Junichi Inagaki

is a Japanese popular music singer.

Biography Inagaki was born and raised in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, and graduated from Miyagi Prefectural Technical High School. One of his earliest musical influences was Stevie Wonder. While a student in middle school, he joined a local band called Faces as a vocalist and drummer. Later, he also performed in bands that entertained United States military personnel stationed in Yokosuka and Tachikawa. Beginning with his commercial debut single "Rainy Regret" (雨のリグレット Ame no riguretto) in 1982, Inagaki released a series of popular hits.

Inagaki's music became especially well known throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His songs have appeared on several drama programs and numerous commercial advertisements on Japanese television. His 1992 ballad "When The Christmas Carols Play" (クリスマスキャロルの頃には Kurisumasu kyaroru no koro ni wa) was featured on the TBS drama series Homework (ホームワーク), and remains one of the most popular holiday songs in Japan.

As of 2010, Inagaki continues to tour in Japan, and performed in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya in June 2010. In a rare performance abroad, he held a private concert in San Francisco sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California on January 11, 2009.

Inagaki's first wife of more than 30 years died in 2006. He remarried in October 2007, and hosted a wedding reception in Tokyo for family and close friends in March 2008.

Discography

Original studio albums

Year Title Release date 1982 246:3AM July 21, 1982 1983 Shylights Japan Record Award for one of the 10 Best Albums of 1983 February 1, 1983 1983 J.I. September 1, 1983 1984 Personally May 19, 1984 1985 No Strings May 1, 1985 1986 Realistic Japan Record Award for Outstanding Album March 1, 1986 1987 Mind Note March 4, 1987 1988 Edge of Time April 25, 1988 1989 Heart & Soul April 19, 1989 1990 Self Portrait April 4, 1990 1991 Will April 3, 1991 1992 Sketch of Heart May 20, 1992 1993 For my Dearest March 24, 1993 1994 Signs of Trust April 6, 1994 1995 J's Dimension June 14, 1995 1996 Primary September 21, 1996 1997 V.O.Z. November 21, 1997 2000 My One June 21, 2000 2001 endless chain November 21, 2001 2002 Junichi Inagaki November 21, 2002 2011 Just For You... (たったひとりの君へ… Tatta hitori no kimi e) April 20, 2011

Compilation and live albums

Year Title Release date 1983 J. Live December 21, 1983 1985 Complete August 22, 1985 1985 Ballad Selection/P.S. I Want to Give You A Hug (抱きしめたい Dakishimetai) September 29, 1986 1988 16 Candles December 1, 1988 1990 New Best Now Complete September 27, 1990 1992 On Television December 2, 1992 1998 Super Best Collection September 30, 1998 1999 Super Best/Single Hits Collection January 21, 1999 1999 Super Best/Album Favorite Collection January 21, 1999 2001 Love Ballad Best Collection/P.S. I Want to Give You A Hug (抱きしめたい Dakishimetai) August 22, 2001 2002 Love Beat Best Collection/Dramatic Rain (ドラマティック・レイン) January 23, 2002 2002 Super Best Single Hits Collection Released on DVD Audio only. December 18, 2002 2003 Slow Songs (スロー ソングス) November 26, 2003 2005 Complete Single Collection December 16, 2005 2007 Rainy Voice 〜greatest hits & mellow pop〜 September 5, 2007 2009 Ballad Best (バラードベスト) March 11, 2009

Cover and duet albums

Year Title Release date 1986 Another Page July 2, 1986 1990 Ten December 1, 1990 1996 Revival December 4, 1996 1999 FM AOR March 25, 1999 2004 Revival II November 3, 2004 2005 Unchained Melody December 23, 2005 2008 A Man and A Woman (男と女 Otoko to onna) Two Hearts Two Voices November 19, 2008 2009 A Man and A Woman 2 (男と女2 Otoko to onna 2) October 28, 2009 2009 A Man and A Woman 2 (男と女2 Otoko to onna 2) Special Edition October 28, 2009 2010 A Man and A Woman 3 (男と女3 Otoko to onna 3) September 29, 2010 2010 A Man and A Woman 3 (男と女3 Otoko to onna 3) Special Edition September 29, 2010

Singles Year Title Release date1982 "Rainy Regret (雨のリグレット Ame no riguretto)" January 21, 19821982 "246:3AM" July 21, 19821982 "Dramatic Rain (ドラマティック・レイン)" October 21, 19821983 "Escape (エスケイプ)" March 1, 19831983 "Summer Horn (夏のクラクション Natsu no kurakushon)" July 21, 19831983 "Long Version (ロング・バージョン)" November 1, 19831983 "Ocean Blue (オーシャン・ブルー)" April 28, 19841985 "Blue-Jean' Pierrot (ブルージン・ピエロ)" March 21, 19851985 "Bachelor Girl (バチェラー・ガール)" July 1, 19851986 "A Dozen Excuses (1ダースの言い訳 1 dāsu no iiwake)" February 21, 19861987 "Thinking of the Beach Club (思い出のビーチクラブ Omoide no bīchikurabu)"TBS Japan Songwriting Award Grand Prize April 22, 19871987 "A Ballad For You (君のためにバラードを Kimi no tame ni barādo wo)" October 5, 19871988 "Southern Cross (サザンクロス)" March 5, 19881988 "1-2-3" July 25, 19881989 "Seventy Colors Girl (セブンティー・カラーズ・ガール)" January 25, 19891989 "You Don't Know (君は知らない Kimi wa shiranai)"/ "An Afternoon With You (君に逢いたい午後 Kimi ni aitai gogo)" May 25, 19891989 "Unrequited Love 1969 (1969の片想い 1969 no kataomoi)" October 25, 19891990 "Shine On Me" March 25, 19901990 "Honesty From The Heart (心からオネスティー Kokoro kara onesutī)"/ "The Closest Stranger (いちばん近い他人 Ichiban chikai tanin)" June 1, 1990 1990 "They Don't Say Merry Christmas (メリークリスマスが言えない Merī kurisumasu ga ienai)" November 1, 19901991 "Second Kiss/Rewind (セカンド・キス／リワインド)" April 3, 19911991 "Farewell My Love (さらば愛しき人よ Saraba aishiki hito yo)"/"Congratulations" June 26, 19911991 "They Don't Say Merry Christmas (メリークリスマスが言えない Merī kurisumasu ga ienai)" (Re-release) November 1, 19911991 "A Dozen Excuses (1ダースの言い訳 1 dāsu no iiwake)"/"April" (Re-release) December 21, 19911992 "You're Everything (あなたがすべて Anata ga subete)" March 1, 19921992 "Only You in the World (世界でたったひとりの君に Sekai de tatta hitori no kimi ni)" May 20, 19921992 "When The Christmas Carols Play (クリスマスキャロルの頃には Kurisumasu kyaroru no koro ni wa)" Japan Gold Disc Award, One of the Year's Five Best Singles October 28, 19921993 "I'm Still Here (僕ならばここにいる Boku naraba koko ni iru)" January 13, 19931993 "Marathon Race (マラソンレース)" June 10, 19931993 "When The Christmas Carols Play (クリスマスキャロルの頃には Kurisumasu kyaroru no koro ni wa)"/ "They Don't Say Merry Christmas (メリークリスマスが言えない Merī kurisumasu ga ienai)" (Re-release) November 26, 1993 1994 "After The Kiss (キスなら後にして Kisu nara ato ni shite)" March 24, 19941994 "They Don't Say Merry Christmas (メリークリスマスが言えない Merī kurisumasu ga ienai)" (Remix version)/ "Eternal Kiss (永遠より長いキス Eien yori nagai kisu)" November 26, 1994 1995 "Don't Talk (語らない Kataranai)" May 25, 19951996 "Rainy Days, Windy Nights (雨の朝と風の夜に Ame no asa to kaze no yoru ni)" August 21, 19961997 "Starting Over" May 21, 19971997 "Endless Love Song (終わらないLOVE SONG Owaranai LOVE SONG)" October 22, 19971998 "J's Love Song" October 21, 19981999 "Small Miracle (小さな奇蹟 Chīsa na kiseki)" October 21, 19992000 "The Way Your Eyes Look (君の瞳はそのままに Kimi no hitomi wa kono mama ni)" February 23, 20002000 "They Don't Say Merry Christmas (メリークリスマスが言えない Merī kurisumasu ga ienai)" (Re-release) November 21, 20002001 "Prayer" October 24, 20012002 "On the Canary Islands (カナリア諸島にて Kanaria shotō ni te)"/ "Endless Chain-With You Time Flies (きみという時の流れよ Kimi to iu toki no nagare yo)" February 27, 20022002 "Platinum Astronauts (プラチナ・アストロノーツ)" June 26, 20022002 "Tokyo Elegy" October 23, 20022007 "Grown-Up Summer Scene (大人の夏景色 Otona no natsu keshiki)" July 4, 20072008 "A Message From Sayonara (サヨナラからのメッセージ Sayonara kara no messēji)" February 6, 20082008 "Can't Stop The Sadness (悲しみがとまらない Kanashimi ga tomaranai)"Duet with Yuki Koyanagi. Cover version of song originally released by Anri in 1983. November 5, 20082009 "When The Christmas Carols Play (クリスマスキャロルの頃には Kurisumasu kyaroru no koro ni wa)" Duet with Kohmi Hirose. Remake of song originally released by Inagaki in 1992. November 18, 20092011 "The More I Think of It, The Sweeter It Gets (思い出す度 愛おしくなる Omoi dasu tabi ito oshiku naru)" Duet with Midori Karashima. February 23, 2011