小泉今日子
Tamio Okuda, a member of the band Unicorn who suspended the group's work and began his solo career in 1994, became a collaborator for Inoue during the mid-1990s. Reportedly, sending a letter from Inoue (who was impressed by the Unicorn's song "Yuki no Furu Machi" written by Okuda) to Okuda became a trigger for them to form a songwriting team. At first, they contributed a song "Tsuki Hitoshizuku" for a pop idol/actress Kyōko Koizumi (who also wrote part of the lyrics with them). "Asia no Junshin", a debut single for Puffy (the duo that Okuda produced), is the most successful song that they wrote together. It was released on CD in March 1996 and sold more than a million copies, peaking at the number-three on the Japanese chart. Along with "Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Et Cetera", another massive hit they wrote for Puffy in 1997, it has been Inoue's live favorites in recent 10 years. Inoue and Okuda formed the group called "InoueYosuiOkudaTamio" in 1997. After their duet "Arigato" became a smash hit, they released an album entitled "Shopping". It comprises 12 songs Inoue and Okuda recorded together, including "Arigato" and their own adaptation of "Asia No Junshin" and "Tsuki Hitoshizuku".