I haven't been paying a lot of attention to Japanese pop songs in recent years (though I really like some of the songs written by平井堅 and 宇多田光 in earlier times). Unexpectedly, during a visit to Hokkaido a couple of weeks ago, I happened to have heard a new song by SMAP called "Love and Peace Inside". The melody was remarkably catchy and left a lasting impression on my mind. Later I found out that it was composed by Noriyuki Makihara (槙原敬之), a highly reputable veteran singer-songwriter who wrote numerous hits, some of which were covered by Chinese artists in the 90s. Then I bought his new album "將手伸進不安之中" - well, I have to admit that I have no knowledge of the Japanese language but his music is filled with a sense of enthusiasm and is very pleasant to listen to!
