Junichi Inagaki is a Japanese singer and drummer from Sendai whose rain-soaked, late-night ballads — beginning with 246:3AM (1982) — made him one of the defining male voices of 1980s city pop.[1][2]
Career
Inagaki debuted on 21 January 1982 with “Ame no Regret”, followed by the album 246:3AM, named after the Tokyo arterial road.[1] “Dramatic Rain” (October 1982) became his breakthrough, and he released an album a year on Toshiba EMI through the decade.[1] The Nippon.com guide to city pop names him among the genre’s 1980s golden-age artists.[2]
Later career
“Christmas Carol no Koro ni wa” (1992) won a Japan Gold Disc Award and became his biggest seller.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 246:3AM | Toshiba EMI |
| 1983 | Shylights | Toshiba EMI |
| 1983 | J.I. | Toshiba EMI |
| 1984 | Personally | Toshiba EMI |
| 1985 | No Strings | Toshiba EMI |
| 1986 | Realistic | Toshiba EMI |
| 1987 | Mind Note | Toshiba EMI |
| 1988 | Edge of Time | Toshiba EMI |
| 1989 | Heart & Soul | — |
| 1990 | Self Portrait | — |
| 1991 | Will | — |
| 1992 | Sketch of Heart | — |
Notable singles
| Year | Title | Oricon peak |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | “Ame no Regret” — Debut single | — |
| 1982 | “Dramatic Rain” | — |
| 1992 | “Christmas Carol no Koro ni wa” — Japan Gold Disc Award | — |
References
- “Junichi Inagaki”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “A Guide to City Pop, the Soundtrack for Japan’s Bubble-Era Generation”. Nippon.com. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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