It takes work to figure out what the most popular songs of the year in Japan have been. The days where one could simply look at sales on the Oricon Ranking in December to divine what happened over the past 12 months are finished. Instead, one has to consult a variety of charts, streaming lists and other digital spaces to make any sense of it.

The sensation of being out of step with music trends during the past year was on full display in November, both from those living in Japan and those following its pop culture from abroad. The double whammy of the “buzzwords of the year” list and national broadcaster NHK’s announcement of 2024’s lineup for televised pop bonanza Kohaku Uta Gassen. “I don’t know any of this!” was a common response online. Sure, the slow march of ageing has a role to play in this…but the very-internet pace of Japanese entertainment makes it tough to keep up too.

To help folks catch up on the year that was — and maybe allow you to flex some pop-culture knowledge at any year-end parties you end up at — here’s a crash course in Japanese viral hits of 2024. It’s far from a totally conclusive list, but rather a bluffer’s guide to getting an overall idea of what sounds and ideas were spreading on the web. These are hits that exist primarily online — very few have been released physically — but have crossed over to the traditional mainstream.

Note: Not included on this list is Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” just because that one is even bigger and probably worthy of its own deeper dive.

Kocchi no Kento - “Hai Yorokonde”

Japanese listeners will always go for a swift song commenting on how exhausting modern society can be. Kocchi no Kento’s “Hai Yorokonde” is a skippy fever dream focused on the nonstop crush of having to “get it done” in the country, whether that comes to work or simply existing in the alienating city. In the tradition of glum-pop emerging out of Japan this decade, “Hai Yorokonde” can sound downright chipper if you aren’t paying attention. Kocchi no Kento sings over piano melodies and hop-scotching beats, and the hook is one of the stickiest to come out of J-pop in 2024. Yet sonic details turn it unnerving, from the little “what!” screamed occasionally to the distorted noises in the chorus. 

A bop for those beaten down by the world, it earned extra viral points for a video leaning into a Showa-era animation style that further caught attention. In the surest sign of its online success, it inspired wild takes ranging from “Communist Hai Yorokonde” to one featuring U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

See also: AKASAKI - “Bunny Girl,” Natori - “Absolute Zero” 

noa - “Hatsukoi Killer”

Young artist noa isn’t worried about the drudgery of contemporary life, but rather on the travails of modern love. “Hatsukoi Killer” is a nervy number about trying to find a lover, and the complications that come with it from all sides. The men our protagonist meets can be hard to read…but she herself is also a touch more complex, complete with a menacing side (“I’ll kill you”). Like “Hai Yorokonde” above, it’s totally possible to miss all of this (OK maybe not the “kill you” bit) because of how grooveable the music is, whether sung or rapped. Thanks to its sound and meaning, “Hatsukoi Killer” cleaned up on TikTok, and offers a great angle on how women see Japan in 2024.

See also: Koresawa - “Moto Kanojo No Minasame E,” ru-a - “Neon Sign” 

32ki Featuring Hatsune Miku And Kasane Teto -   “Mesmerizer”

Hatsune Miku had a big 2024. She performed at Coachella in the middle of a world tour, while her image inspired the “Brazilian Miku” meme that was all over X. She also continued to be a pop star, including in one of the big internet breakouts of the year in her home country. “Mesmerizer” by young producer 32ki pairs Miku’s digi delivery with fellow avatar Kasane Teto. The song itself is a buzzsaw electronic cut serving as an example of a more cacophonous approach to production — see last year’s “Ningen Mania” for another ace take — but helping propel it further was the video. Featuring Miku dressed as what appears to be a waitress, it packs in easter eggs that fascinated viewers while also having a nice twist in its back end. 

See also: DECO*27 - “Rabbit Hole,” Sasuke Haraguchi - “Igaku” 

issey - “MoeChakkaFire”

Collaborations between artists and other media franchises tend to always produce hits, but the wildest manifestations of this in J-pop over the course from 2024 came from unlikely collaborations. Electronic artist issey scored a viral smash with “MoeChakkaFire,” a pulsing cut that mutates from floor-filling beats to metal theatrics. What helped it certainly get attention though was how it served as the “character song” for Ellen Joe, a…shark maid (??) from the game Zenless Zone Zero. Enough people were hooked into that to get them to this high-octane cut, and that had them staying around as it became one of the surprise viral hits of the year.

See also: Various Artists - “Shika Iro Days,” Juufuutei Raiden - “Maitake Dance” 

CUTIE STREET - “Kawaii Dake Jya Dame Desuka?”

Idol music exists in a weird space within the J-pop ecosystem nowadays. Male groups still thrive, though it can sometimes feel like the music they release exists far from the actual fandom pushing them forward. Women, meanwhile, are doing well from the Korean and K-pop-inspired side, while more traditional Japanese idols still have large followings (see: anything ending in a -46) but feel just outside of the zeitgeist. All hail CUTIE STREET for offering a pure sonic Pixie Stick that got picked up by users of TikTok and eventually shot up viral charts. Similar to FRUITS ZIPPER’s “Watashi No Ichiban Kawaiitokoro” before it, this song embodies the idea of kawaii, which is something listeners maybe don’t want to overdo but are happy to indulge in every once in a while. 

See also: Bullet Train - “AwA AwA,” Shinako - “Hara Hara”

Yuki Chiba - “Team Tomodachi”

Rapper Yuki Chiba — formerly known as KOHH — eventually scored an even bigger viral moment after teaming up with Megan Thee Stallion for “Mamushi,” the biggest hit from her 2024 album and one inspiring a TikTok-famous dance. Yet before any of that or his surprise appearance at the MTV Music Video Awards, Chiba just wanted to celebrate friendship. “Team Tomodachi” marked the MCs return to music after a few years away, and became an early online hit in Japan thanks to its hook and general positive energy, despite those horror-movie piano notes lurching the song forward. It’s a triumphant cut, and it resonated with rappers all across Asia, with artists from Taiwan to Thailand to Myanmar offering up remixes. 

See also: KOMOREBI - “Giri Giri,” Nozomi Kitay and Gal D Featuring Mukade - “MOSHI MOSHI”

TV Tairiku Ondo - “Ore Ni Shinjitsu Wo Oshiete Kure!!”

Allow an aging rock fan the chance to get weepy-eyed. Nothing was more beautiful this year than seeing three teenagers from Hokkaido end up on nationally broadcast TV shows and just transforming into post-ponk cyclones for an entire country to see.

Just watch this live performance from Joho 7 Days Newscaster on TBS.

Here’s the most unlikely hit of the year in Japan, but easily the coolest. Young band TV Tairiku Ondo released this fidgety rocker in March, and at some point it took off on TikTok. I don’t know how or really why, but I also could care less because it transformed this Number-Girl-with-Gen-Z-attention-span rocker into a buzzed-about track, leading to the sight of the three teens thrashing out on various morning news shows and weekly programs. A viral hit should be a little bit perplexing, but also a lot of fun. Nothing came close to matching the joy of seeing TV Tairiku Ondo throw themselves around various TV broadcaster’s floors.

See also: Mega Shinnosuke - “Ai To U,” Mulasaki Ima - “Femme Fatale A”

Check out our Japan Viral Hits 2024 playlist on Spotify for easy access to all of the songs above for your listening pleasure.