Miyuki Nakajima’s Masterpieces: A Showcase of the Timeless Gems That Defined an Era

Taxi driverNakajima Miyuki

Miyuki Nakajima 'Taxi Driver' / soko piano and vocal cover

It’s a song that vividly brings to mind a sad woman being treated kindly by a taxi driver while riding in a cab.

Though the melody is quiet and matter-of-fact, the lyrics once again seem to center on a woman who has surely had her heart broken.

It reminds you that not everyone in the world is bad—there are taxi drivers like this, too.

tomorrowNakajima Miyuki

Tomorrow Miyuki Nakajima Cover banikoni

To a gentle melody, “Who was it that called something formless ‘love’?” That’s so true…

Lately I’ve started to wonder whether what I feel for my boyfriend is “ai” (deep love) or just “koi” (romantic infatuation).

Tomorrow—will I love him? It’s a song that really makes you think.

togetherNakajima Miyuki

together

Miyuki Nakajima is a singer-songwriter who achieved the remarkable feat—unique among solo artists in Oricon’s history—of topping the singles chart across four different decades.

Her 47th single “Tomo ni,” released as a double A-side with “Ride on the Silver Dragon’s Back,” was written as the theme song for the TV drama PICU: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Its lyrics, which teach the value of moving forward without looking back, are likely to give courage and hope to many.

Set against a gentle ensemble, her powerful vocals push you onward in this dramatic number.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Farewell SongNakajima Miyuki

"Wakare Uta" / Miyuki Nakajima cover.

I think this is one of the classic songs from the time when Miyuki Nakajima equaled “heartbreak songs.” I first got to know Miyuki Nakajima through All Night Nippon when I was in junior high.

I couldn’t understand how someone who laughed so loudly and boisterously could sing such sorrowful songs.

Tell me an eternal lieNakajima Miyuki

Tell Me an Eternal Lie - Miyuki Nakajima & Takuro Yoshida version (cover)

This is a song written by Miyuki Nakajima for Takuro Yoshida.

When he first asked her for a song, Yoshida reportedly said that since he was getting older, he wanted a song for a middle-aged man.

In response, Nakajima sent him this song, “Eien no Uso o Tsuite Kure” (“Tell Me an Eternal Lie”).

The lyrics express the feeling of not wanting to hear “I’ve given up” or “It’s over,” even in a situation where one has suffered heartbreak or seen their dreams shattered and is forced to face reality.

Haven’t we all, at least once, felt that a close friend or lover has been changed by the harshness of the world? It’s a song that makes you reflect on such moments.

retired uniform numberNakajima Miyuki

Retired Jersey Number – Miyuki Nakajima Cover by XXkurage

A song that likens a person’s life to a jersey number.

No matter how famous you become, time will make people forget you, and even vows made with a loved one may go unkept.

In a world full of such uncertainties, the lyrics sound like a proud declaration that one’s own existence is one of a kind.

Once-in-a-lifetime encounterNakajima Miyuki

Once-in-a-lifetime Encounter / Miyuki Nakajima [Official]

It’s a song that feels as if it were created by two versions of Miyuki Nakajima: the “queen of heartbreak songs” from the past and the present-day singer of uplifting anthems.

The music is gentle and soothing, and even in this track—where you can almost see the quiet dramas of people just passing by—it gives you courage.