Toshihiko Tahara -- Kanashimi 2 (TOO) Young （悲しみ２「ＴＯＯ」ヤング）

Happy New Year to you all wherever you are on the planet. Some of you may already be enjoying your o-zoni and o-sechi while others may be getting gussied up for that big New Year's Eve blowout. I actually had my toshikoshi soba about an hour ago at home, but for anecdotal purposes, I would just like to show you my photo of ramen with the extra pork belly slabs when my friend and I went over to the fourth branch of Kinton Ramen in north Toronto the other day. The weather is quickly chilling down after a warm Green Christmas so that bowl of ramen was really satisfying.

Anyways, one of my final entries for 2014 comes from the base year for my launch into kayo kyoku, 1981. I remember Toshihiko Tahara's（田原俊彦）6th single, "Kanashimi 2 (TOO) Young" (Lonely Too Young) primarily from the melodic intro after the impassioned vocalizing...a burst of energy that seems to be perfect for a choreographed Toshi-chan spin-o-rama. But then again, I think the whole song is just half of a Toshi-chan experience. One must see the lad dance around in all that yuppie gear while it's playing.

Nope, the above isn't from those early days but probably some years later judging from the hairstyle and clothing. "Kanashimi" was released in September 1981...just a month after I'd finished my school-day odyssey in Japan. It was written and composed by Kazuya Amikura（網倉一也）who also came up with another exciting tune for Hiromi Go（郷ひろみ）a couple of years earlier, "My Lady". Toshi's contribution peaked at No. 2 on Oricon and became the 35th-ranked song of the year.

The song was also used as a campaign tune for Glico Chocolate, so you can see Toshi in his prize yuppie gear despite the lack of choreography.