Photo: Heibonsha Publishing company (平凡社) © 1957 / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Frank Nagai as a singer, actor and composer. Frank Nagai was born in Matsuyama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan on March 18, 1932. Death is recorded on October 27, 2008, at the age of 76. Listed accolades include Japan Record Awards. Credited works include Yūrakuchō de Aimashō.
My Take
Frank Nagai, born Nagai Kiyoto in Miyagi Prefecture in 1932, died in 2008, and what he left behind is a voice — a baritone, deep and unhurried, at a time when Japanese popular song leaned heavily on higher, more plaintive delivery. That low register was the whole innovation. His signature song, Yūrakuchō de Aimashō — "Let's Meet in Yūrakuchō" — is one of those recordings that does something strange to geography. It names a district of Tokyo, and afterwards the district carries the song around with it. Decades later there is still a faint after-image of postwar romance attached to that neighborhood, and I don't think you can separate it from his voice. He won the Japan Record Awards, and worked as an actor and composer as well as a singer, but the baritone is the legacy. Singers who arrive with a genuinely new sound are rare; most refine what already exists. He changed what a Japanese male pop voice was allowed to sound like.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Frank Nagai
- Name (Japanese)
- フランク永井
- Reading
- ふらんく永井
- Born
- March 18, 1932 – October 27, 2008
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Monkey
- Origin
- Matsuyama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- singer / actor / composer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Japan Record Awards
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Yūrakuchō de Aimashō | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank%20Nagai
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E6%B0%B8%E4%BA%95
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1022071
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-08-07
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Frank Nagai born?
Born March 18, 1932.
When did Frank Nagai die?
Died October 27, 2008, aged 76.
Where was Frank Nagai from?
Frank Nagai was from Matsuyama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
What did Frank Nagai do?
Frank Nagai worked as singer, actor, composer.
What was Frank Nagai known for?
Notable works include Yūrakuchō de Aimashō.
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