Momoe Yamaguchi facts for kids

Momoe Miura (Japanese: 三浦 百恵, Hepburn: Miura Momoe, born 17 January 1959), known by her maiden name Momoe Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口 百恵, Hepburn: Yamaguchi Momoe), is a famous Japanese former singer and actress. Her career as an idol lasted from 1972 to 1980. People often just call her "Momoe."

Yamaguchi is one of Japan's most successful singers. She released 32 singles, with three reaching number one on the charts. She also put out 21 studio albums. Besides music, she starred in 15 movies and many TV shows. At 21, Momoe retired when she was very popular. She married her co-star, Tomokazu Miura. She has not performed or appeared in public since then. Because of this, she is known as a legendary idol in Japan.

Early Life and Family

Momoe Yamaguchi was born on January 17, 1959, in Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. She was born at the Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital.

When she was very young, her maternal grandparents cared for her. Around age four, she returned to her mother. Her family then moved to Yokohama. Her mother raised Momoe and her younger sister, Toshie, by herself. They later moved to Yokosuka. Toshie Yamaguchi studied in the US for high school and college. Momoe has a niece in the US whom she has never met.

Becoming a Star

Momoe Yamaguchi started her career in entertainment while in junior high school. In late 1972, at age 13, she applied for a TV talent show. The show was called Star Tanjō! Many of her schoolmates also applied.

She did well in the auditions. She appeared on the show singing "Kaiten Mokuba." This song was a hit by Yumi Makiba. Even though she came in second, many music producers wanted to work with her. She signed with Hori Productions. Her family moved to Tokyo. Momoe went to Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin and then Hinode Joshi Gakuin High School. This school allowed students to have careers in show business.

At first, she was promoted with two other singers. They were Junko Sakurada and Masako Mori. They were called the Hana no Chūsan Torio. This means "The lovely trio of third-year middle school students." They were all in their third year of middle school.

Her first single, "Toshigoro," was released with her first movie. It did not do very well on the charts. But her second single, "Aoi Kajitsu," became a top 10 hit. This song was very popular and talked about a lot.

Her early songs were written by Shunichi Tokura and Kazuya Senge. One of her biggest hits was her fifth single, "Hito Natsu no Keiken." This song also got a lot of attention from the press.

Growing Fame

By the end of 1974, Momoe's popularity was huge. She was invited to be the opening female singer for the 25th Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This is Japan's most popular music show. She sang Hito Natsu No Keiken. She appeared on this show every year until she retired.

As she became more famous, Yamaguchi gained more control. She could choose her own songwriters. She picked Ryudo Uzaki because she liked his song "Secret Love." Their first song together was "Yokosuka Story" in 1976. Uzaki wrote the music, and his wife, Yoko Aki, wrote the lyrics. Aki was inspired because she and Momoe had both lived in Yokosuka.

"Yokosuka Story" was Momoe's biggest hit. It sold over 600,000 copies and reached number one. This started a long partnership with Uzaki and Aki. Other writers, like Masashi Sada, also wrote for her. He wrote "Cosmos," one of her most loved songs.

Her success in music grew alongside her acting career. Her second film, Izu no Odoriko, paired her with actor Tomokazu Miura. They had great chemistry on screen. They became known as the "golden combi." They starred in 14 of her 17 movies together. They made one movie every winter and summer.

As she became popular, her father caused some family issues. He tried to get money from her success. He held fake press conferences. He also sued for parental rights because Momoe was still a minor. The court case ended with her mother winning. Momoe wrote in her book that she ended her relationship with her father. She felt sad that this happened because she became famous.

Towards the end of her career, Momoe's music became more complex. Her albums Golden Flight and L.A. Blue were recorded in London and Los Angeles. She used local musicians and staff. Her album Phoenix Densetsu was written like a rock opera. She wanted to make a rock song before retiring. So, Uzaki and Aki wrote "Rock 'n Roll Widow" for her.

Her TV shows were shown in China in the 1980s. She became very popular there as an actress. In China, she is known as 山口百惠. A 2000 poll said she was the most widely known Japanese person in China.

Marriage and Retirement

Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura's on-screen romance grew into a real one. In early 1979, Miura proposed to Momoe in Hawaii. She accepted. She also decided to retire from entertainment to marry him.

Momoe announced their relationship at a concert in October 1979. The news about their marriage and her retirement came in March 1980. Billboard magazine reported that her farewell concert was expected to earn a lot of money. She performed her last concert at the Nippon Budokan on October 5, 1980. Her final album, This is my trial, came out on October 21, 1980. Her last single, "Ichie," was released on November 19, 1980.

By the time she retired, Momoe was responsible for over 25% of sales at Horipro. She also wrote the lyrics for "Ichie" using the name "Kei Yokosuka." She continued to write a few songs after retiring.

In her book, Aoi Toki, she said she did not like singing the same songs repeatedly. She also wanted to stop working to focus on her husband. She said in an interview that she did not want to continue as a singer or actress.

On October 15, 1980, Momoe officially retired. She married Tomokazu Miura on November 19, 1980. Despite rumors of her return, she has focused on being a homemaker and mother. Her husband, Tomokazu Miura, continued his acting career.

Life After Retirement

In 1981, Momoe wrote a book of essays called Aoi Toki. It sold over a million copies in its first month.

Even though she retired, she is often featured in weekly entertainment magazines. Her family faced challenges with privacy. TV crews and photographers sometimes tried to get access to them. Fans were often found near her home, and one even broke in. In 1999, her husband, Tomokazu Miura, wrote a book called Hishatai. It described the problems they faced.

Her two sons, Yūtarō and Takahiro Miura, also entered entertainment. Yūtarō started in music under the name "Yū." Takahiro is an actor. He has appeared in several films and TV shows. Takahiro is also a qualified lifeguard.

Momoe Yamaguchi's hobby is quilt making. She shows her quilts under her married name, "Momoe Miura." In 2011, she was chosen as "The ideal mother" in a poll.

New music products featuring her continue to be released. A DVD set of her appearances on Yoru no Hit Studio came out in 2010. In 2011, Ryudo Uzaki said she still earns a good income from her music. Her TV dramas are available on DVD. They have also been repeated daily on the TBS Channel cable TV station since 2010.

In 2011, Tomokazu Miura wrote a book called Aishō (compatibility). It explained the secret of their happy marriage. In 2012, the couple came first for the seventh year in a row. This was in a poll by Meiji Yasuda life insurance. The poll asked married people about "the ideal celebrity couple."

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Song Covers

Other artists often cover Momoe Yamaguchi's songs. Ayako Fuji released an enka version of Manjushaka in 2003. Many artists have covered Cosmos, including its writer, Masashi Sada. Akina Nakamori also covered it. Imitation Gold was covered by Tak Matsumoto with Mai Kuraki in 2003.

In 2004, a tribute album called Yamaguchi Momoe Toribyuto Thank You For... was released. It featured Yamaguchi covers by singers like Masaharu Fukuyama and Hiromi Iwasaki. A second album, Yamaguchi Momoe Toribyuto Thank You For... Part 2, came out in 2005.

In the 1980s, Hong Kong singer Anita Mui released Chinese versions of some of her songs. These included "Manjushaka" and "Rock'n'Roll Widow."

In 1991, The Nolans released an album called Playback Part 2. It had well-known Yamaguchi songs with English lyrics. The group re-recorded these songs in The Nolans Sing Momoe 2005 in 2005. This was to celebrate 25 years since Yamaguchi's retirement. These albums were only released in Japan.

Rina Rahman covered "Akai Unmei" in Malay, calling it "Ku Ingin Bahagia."

JR West Shinkansen trains use a chime version of Iihi Tabidachi for next station alerts. The former Twilight Express train used a longer version of the song.

Movies and TV Shows

Films

Most of Momoe Yamaguchi's films were romantic stories. They co-starred Tomokazu Miura. Many were directed by Katsumi Nishikawa. These films were often remakes of his own earlier movies. Most of the romantic films with Miura were based on Japanese books.

• Toshigoro (としごろ) (directed by Ichimura)
• Izu no Odoriko (伊豆の踊子) (from the story "The Dancing Girl of Izu" by Yasunari Kawabata) (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Shiosai (潮騒) (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Onēchan Ote Yawaraka ni (お姐ちゃんお手やわらかに) (as herself, her only non-starring role)
• Zesshō (絶唱) (1975) (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Eden no Umi (エデンの海) (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Kaze tachinu (風立ちぬ) (directed by Mitsuo Wakasugi)
• Shunkinshō (春琴抄) (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Doro darake no Junjō (泥だらけの純情) (directed by Sokichi Tomimoto)
• Kiri no Hata (霧の旗), (directed by Katsumi Nishikawa)
• Furimukeba Ai (ふりむけば愛), (directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi), also titled Take me away!
• Honō no Mai (炎の舞) (directed by Yoshisuke Kawasaki)
• White Love (ホワイト・ラブ) (directed by Tsugunobu Kotani)
• Tenshi o Yuwaku (天使を誘惑) (directed by Toshiya Fujita)
• Koto (古都) (1980) (directed by Kon Ichikawa)

Concert Films

• Hana no Kō Ni Torio Hatsukoi Jidai (花の高２トリオ 初恋時代)
• Masako, Junko, Momoe - Namida no Sotsugyōshiki Shuppatsu (昌子・淳子・百恵 – 涙の卒業式 出発)

Television Shows

On TV, Momoe Yamaguchi often appeared in dramas with Ken Utsui. Each of these dramas lasted about six months. They started with Kao de waratte and continued with the Akai Series. In each show, she and Utsui played different father and daughter roles.

The Akai series often had complex family stories. These included hidden adoptions or mistaken identities. They also featured characters dealing with serious illnesses. Each Akai series she appeared in, except Akai Meiro, had a title song sung by Momoe herself.

The final Akai program was Akai Shisen. It was a two-part story starring Momoe and Tomokazu Miura. It was based on a novel by William Irish.

• Kao de Waratte (顔で笑って)
• Ginga Terebi Shōsetsu Akari no Urumu Koro (銀河テレビ小説 「灯のうるむ頃」) – Three episodes of a long-running NHK series
• Akai Meiro (赤い迷路)
• Akai Giwaku (赤い疑惑) Theme song Arigato, Anata
• Akai Unmei (赤い運命) Theme song Akai Unmei
• Nogiku No Haka (野菊の墓) (1977) based on a story of Itō Sachio
• Akai Shōgeki (赤い衝撃) Theme songs Akai Shogeki and Hashire, Kaze To Tomo Ni
• Akai Kizuna (赤い絆) Theme song Akai Kizuna (Reddo Senseshon) (red sensation)
• Hito wa Sore wo Sukyandaru to Iu (人はそれをスキャンダルという)
• Yamaguchi Momoe Intai Kinen Supesharu Dorama "Akai Shisen" (山口百恵引退記念スペシャルドラマ「赤い死線」)

See also

• Notes on lyrics of "Hito Natsu no Keiken" from Japanese Wikipedia.
• Akai series, from Japanese Wikipedia.
• List of best-selling music artists in Japan