[Junichi Inagaki’s Masterpieces] A comprehensive showcase from classic Christmas tunes to popular city pop hits

246:3AMInagaki Junichi

246:3AM

Released as a single alongside the debut album in July 1982, this song stands out with its distinctive title that blends National Route 246 and 3 a.m.

The lyrics were written by Reiko Yukawa, the music composed by Kazuhiko Matsuo, and the arrangement handled by Akira Inoue, making it a defining track of Junichi Inagaki’s early AOR sound.

The album features accomplished musicians such as Tsuyoshi Kon and Tatsuo Hayashi, contributing to its sophisticated production.

Its bittersweet melody and restrained vocals harmonize beautifully, capturing the poignancy of the city at night.

Highly recommended for city pop enthusiasts and anyone seeking the roots of early-’80s Japanese-language AOR.

I couldn’t bring myself to say it.Inagaki Junichi

I couldn't bring myself to say it.

A mellow ballad where Yasushi Akimoto’s lyrics and Tetsuji Hayashi’s beautiful melody blend exquisitely, gently enveloping feelings that are hard to put into words.

While showing compassion for a wounded loved one, the song captures the aching wavering of a heart that can’t reveal its true feelings, delicately expressed through Inagaki’s tender, embracing vocals.

Included on the third album “J.I.,” released in September 1983, this track shines with Akira Inoue’s nuanced arrangement.

The soundscape, calm yet meticulously tracing the flow of emotion, is a quintessential embodiment of mature AOR.

It has long been cherished among city pop fans as a classic that keeps you company on quiet nights alone or when you’re carrying words left unsaid.

Every time I remember it, I love it even more.Inagaki Jun’ichi & Karashima Midori

Junichi Inagaki & Midori Karashima – The More I Remember, the More Cherished It Becomes

This is an original duet single released in February 2011, featuring a collaboration between Junichi Inagaki and Midori Karashima.

Written specifically for them by Yasushi Akimoto and Makoto Mitsui, the song delicately expresses the feeling of growing tenderness that deepens over time when looking back on past loves and memories.

With Yuji Toriyama’s calm arrangement and the two singers’ gently enveloping vocals, it brings both nostalgia and a touch of bittersweetness.

In addition to being used as the theme song for the TBS information program “Hiruobi!,” the promotional video features Chikako Kaku, adding a trendy-drama style that enriches the song’s world.

It’s a perfect track for those who cherish old memories or want to quietly savor a mature love song.

DestinyInagaki Junichi

Destiny

This song was included on the album HEART & SOUL, released in April 1989, and was used as the image song for JT’s “Sometime World Cup ’89.” Yasushi Akimoto’s lyrics depict a fateful romance between two people setting off away from the city, carefully tracing emotions that sway between forbidden freedom, a sense of guilt, and love.

Vivid imagery—like a seaside station and a trap they’re falling into—creates a bittersweet yet romantic world.

Arranged by Akira Nishimoto, the layered sound of strings and saxophones, paired with Inagaki’s enveloping vocals, evokes the urbane sophistication characteristic of city pop.

It’s hard not to be moved by the story of two people drawn to each other while being buffeted by fate.

The closest strangerInagaki Junichi

The closest stranger

A song that portrays the conflicts of adult love and a delicate sense of distance, set in the brief span of time from calling a taxi to saying goodbye.

The protagonist’s wavering emotions resonate poignantly as they struggle between parting while remaining like strangers despite being so close, or being honest about a love that can’t be faked.

The bossa nova–tinged rhythm and saxophone interlude, born from Yasushi Akimoto’s lyrics and Akira Nishimoto’s arrangement, create a refined, mature atmosphere.

Included on the April 1990 album “Self Portrait,” it was also used as the theme song for the NTV drama “Kisu no Ondo — Ichiban Chikai Tanin” broadcast in May of the same year.

A medium-tempo love song with a city pop flair, it’s a track for those who relate to complicated romances or want to sink into a sophisticated, grown-up mood at night.

Southern CrossInagaki Junichi

Junichi Inagaki – Southern Cross (Official Music Video)

Released in March 1988 as the artist’s 13th single, this song was chosen as the image track for ANA’s Spring Okinawa campaign.

The lyrics are by Yasushi Akimoto, and the music and arrangement are by Tetsuji Hayashi, who, together with Inagaki, has produced numerous hits.

The lyrics layer images of a landscape dissolving into a blue sea with the trembling of the heart, depicting a scene where the desire to escape the city’s clamor and be enveloped by the tropical air intersects with feelings for someone special.

Set to a medium tempo, Inagaki’s gentle vocals bring out an AOR sound that is fresh yet tinged with a certain wistfulness.

It’s a fine city-pop number that blends openness and nostalgia—one you’ll want to hear in the season of departures.

Second KissInagaki Junichi

Junichi Inagaki – Second Kiss (Official Music Video)

This is a work from April 1991 that delicately portrays the fluctuating emotions of adult romance.

Centered on the motif of a sweet yet precarious “second kiss,” it movingly captures a heart wavering between the intoxication of love and the pull of reality.

Yasushi Akimoto’s lyrics skillfully weave together anxiety and anticipation as the relationship steps into a place where excuses no longer apply, while Toshiaki Matsumoto’s flowing melody is wrapped in Mikio Hagita’s sophisticated arrangement.

Released simultaneously with the album “WILL” as the 21st single, its B-side, “Rewind,” was used as the opening theme for a Kansai TV program.

The urbane sound, where sweetness and wistfulness intersect, is the perfect number for moments of doubt in love or when you want to savor the patterns of grown-up romance.