no duplicate songs on this year’s list, but a few duplicate artists, so putting in spoiler tags just in case):
かじかむ - to grow numb with cold
ちぐはぐ - incoherent, confused (also mismatched, irregular)
街路樹 - roadside trees (樹 being apparently a level 41 kanji for “wood” / tree / timber)
焦燥 - impatience (WK level 51 vocab)
ツンと - standoffishly
解ける as ほどける instead of とける - to loosen up (e.g. tension) … also it’s used in the next verse with the とける pronunciation, and I’m not even sure the lyrics have the correct furigana because 口が解ける isn’t a phrase that means anything as far I can find, and listening it sounds like 「くちがどける」 to me, so not sure if it’s actually ほどける or とける
快音 - pleasant sound
彷徨う - to loiter; to putter; to prowl; to wander about; to roam about; to knock around
This is such a good idea! thanks for putting this together!
Since we’re 冬の匂いがした, i think this is probably the second definition: pungent or sharp (of a smell). That kinda cold crisp feeling of winter air
Lots of good words in this song, but the vocals are slow enough to follow pretty nicely
Not quite sure on this one either, they both sound like どける to me as well. it might be kinda playing with 口溶け (くちどけ）but including a particle to fit syllables better, or as a way to make it into a relative clause so that it can describe the 夢.
I have found three different translations of this song and all of them treat this line differently!
I just ask that you please, if you are commenting on a song not yet unlocked for most people (i.e. multiple days ahead), be courteous and also use spoiler tags for your comment. 
