Masterpieces Produced by Yasushi Akimoto: A Comprehensive Showcase from Idol Anthems to Heartfelt Hits!
Yasushi Akimoto, who began his career as a broadcast writer and helped turn groups like Tunnels and Onyanko Club into hits.
Since the 2000s, he has further expanded his activities by producing AKB48 and the Sakamichi groups and providing songs.
In recent years, he has also focused on television drama production and has been active across various fields, but for music lovers, his work as a lyricist is perhaps the most striking aspect.
In this article, we introduce songs that Akimoto has produced or written lyrics for—from culture-shaping killer tunes to mass-appeal hits and hidden gems!
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Masterpieces Produced by Yasushi Akimoto | A Comprehensive Showcase from Idol Songs to Moving Hits! (51–60)
WILLNakajima Mika
Mika Nakashima, with her one-of-a-kind voice that blends delicacy and power, and the bold style she sometimes shows, is undeniably cool.
“WILL” is her second single, released in 2002, and the song that marked her first appearance on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Following “STARS,” the lyrics were written by Yasushi Akimoto.
The classic, romantic ballad unfolds through the familiar “boku” narrative often seen in Akimoto’s works.
While it carries a fragile atmosphere, it’s also striking for the strength that seems to believe in the unseen.
It’s a song you find yourself looking back on on a summer night.
Oneway GenerationHonda Minako
Minako Honda, who debuted as an idol singer in 1985 and later flourished as a musical theater actress.
Her song “Oneway Generation” was released as a single in 1987 and served as the theme song for the drama “Papa wa News Caster,” starring Masakazu Tamura.
The lyrics were written by Yasushi Akimoto, with music composed by Kyohei Tsutsumi.
It’s a track packed with the essence of its era—one that fills many listeners with nostalgia and energizes them.
A positive song that lifts your spirits and encourages you to face forward.
MonopolyNogizaka 46
Nogizaka46’s 34th single, released in December 2023, is a track themed around a powerful desire to monopolize the one you love.
Set to a fast-paced, exhilarating sound, it portrays the intertwined feelings of the two members serving as double centers, drawing listeners into its heartrending story.
The song also drew attention for being composed by Katsuhiko Sugiyama, known for works like “Kimi no Na wa Kibou,” and it sold approximately 539,000 copies in its first week on the Oricon chart.
It’s a pop tune with a slightly more mature allure.
Same numbersNogizaka 46
From an intro grounded in piano and strings to a chorus that swells in richness, the dynamic progression is striking.
Released in July 2025, it’s the title track of Nogizaka46’s 39th single.
Centered on the theme of matching numbers we encounter in everyday life, the introspective lyrics resonate as they frame the process of effort—where dreams can’t be achieved in a single try—and the layering of coincidences as something inevitable.
In the music video, center Haruka Kaki expresses prayer and inner conflict through dance, and the immersive feel makes the story of her being moved to tears during filming entirely believable.
This work is a beautiful J-pop-leaning ballad that gently stays close to hearts wavering between hope and reality.
Rainy NishiazabuTonneruzu
The phrase “flying so high they could knock birds out of the sky” fits perfectly for Tunnels in this era.
Not only were they hilarious as a comedy duo, but they were everywhere on TV, and they even debuted as singers, with every song becoming a huge hit.
This song, ‘Ame no Nishi-Azabu’ (Rainy Nishi-Azabu), released in 1985 as their fifth single, marked a complete shift in mood from their previous releases and showcased a new side of them—singing enka! You can also enjoy the signature Tunnels flair in the way they change up the spoken interludes each time and exaggerate their vocal ornamentation, making it enka yet distinctly Tunnels.