ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks, sˈækjʊɹɹˌaɪ ɹˈæŋkt nˈoʊ. ˈeɪt ɪn ˌeɪtʃˌɛmvˈiː "tˈɑːp θˈɜːɾi bˈɛst dʒˌæpənˈiːz sˈɪŋɚz ʌv ˈɔːl tˈaɪm" ænd ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvən wʌz vˈoʊɾᵻd nˈoʊ. fˈoːɹ æz ðə "aɪdˈiəl fˈɑːðɚɹ ˈɪmɪdʒ" baɪ ˈɔːɹɪkən.
In 2006, Sakurai ranked No. 8 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time" and in 2007 was voted No. 4 as the "ideal father image" by Oricon.