Some songs wait quietly for years, and then find a whole new audience. “Watashi wa Piano” (私はピアノ) by Mizue Takada (高田みづえ) is one of them. It was a big hit in 1980, and this summer it came back into the spotlight in a way that touched many people.
About the song
“Watashi wa Piano” was written and composed by Keisuke Kuwata (桑田佳祐) of Southern All Stars. The band first recorded it on an album in March 1980, with keyboardist Yuko Hara singing the lead. Mizue Takada then recorded her own version, which became the best-known one. It reached No. 5 on the Oricon singles chart, and her record label says it sold about 490,000 copies.
Mizue Takada debuted in 1977 as a young idol singer, and she stepped away from show business in 1985. For many years, fans only had her records to remember her by.
Why it is in the news again
On August 25, 2026, she appeared on NHK’s music program “Utakon” for a special one-night comeback and sang this song and her debut single “Garasu Zaka” (硝子坂). According to her record label, the performance video was watched more than 3 million times on YouTube in the first week, and “Watashi wa Piano” went back into the digital download rankings. It is a lovely reminder that a good song can wait a long time and still reach people.
What I remember
I loved this song back then. Her voice sounded a little sad to me, and the melody felt so beautiful and gentle. I was too young to understand such deep feelings at that time, but the sadness in the music stayed with me.
The song also mentions two musicians, Larry Carlton and Billy Joel. I remember wondering who Larry Carlton was, and I came to love Billy Joel’s songs later on. A song can open a little door to other music, and this one did that for me.
It was only later that I learned it was a Southern All Stars song first. Now, when I read the words slowly, I feel how much deep emotion is inside them. Mr. Kuwata is truly a genius.
Listen
You can also listen on YouTube (official audio):
The soft piano and her clear voice make it a nice song for a quiet evening, perhaps with a cup of tea. If you have never heard it, I would love for you to try it once.
I also love “Garasu Zaka,” and I would like to share it with you another day. Is there a song from long ago that suddenly came back into your life? Thank you for listening with me. I hope this song stays in your heart for a while.
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