is a Japanese

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

singer.

Biography

Inagaki was born and raised in

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

, the capital of

Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...

, and graduated from Miyagi Prefectural Technical High School. One of his earliest musical influences was

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

. 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 is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...

and

Tachikawa file:Autumn colors in Showa memorial park.jpg, 250px, Showa Memorial Park is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 househ ...

. 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 Television in Japan was introduced in 1939. However, experiments date back to the 1920s, with Kenjiro Takayanagi's pioneering experiments in electronic television. Television broadcasting was halted by World War II, after which regular 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 A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

in Japan. As of 2010, Inagaki continues to tour in Japan, and performed in Tokyo,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, and

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

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 Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

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.Sponichi Annex
(Japanese)

Discography

Original studio albums

Compilation and live albums

Cover and duet albums

Singles

References

External links

Official site

Universal Music Japan

Teichiku Entertainment

Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inagaki, Junichi 1953 births Living people Japanese male singers Singers from Sendai