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Aki Yashiro - Wikipedia
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Aki Yashiro

Aki Yashiro (八代やしろ亜紀あき, Yashiro Aki, August 29, 1950[2] – December 30, 2023), real name Akiyo Masuda (増田ますだ明代あきよ Masuda Akiyo)[3] née Hashimoto (橋本はしもと明代あきよ Hashimoto Akiyo), was a Japanese enka singer and painter. Her stage name "Yashiro" was adopted from her hometown Yatsushiro (八はち代だい).[2]

Aki Yashiro
八代やしろ亜紀あき
in 2016
in 2016
Background information
Birth nameAkiyo Hashimoto
橋本はしもと明代あきよ
Born(1950-08-29)August 29, 1950
Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
DiedDecember 30, 2023(2023-12-30) (aged 73)
Tokyo, Japan
GenresEnka, Kayōkyoku
OccupationSinger
Years active1971–2023
Spouse
Noboru Masuda
​
(m. 1994⁠–⁠2021)​
[1]
Websiteyashiro.mirion.co.jp

Life and career

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Yashiro originally sang jazz standards in hostess clubs, but made her debut as an enka singer in 1971, with the single "Ai wa Shindemo (愛あいは死しんでも)",[4] under the label of Teichiku Records. Seeing the single's lack of success, she appeared on the YTV's Zen Nihon Kayō Senshuken (全日本ぜんにほん歌謡かよう選手権せんしゅけん) audition, winning it for 10 consecutive weeks. In 1973, her single and album "Namida Koi" (なみだ恋こい) sold up to 1.2 million copies.[5] Since then, her songs like "Shinobigoi" (しのび恋こい), "Ai Hitosuji" (愛あいひとすじ), "Onna no Yume" (おんなの夢ゆめ), "Mō Ichidō Aitai" (もう一度いちど逢あいたい), "Onna Minatomachi" (おんな港町みなとちょう), and "Ai no Shūchakueki" (愛あいの終着駅しゅうちゃくえき), that dealt with women's emotions, also became great hits at the time. In 1979, her single "Funauta" (舟唄ふなうた) also became a great hit, followed by "Ame no Bojō" (雨あめの慕情ぼじょう) in 1980. "Ame no Bojō" won the 22nd Japan Record Award of the year. She continued collaborating with Teichiku until 1981, before turning to Century Records, where she released singles like "Umineko" (海猫うみねこ), "Nihonkai" (日本海にほんかい), and "Koisegawa" (恋瀬川こいせがわ), until 1986. She had been recording under the Nippon Columbia label since 1986 until her death.

Yashiro was the first female enka singer to have seven top 10 singles on the main Oricon chart, as well as being listed as the fourth enka singer behind male singers Kiyoshi Hikawa, Hiroshi Itsuki and Shinichi Mori.[citation needed] She also achieved top 10 on the Oricon album charts for three consecutive years (1974–1976).[citation needed]

Yashiro announced a hiatus in September 2023 to treat a collagen disease. On January 9, 2024, it was reported that she had died on December 30, 2023 after a bout with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis and rapidly progressing interstitial lung disease in a hospital in Tokyo.[6][7][8]

Appearances at Kōhaku Uta Gassen

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Yashiro performed 23 times in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[9] She performed consecutively for 15 years (1973–1987), but was not invited to perform in 1988. She was qualified again in 1989. Thereafter, she performed for the next consecutive 5 years (until 1993) and lost the qualification again in 1994, and returned to participate again for 3 consecutive years since 1999. She last performed in the prestigious annual show in 2001. She was invited but declined to perform in 2005 with the popularity poll "Sukiuta" (スキウタ).

Yashiro had three singles which have been sung more than once, which are "Namida Koi" (twice, in 1973 & 2000), "Mō Ichidō Aitai" (twice, 1976 & 1993), and "Funauta" (3 times, 1979, 1991, and 1999).

Discography

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Collaborations

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  • Unagitani (鰻谷うなぎだに) – Eigo Kawashima
  • Sayonara Anta (さよならあんた) – Eigo Kawashima
  • Tsuki no Hanamatsuri (月つきの花はなまつり) – Eigo Kawashima

References

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  1. ^ "(2ページ目め)トラック野郎やろう、舟唄ふなうた、離婚りこん…73歳さいで亡なくなった演歌えんか歌手かしゅ・八代やしろ亜紀あきの"波乱万丈はらんばんじょうな人生じんせい"". 文春ぶんしゅんオンライン. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "【追悼ついとう】八代やしろ亜紀あき". Tower Records Japan. January 9, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  3. ^ 八代やしろ亜紀あき 氏し (PDF). Kumamoto Prefecture Web Site (in Japanese). March 2, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  4. ^ バイオグラフィー. 八代やしろ亜紀あき Official Website (in Japanese). ミリオン企画きかく. December 28, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  5. ^ 第だい６部ぶ・演歌えんか巡礼じゅんれい＜１＞八代やしろ亜紀あき 浪曲ろうきょくが子守こもり歌かだった. Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). December 12, 2006. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  6. ^ "歌手かしゅの八代やしろ亜紀あきさん、昨年さくねん12月がつ30日にちに死去しきょ 73歳さい 膠にかわ原ばら病びょうで活動かつどう休止きゅうし中ちゅう 「雨あめの慕情ぼじょう」「舟唄ふなうた」などヒット". ORICON NEWS. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "八はち代だい亜紀あきさん死去しきょ 73歳さい 「雨あめの慕情ぼじょう」や「舟唄ふなうた」などのヒット曲きょく | NHK". NHK NEWS WEB (in Japanese). January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  8. ^ "Aki Yashiro, Enka Singer and Painter, Dies at Age 73; Known for Hit Songs "Funauta" and "Ame no Bojo"". The Yomiuri Shimbun. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "ようこそ 八代やしろ亜紀あきさん "私わたしの絵えの世界せかい"". NHK和歌山放送わかやまほうそう局きょく. NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
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