19, also known as Jūku, is a Japanese pop/folk duo consisting of Kenji Okahira and Keigo Iwase. The group debuted in 1998 with their first single "あの青をこえて" ("Ano Ao wo Koete"), quickly gaining traction in the music scene, releasing several top-ten albums and singles on the Oricon charts. Their debut album Ongaku was released in July 1999, followed by 無限大 (Mugendai) in July 2000. The duo continued to release successful singles such as "水・陸・そら、無限大" ("Sui Riku Sora, Mugendai") and "足跡" ("Ashiato"), which reached number 2 on the Oricon charts. Their album up to you, released in September 2001, also peaked at number 2. In April 2002, they released two best-of albums, 19 BEST●青 (19 BEST Ao) and 19 BEST●春 (19 BEST Haru), both of which charted within the top five. Their final single "蒲公英 －たんぽぽ－" ("Tanpopo") was released in March 2002, just before their disbandment. The group officially broke up in March 2002, continuing to release several compilation albums and live recordings, including 19〜すべての人へ (19 ~ Subete no Hito e) in October 2005 and コンプリートBEST 青&春 (Complete BEST Ao & Haru) in February 2007.
