A special feature on Mariya Takeuchi’s best songs: a must-hear collection of masterpieces for both longtime fans and first-time listeners.

A yardstick for happinessTakeuchi Mariya

Mariya Takeuchi – The Measure of Happiness (Official Music Video)

It’s their 36th single, released in 2008.

It served as the theme song for “Around 40: Women with Many Requests,” starring Yuki Amami, who also took part in the chorus.

With its upbeat rhythm, it’s an encouraging, energizing song.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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confessionTakeuchi Mariya

Confession – Mariya Takeuchi

Released on September 18, 1990.

Following the previous single “Single Again,” it was used as the theme song for Tuesday Suspense Theater.

After Hiromi Iwasaki, many singers took on the theme song for the series, but she is the best at giving voice to the world of adult human drama.

It peaked at No.

3 and sold 385,000 copies.

Apple Papple PrincessTakeuchi Mariya

Apple Papple Princess

Among Mariya Takeuchi’s songs, this techno kayō-style track stands out as particularly unique.

Released as a single in December 1981, it marked a milestone for Takeuchi just before she paused her career due to marriage and childbirth.

Broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” the song bursts with rhythmic, spell-like wordplay! You can almost picture a pajama-clad princess dozing and dashing through a world of dreams.

It’s surprising, isn’t it, that the composition was by Kunihiko Kase, the arrangement by Kenji Omura, and the chorus featured Taeko Onuki and EPO.

It’s the perfect song when you want to experience a charming appeal that’s a little different from her usual city pop.

Wonderful HolidayTakeuchi Mariya

Lovely Holiday / Mariya Takeuchi [Cover]

It’s included on the single “Nostalgia,” released in 2001.

The song was written specifically for a Kentucky Fried Chicken Christmas commercial, so I think you often hear it around the holiday season.

It evokes a wintry feeling while still being very uplifting.

Mysterious Peach PieTakeuchi Mariya

Mariya Takeuchi – Mysterious Peach Pie [Live Version / 2000]

This was the Shiseido spring campaign commercial song in 1980.

Many people probably came to like it after hearing it repeatedly on TV.

With this song, she made her first entry into the Oricon Top 10.

Although she didn’t appear on television very often, she actively performed on music shows for this song, such as TBS’s “The Best Ten” and Fuji TV’s “Yoru no Hit Studio.” It’s a pleasant, easy-listening pop number that suits her slightly lower voice.

Let’s go home (My Sweet Home)Takeuchi Mariya

Mariya Takeuchi – Let's Go Home (My Sweet Home) [Live Version / 2000 @ Nippon Budokan]

It’s her 21st single, and it has been used as a drama theme song as well as in various commercials over many years.

That alone shows how widely the lyrics resonate with people, and its pleasant sound has won broad popularity.

There’s no doubt it’s a classic.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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How to Find HappinessTakeuchi Mariya

Shiawase no sagashikata (2022 Remaster)

2006 Yui Aragaki PANTENE commercial

This commercial, which aired in 2008, features Yui Aragaki riding a bicycle through a town on a hill overlooking the sea.

It highlights how the inclusion of jojoba oil leaves hair with a glossy finish, as if treated with an oil treatment.

In the latter half of the commercial, there’s a scene where Aragaki lets down her previously tied hair, with a close-up emphasizing its silky smoothness.

The background music used is Mariya Takeuchi’s “Shiawase no Sagashikata” (How to Find Happiness).

Released in 1993, the song was previously featured in an AGF commercial and was also chosen as the theme song for the film “Someday, Some Time… Forever.” The lyrics depict happy moments found in everyday life, making it a song that prompts listeners to notice the happiness around them.

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Hane Keisuke

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