' I love you' Sung by Japan's National Singer Late Ozaki Yutaka's 58th Birthday... Still Strong Memorial Passion [Japanese Side]

Beloved National Singer Who Left the Classic 'I Love You'... Passed Away at Age 26
Fans Visit Monument on 58th Birthday to Pay Tribute

"I love you. There is nothing else I can say but these words of love."

The song "I love you" by the singer Position, a song you definitely want to hear in winter, is a Korean version remake of the song with the same title originally sung by the late Japanese singer Ozaki Yutaka. Although the lyrics differ, the melody is the same, and it has been loved in both Korea and Japan.

This week in Japan, people spent some time reminiscing with this song. This is because Ozaki Yutaka, who sang this song, celebrated what would have been his 58th birthday on the 29th of last month. Although he passed away prematurely at the age of 26 in 1992, countless fans continued to visit to celebrate his birthday, and numerous tributes were made. NHK also conducted an interview with his older brother, a lawyer five years his senior, to commemorate him.

Today, we share the story of Ozaki, a national singer who left behind many masterpieces and departed at a young age.

The late Ozaki Yutaka's appearance. (Photo by Ozaki Yutaka Official Website)

Ozaki was born on November 29, 1965, in Tokyo. His father was a member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and he had one older brother. He was not the type to easily adapt to school life; from elementary school, he would pretend to go to school but secretly return home to teach himself guitar. He showed some talent for music. In middle school, he formed a band, and he was so popular that students from other middle schools would come to see him during festivals.

He entered the prestigious Aoyama Gakuin High School, but according to his brother’s interview, he experienced conflicts during high school, including smoking, fights, and running away from home. He was even suspended, but he seemed to enjoy it, spending his time playing guitar and singing.

In his second year of high school, Ozaki recorded a song he played himself on a cassette tape and took it to an entertainment agency. He passed the audition immediately. At that time, he was under indefinite suspension and going through a bleak period in life, which he expressed in his singing. Then, as soon as he turned 18 in 1983, he debuted with "17-sai no Chizu" ("Map of 17 Years Old") and quickly rose to stardom. The "I love you" we know was originally included in this debut album.

He went on to release many hit albums, and in 1991, "I love you" was released separately as his 11th single album. Ozaki wrote the lyrics, composed, and produced the song himself. Originally, when making his debut album, the producer told him, "We need one more ballad because we don’t have enough songs." In response, Ozaki hummed, "How about a song with the feeling of 'I love you~'?" The producer liked it, and Ozaki wrote the song in just two days.

The song peaked at number 5 on the Oricon chart, but the album sold about 484,000 copies, showing its popularity.

Ozaki, who dominated an era, went through a wandering period after turning 20. He suddenly announced an indefinite suspension of activities and was arrested for overdosing on stimulants. He married a non-celebrity woman and had a child, seeming to stabilize for a while, but problems arose with his agency and conflicts with band members he had worked with. He gradually became mentally exhausted.

Then, in 1992, at the age of 26, he died suddenly. The official cause of death was pulmonary edema, but many questions remain because he was found collapsed near his home, covered in bruises. He was taken to the hospital but ultimately passed away. According to his brother’s interview, he looked as if he were drunk and suddenly clenched his fist, saying, "Can I win?" His brother replied, "You can win," and that was their last conversation before he died. The sudden news shook all of Japan, and 40,000 fans attended his funeral and memorial service to bid him farewell.

Ozaki Yutaka Monument in Shibuya, Tokyo. (Photo by NHK)

Ozaki would have celebrated his 58th birthday this year. There is a monument dedicated to Ozaki Yutaka in a building in Shibuya, Tokyo. On this birthday, office workers who took a short lunch break to visit and fans who came from afar continue to pay their respects.

Especially, the interview with his brother once again touched the hearts of fans. Now serving as the president of the Saitama Prefecture Bar Association, he said to NHK, "I was greatly influenced by Ozaki’s honest expression of love, hope, and the contradictions in his heart. My working hard means that Ozaki is alive and working hard now. I will do my best so as not to be ashamed of my younger brother."