Hibari Misora facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Hibari Misora

Hibari Misora in 1954

Born

加藤和枝 (Katō Kazue)

May 29, 1937

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Died

June 24, 1989 (aged 52)

Minato, Tokyo, Japan

Nationality

Japanese

Other names

Queen of Showa, Queen of the popular song, Queen of Enka

Occupation

Singer, Actress

Honours

Peoples Honor Award on July 2, 1989 after her death

Musical career

Genres

Kayōkyoku
Jazz
Enka

Years active

1945–1989

Japanese name

Kanji

美空ひばり

Hiragana

みそらひばり

Transcriptions
Romanization	Misora Hibari

Hibari Misora (美空ひばり, Misora Hibari, born Kazue Katō (加藤和枝, Katō Kazue) May 29, 1937 – June 24, 1989) was a famous Japanese singer and actress. Many people saw her as a cultural icon because of her huge impact on Japanese culture. She was given a special Medal of Honor for her amazing music and for helping the public. She was also the first woman to receive the People's Honour Award. This award was given to her after she passed away, for giving hope and encouragement to people after World War II.

Misora recorded about 1,200 songs and sold over 68 million records during her lifetime. After she died, even more people wanted her music. By 2001, she had sold more than 80 million records, and by 2019, sales went over 100 million! Her last song, "Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" (川の流れのように) (which means "Like the Flow of a River"), is still performed by many artists and orchestras as a tribute to her. Famous groups like The Three Tenors and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan have even performed it.

Every year, Japanese TV and radio stations play her songs in a special tribute. On November 11, 2012, a big concert was held for Misora at the Tokyo Dome. Many popular musicians like Ai, Koda Kumi, Ken Hirai, Kiyoshi Hikawa, Exile, and AKB48 sang her most famous songs to honor her.

Early Life and Career
Later Years and Legacy
Notable Songs
Filmography
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Career

Becoming a Star

Hibari Misora was born Kazue Katō on May 29, 1937, in Yokohama, Japan. Her father, Masukichi Katō, was a fish seller, and her mother, Kimie Katō, was a homemaker. Kazue showed musical talent from a very young age. When she was just six years old in 1943, she sang for her father at a party before he left for World War II.

Her father believed in her talent so much that he used a lot of the family's savings to help her start a music career. In 1945, at eight years old, Kazue performed for the first time at a concert hall in Yokohama. Around this time, she changed her last name to Misora, which means "beautiful sky," as suggested by her mother.

A Child Prodigy

In 1946, at nine years old, Kazue Misora entered a singing competition called NHK Nodo Jiman. The judges thought her voice sounded too grown-up for a child singing an adult song, so she didn't pass. However, later that year, she impressed a famous Japanese composer named Masao Koga during another NHK broadcast. He thought she was a child genius with the courage and understanding of an adult.

Over the next few years, Misora became a very skilled singer. She toured famous concert halls, and her shows were always sold out. Even though the public loved her, some people thought her voice sounded too much like a grown woman's. They also criticized her for singing popular "boogie woogie" and love songs instead of children's songs.

First Recordings and Films

Kazue started her recording career in 1949 when she was 12. She took on the stage name Hibari Misora, which means "lark in the beautiful sky." That same year, she starred in a film called Nodojiman-kyō jidai, which made her famous across Japan.

She also recorded her first song, Kappa Boogie-Woogie, for Nippon Columbia. It was a huge hit, selling over 450,000 copies! Her next song, "Kanashiki kuchibue," was played on the radio and became a national favorite. As an actress, she appeared in more than 150 movies between 1949 and 1971 and won many awards. Her role in Tokyo Kid (1950), where she played a street orphan, made her a symbol of both the difficulties and the hope in Japan after World War II.

Hibari in 1954

In June 1950, Misora was one of the first Japanese entertainers to visit the United States after the war. She performed in Hawaii and California.

Personal Life and Challenges

In 1956, Misora was briefly engaged to musician Mitsuru Ono, but she ended it because she would have had to stop her career to marry him.

In 1962, Misora married actor Akira Kobayashi. They divorced in 1964, and she never married again.

Between 1949 and 1971, Misora appeared in many films each year, often being the main star. She played roles in various types of movies, from romantic comedies to historical films with sword fighting. In many of her historical films, she even played male characters or women disguised as men. After she stopped making films, Misora sometimes performed in male clothing during her TV shows.

In 1973, Misora's younger brother, Tetsuya Katō, faced legal issues. Although it was not officially linked, Misora was not invited to perform on the popular Kōhaku Uta Gassen show for the first time in 18 years. Feeling offended, she refused to appear on any NHK programs for several years. However, she eventually made up with NHK and appeared as a special guest on the 1979 Kouhaku, which was her last time on that show.

In 1978, Misora adopted her seven-year-old nephew, Kazuya Katō, who was Tetsuya's son.

In 1980, to celebrate 35 years since her debut, Misora performed a special concert at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

Later Years and Legacy

Health Challenges

The 1980s were very tough for Misora. Her mother, who had been her biggest fan and manager, passed away in 1981. A year later, her good friend, singer and actress Chiemi Eri, also died. Both of Misora's brothers passed away in 1983 and 1986. To cope with her sadness, Misora, who was already known for drinking and smoking, increased these habits.

In April 1987, Misora suddenly collapsed during a concert in Fukuoka. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a bone condition caused by a long-term liver problem. Doctors kept her full condition private to avoid worrying her fans. She slowly started to recover by August. In October, she began recording a new song, and in April 1988, she held a comeback concert at Tokyo Dome. The audience didn't know she was still very ill. Backstage, she had to lie in a bed with an oxygen tank. Despite severe pain in her legs, Misora sang 40 songs. After the last song, she collapsed and was taken away by an ambulance.

Misora's health only improved for a short time. Her liver continued to weaken, but she kept performing live, hiding how sick she truly was from her fans. On February 7, 1989, she held her final concert in Kokura. This was supposed to be the start of a national tour, but it had to be canceled because of her failing health. On March 21, she ended her nearly 45-year career with a 10-hour live radio show. She was later hospitalized with a serious lung condition.

Passing and Impact

On the morning of June 24, 1989, Hibari Misora passed away at Juntendo University Hospital in Tokyo. She was 52 years old. Her death was a sad moment for many people across Japan. Many felt that the Shōwa period had truly ended with her passing. Major Japanese TV networks canceled their regular shows that evening to announce her death and broadcast tributes to her.

Lasting Influence

In 1993, a monument with Misora's picture and a poem was built in her memory near Sugi no Osugi in Ōtoyo, Kōchi. In 1947, when she was 10, Misora was in a serious bus accident in Ōtoyo. While recovering, she visited Sugi no Osugi and wished to become the best singer in Japan. Her father wanted her to stop singing, but young Misora said, "If I can't sing, then I will die." She eventually returned to Tokyo and started her recording career in 1949.

In 1994, the Hibari Misora Museum opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. This museum showed her life and career through exhibits and displayed many items from her past. Over 5 million people visited it before it closed for renovation in 2006. A new Hibari Misora Theater opened in its place in 2008, selling a previously unreleased song. A bronze statue of her was built in Yokohama in 2002 and attracts about 300,000 visitors each year.

Since 1990, TV and radio stations play Misora's song "Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" (川の流れのように) every year on her birthday to honor her. In a national poll by NHK in 1997, over 10 million people voted this song the greatest Japanese song of all time. It is still performed by many artists as a tribute to Misora.

On November 11, 2012, another memorial concert was held for Misora at the Tokyo Dome. Many musicians, including Ai, Koda Kumi, Ken Hirai, Kiyoshi Hikawa, Exile, and AKB48, performed her famous songs.

In September 2019, Misora's voice was used to create a special version of the Vocaloid engine called "VOCALOID:AI." This technology tried to recreate her singing voice, and a 3D image of the singer was also used for the performance.

After Misora's death in 1989, a TBS TV drama special called The Hibari Misora Story was aired, with Kayoko Kishimoto playing Misora. In 2005, Aya Ueto portrayed Misora in another TBS drama called The Hibari Misora Birth Story.

Notable Songs

Kappa Boogie Woogie (河童ブギウギ, 1949)
Kanashiki Kuchibue (悲しき口笛, 1949)
Tokyo Kiddo (東京キッド, 1950)
Echigo Jishi No Uta (越後獅子の唄, 1950)
Omatsuri Mambo (お祭りマンボ, 1952)
Ringo Oiwake (リンゴ追分, 1952)
Minatomachi 13-banchi (港町十三番地, 1957)
Hanagasa Dōchū (花笠道中, 1957)
Yawara (柔, 1964)
Kanashii Sake (悲しい酒, 1966)
Makkana Taiyō (真赤な太陽, 1967)
Jinsei Ichiro (人生一路, 1970)
Aisansan (愛燦燦（あいさんさん）, 1986)
Midaregami (みだれ髪, 1987)
Kawa no nagare no yō ni (川の流れのように, 1989)
Arekara (あれから, 2019; posthumous)

Filmography

Hibari Misora appeared in 166 films. Here are some of them:

1940s Films

Nodo jimankyō jidai (のど自慢狂時代)(1949)
Shin-Tokyo ondo: bikkuri gonin otoko (新東京音頭　びっくり五人男)(1949)
Odoru ryū kyūjō (踊る龍宮城, lit. "Dancing Dragon Palace")(1949)
Akireta musume-tachi (あきれた娘たち), alternate title: Kingorō no kodakara sōdō (金語楼の子宝騒動)(1949)
Kanashiki kuchibue (悲しき口笛, lit. "Sad whistling")(1949)
Odoroki ikka (おどろき一家)(1949)
Home run kyō jidai (ホームラン狂時代, lit. "The Age of Home run Madness")(1949)

Japanese movie poster for Kanashiki kuchibue (1949) showing Hibari Misora.

1950s Films

Hit Parade (ヒットパレード – 1950)
Akogare no Hawaii kōro (憧れのハワイ航路 – 1950)
Hōrō no utahime (放浪の歌姫, lit. "The Wandering Songstress" – 1950)
Mukō sangen ryōdonari continued: 3rd Story - donguri utagassen (続・向う三軒両隣　第三話　どんぐり歌合戦 – 1950)
Enoken no sokonuke daihōsō (エノケンの底抜け大放送 – 1950)
Mukō sangen ryōdonari continued: 4th Story - koi no mikeneko (続・向う三軒両隣　第四話　恋の三毛猫)(1950)
Aozora tenshi (青空天使, lit. "Blue Sky Angel" – 1950)
Tokyo Kid (東京キッド – 1950)
Sakon torimonochō: senketsu no tegata (左近捕物帖　鮮血の手型, lit. "Sakon Detective Story: The Fresh Blood Handprint" – 1950)
Ōgon Batto: Matenrō no kaijin (黄金バット　摩天楼の怪人, lit. "Golden Bat: Mysterious stranger of the Skyscraper" – 1950)
Tonbo kaeri dōchū (とんぼ返り道中 – 1950)
Watashi wa josei no. 1 (1950) – as herself, the short film
Chichi koishi (父恋し – 1951)
Uta matsuri: Hibari shichi henge (唄祭り　ひばり七変化, lit. "Song Festival: Hibari Quick Change" – 1951)
Naki nureta ningyō (泣きぬれた人形, lit. "The Doll Wet from Crying" – 1951)
Kurama tengu: Kakubējishi (鞍馬天狗　角兵衛獅子 – 1951)
Haha wo shitaite (母を慕いて, lit. "Yearning for Mother" – 1951)
Hibari no komoriuta (ひばりの子守唄, lit. "Hibari's Lullaby" – 1951)
Kurama tengu: Kurama no himatsuri (鞍馬天狗　鞍馬の火祭 – 1951)
Ano oka koete (あの丘越えて, lit. "Cross that Hill" – 1951)
Yōki-na wataridori (陽気な渡り鳥 – 1952)
Kurama tengu: Tengu kaijō (鞍馬天狗　天狗廻状 – 1952)
Tsukigata Hanpeita (月形半平太 – 1952)
Hibari no Sākasu Kanashiki Kobato (ひばりのサーカス　悲しき小鳩, lit. "Hibari's Circus: Sad Little Dove" – 1952)
Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸 – 1952)
Futari no hitomi (二人の瞳) a.k.a. Girls Hand in Hand US title (1952)
Ringo-en no shōjo (リンゴ園の少女, lit. "Girl of Apple Park" – 1952)
Hibari-hime hatsuyume dōchū (ひばり姫初夢道中 – 1952)

Japanese movie poster for Haha wo shitaite (1951) featuring Hibari Misora.

Mita katakure! (三太頑れっ！ – 1953)
Hibari no utau tamatebako (ひばりの歌う玉手箱, lit. "Hibari's Singing Treasure Chest" – 1953)
Shimai (姉妹, lit. "Sisters" – 1953)
Hibari no yōki-na tenshi (ひばりの陽気な天使 – 1953)
Hibari torimonochō: Utamatsuri happyaku yachō (ひばり捕物帳　唄祭り八百八町, lit. "Hibari Detective Story: Song Festival Across Tokyo" – 1953)
Hibari no kanashiki hitomi (ひばりの悲しき瞳 – 1953)
Yama wo mamoru kyōdai (山を守る兄弟, lit. "The Brothers who Protect the Mountain") (1953)
Ojōsan shachō (お嬢さん社長, lit. "Madame Company President" – 1953)
Misora Hibari no haru ha uta kara (美空ひばりの春は唄から, lit. "Hibari Misora's Spring is from Song" – 1954)
Hiyodori sōshi (ひよどり草紙 – 1954)
The Dancing Girl of Izu (伊豆の踊子, Izu no odoriko – 1954), a film adaptation of Yasunari Kawabata's story The Dancing Girl of Izu
Uta shigure oshidori wakashū (唄しぐれ　おしどり若衆 – 1954)
Seishun romance seat: Aozora ni owasu (青春ロマンスシート　青空に坐す – 1954)
Bikkuri gojūsantsugi (びっくり五十三次, lit. "Surprising 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō" – 1954)
Yaoya Oshichi furisode tsukiyo (八百屋お七　ふり袖月夜 – 1954)
Wakaki hi wa kanashi (若き日は悲し – 1954)
Uta goyomi Onatsu Seijūrō (歌ごよみ　お夏清十郎 – 1954)
Shichihenge tanuki goten (七変化狸御殿, lit. "Quick Change Tanuki Palace" – 1954)
Ōedo senryōbayashi (大江戸千両囃子 – 1955)
Musume sendōsan (娘船頭さん – 1955)
Seishun kōro: Umi no wakōdo (青春航路　海の若人 – 1955)
Uta matsuri mangetsu tanuki-gassen (歌まつり満月狸合戦 – 1955)
Furisode kyōenroku (ふり袖侠艶録 – 1955)
Takekurabe (たけくらべ, Adolescence a.k.a. Growing Up Twice a.k.a. Growing Up a.k.a. Child's Play) (1955) – a film adaptation of Higuchi Ichiyō's novel Takekurabe
So Young, So Bright (ジャンケン娘 Janken musume – 1955)
Furisode kotengu (ふり袖小天狗 – 1955)
Fuefuki Wakamusha (笛吹若武者 – 1955)
Utamatsuri Edokko Kin-san torimonochō (唄祭り　江戸っ子金さん捕物帖 – 1955)
Rikidōzan monogatari dotō no otoko (力道山物語　怒濤の男 – 1955)
Hatamoto taikutsu otoko: nazo no kettōjō (旗本退屈男　謎の決闘状 – 1955)
Utae! Seishun Harikiri Musume (歌え！青春　はりきり娘 – 1955)
(銭形平次捕物控　死美人風呂) (1956)
(おしどり囃子) (1956)
(恋すがた狐御殿 Koi sugata kitsune goten) (1956)
Peach Boy (宝島遠征 Takarajima ensei) (1956)
Romantic Daughters (ロマンス娘, Romansu musume, 1956)
(ふり袖太平記) (1956)
(ふり袖捕物帖　若衆変化) (1956)
(鬼姫競艶録) (1956)
(銭形平次捕物控　まだら蛇 Zenigata Heiji torimono hikae: madara hebi) (1957)
(大江戸喧嘩纏) (1957)
(旗本退屈男　謎の紅蓮搭) (1957)
(ふり袖捕物帖　ちりめん駕籠) (1957)
(ロマンス誕生 Romansu tanjō) (1957)
(おしどり喧嘩笠 Oshidori kenkagasa) (1957)
(怪談番町皿屋敷) (1957)
On Wings of Love (大当り三色娘, Ōatari sanshoku musume) a.k.a. Big Hit Three Color Daughters (1957)
(青い海原) (1957)
(ふり袖太鼓) (1957)
(ひばりの三役　競艶雪之丞変化) (1957)
(ひばりの三役　競艶雪之丞変化　後篇) (1957)
(娘十八御意見無用)
(おしどり駕籠)
The Badger Palace a.k.a. The Princess of Badger Palace (大当り狸御殿 Ōatari tanukigoten) (1958)
(丹下左膳)
Edo Girl Detective (ひばり捕物帖　かんざし小判 Hibari torimonochō: Kanzashi koban) (1958)
(恋愛自由型) (1958)
(花笠若衆) (1958)
(女ざむらい只今参上 Onnazamurai tadaima sanjō) (1958)
(おこんの初恋　花嫁七変化) (1958)
(ひばりの花形探偵合戦) (1958)
(希望の乙女) (1958)
(隠密七生記) (1958)
Secret of the Golden Coin (ひばり捕物帖　自雷也小判 Hibari torimonochō: jiraiya koban) (1958)
(娘の中の娘 Musume no Naka no Musume) (1958)
(唄祭り　かんざし纏) (1958)
Young Blades' Obligations: Cherry Blossom in Long Sleeves　(いろは若衆　ふり袖ざくら Iroha wakashū: Furisode sakura) (1959)
The Great Avengers　(忠臣蔵　桜花の巻　菊花の巻 Chūshingura: ōka no maki, kikka no maki) (1959)
(鞍馬天狗) (1959)
(東京べらんめえ娘 Tokyo beranmē musume) (1959)
(孔雀城の花嫁) (1959)
The Revenger in Red (紅だすき喧嘩状 Beni-dasuki kenkajō) (1959)
(お染久松そよ風日傘) (1959)
(水戸黄門天下の副将軍) (1959)
(江戸っ子判官とふり袖小僧) (1959)
(血闘水滸伝怒濤の対決) (1959)
Young Blades Obligations: Flower Palanquin Pass (いろは若衆花駕籠峠 Iroha wakashū: hana kago tōge) (1959)
(べらんめえ探偵娘 Beranmē tanteijō) (1959)
(ひばり捕物帖ふり袖小判) (1959)
The Prickly-mouthed Geisha (べらんめえ芸者 Beranmē geisha) (1959)

1960s – 1980s Films

(Zoku beran me-e geisha) (1960)
Samurai Vagabond (Tonosama – Yaji kita) (1960)
(Oja kissa) (1960)
Sword of Destiny (Koken wa arezu: tsukage ittōryu) (1960)
Ishimatsu: The One-Eyed Avenger (Hibari no mori no ishimatsu) (1960)
(Hizakura kotengu) (1961)
(Hakubajō no hanayome) (1961)
(Beran me-e geisha makari tōru) (1961)
(Sen-hime to Hideyori) (1962)
Hibari Traveling Performer (Hibari no Hahakoi Guitar) (1962)
Cosmetic Sales Competition (Minyo no Tabi Akita Obako) (1963)
(Hibari, Chiemi, Izumi: Sannin yoreba) (1964)
(Noren ichidai: jōkyō) (1966)
Festival of Gion (Gion matsuri) (1968) a.k.a. Gion Festival a.k.a. Kurobe's Sun a.k.a. The Day the Sun Rose