Hideaki Tokunaga -- Yume wo Shinjite (夢を信じて）

Y'know....I'm not quite sure which came first....seeing the music video on MTV Japan or deciding to get the CD single on a whim that got me to enjoy Hideaki Tokunaga's（徳永英明） "Yume wo Shinjite"(Believe in the Dream) as one of my musical memories of 1989-1991. My first impression of the song was that this was the first time that Tokunaga sounded so upbeat. Before I left for Japan in my first foray as a teacher, I had gotten to know the high-toned crooner through his ballads such as "Birds" and "Rainy Blue" (both already profiled) on those video tapes of "The Best 10", so it was a revelation to hear him in such chipper voice.

"Yume wo Shinjite" was also the ending theme for the popular anime series "Dragon Quest", something I found out when I saw the seal on my CD single purchase. The single was supposed to have been released on January 15th 1990 which was once designated as "Seijin no Hi"（成人の日） or Adulthood Day to celebrate the passage of teenagers into official adults in Japan, and I think the title and the positivity of the song was emblematic of this national holiday. However, elementary school students who, of course, also had the day off so loved the anime, and "Yume wo Shinjite" by association, that they must've terrified the staff in the various CD shops about the impending arrival of Tokunaga's most successful single. And knowing how loud excited kids can get in an enclosed space, the powers-that-be quickly decided to move the official release date to the 16th instead. Disappointed kids, relieved sellers.

The song was composed by Tokunaga and written by Hitoshi Shinohara（篠原仁志）. It peaked at No. 3 on Oricon and became the 18th-ranked song of 1990. It was also re-released in 2011 after the massive earthquake and tsunami as a track in a special charity album. Very good choice.

Hideaki Tokunaga -- Yume wo Shinjite