Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi

Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (right) with Yasuo Ichikawa (left), 2010
Background information
Born	(1956-09-07) September 7, 1956 Hioki, Kagoshima, Japan
Origin	Hioki, Kagoshima, Japan
Genres	Rock folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, actor
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Victor, Toshiba-EMI, For Life, Nayutawave
Website	www.nagabuchi.or.jp

Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (長渕ながぶち 剛つよし, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi, born September 7, 1956) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, poet, and human-rights advocate, who is a prominent figure in Japanese popular music.

He has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and has appeared in movies and television dramas. His wife Etsuko Shihomi is an actress.

Early life

Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi was born on September 7, 1956, in Ijuin, Kagoshima, the first son of police officer Kuniharu Nagabuchi and Masuko Nagabuchi. As a child, Nagabuchi was sickly and often suffered from asthma attacks.

Career

Nagabuchi favored popular Japanese folk singers such as Takuro Yoshida, Ryo Kagawa, Masato Tomobe and Kenji Endo. A song called "One Road Straight" changed his view of the world. Their protest songs tempted him to become a musician. Eagerness to realize his dream made him buy a nylon-string guitar at the age of 15. In 1973, when he was 17, he made his first performance as a live act. Around 1974, he formed a folk duo called "Takeshi and Tsuyoshi" and gained experience as a performer. In 1975, he entered Kyushu Sangyo University but eventually dropped out and chose the career of show business. At that time, he often performed at late-night bars. Some audiences booed him and threw bottles at him. Later, he reminisced about the old days and said that this unbearable experience trained his spirit.

Debut

His career as a solo artist began in the mid-1970s. In 1976, he took part in the well-known Yamaha Popular Music Song Contest, where he performed the song "Ame no Arashiyama" and won first prize. The next year, this song was released as his first single from JVC Victor Records (credited as Go Nagabuchi) and failed to chart. The approach of "Ame no Arashiyama" arranged by Motoki Funayama was enka-style and Nagabuchi wanted to avoid such a conservative style. Nevertheless, it was recorded and released despite his reluctance about the sound. Because of this treatment, he hates his debut single and would like to hide the existence of this song.

After the failed debut song, he contracted with Toshiba EMI and attempted to break onto the music scene again. His next single was "Junrenka", released on October 5, 1978. In later years, he released a re-recorded version and reached No. 1 on the Oricon charts. His debut album Kaze wa Minamikara was released in 1979. He released a second album the same year. It sold over 580,000 copies and provided his first No. 1 hit record on Oricon. The album Gyakuryū featured his early principal hit single "Junko." At first, it was included in the album only. Cut as a single in 1980, it hit the top of the Japanese singles chart in August of the same year. Following the success of the album and the single, he joined the ranks of the most popular singer-songwriters in Japan.

1980s

In 1980, Nagabuchi released another well-known Japanese folk song classic, "Kanpai," which he wrote for his friend's wedding. It first appeared on the same-titled album and unreleased as a single; it gradually became famous around the country. In 1988, he recorded a new version for a single and it became his second No. 1 hit on the singles chart.

In his next three studio albums, Bye Bye, Jidai wa Bokura ni Ame o Furashiteru and Heavy Gauge, he attempted to get rid of the standard folk song style. After two successful albums in the early 1980s, commercial success of his albums and singles declined for about three years. "Goodbye Seishun" in autumn of 1983, his first smash-hit single since "Junko," was written with Yasushi Akimoto for the TV drama series he starred in. From the other drama program broadcast in 1982, he began acting career as a side job. He has appeared in 14 TV dramas and five movies, starring in several of them. In the 37th film of the movie series Otoko wa Tsurai yo in 1986, he acted with his future wife Etsuko Shihomi.

He disliked his own voice. To change it, he gargled with shōchū, and sang in an intentionally coarse voice. His voice gradually changed to a hoarse sound like Bob Dylan, whom he respected. The change of voice expression intensified his characteristics more and more. Thanks to such characteristic expression, he built deep-rooted popularity in the mid-1980s. From the 1987 album License to Captain of the Ship in 1993, his six studio albums consistently reached No. 1 on the Oricon album chart. In particular, Japan in 1991 sold over a million copies and became his most successful record. Similarly, on Shabondama, "Tombo," the first single cut from this album became a million-seller.

Discography

Main article: Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi discography

Selected albums

• Gyakuryū (逆流ぎゃくりゅう, Counterflow) (1979)
• Kanpai (乾杯かんぱい, Cheers) (1980)
• License (1987)
• Shōwa (昭和しょうわ, Shōwa period) (1989)
• Jeep (1990)
• Japan (1991)
• Captain of the Ship (1993)
• Kazoku (家族かぞく, Family) (1996)
• Keep on Fighting (2003)

Selected singles

• 'Junko' (順子じゅんこ) (1980)
• 'Kanpai' (乾杯かんぱい, Cheers) (1988)
• 'Tonbo' (とんぼ, Dragonfly) (1988)
• 'Gekiai' (激げき愛あい, Intense Love) (1989)
• 'Shoppai Mikkazuki no Yoru' (しょっぱい三日月みかづきの夜よる, Night of the Salty Crescent Moon) (1989)
• 'Shabondama' (しゃぼん玉だま, Soap Bubbles) (1991)
• 'Junrenka '92' (巡めぐ恋歌こいうた'92) (1992)
• 'Run' (1993)

Filmography

Television

• Oh Sadaharu Monogatari (王おう貞治さだはる物語ものがたり Story of Sadaharu Oh) (1982)
• The Family Game (家族かぞくゲーム Kazoku Geemu) (1983)
• The Family Game II (家族かぞくゲームII Kazoku Geemu II) (1984)
• The Family Game Special (家族かぞくゲームスペシャル Kazoku Geemu Supesharu) (1985)
• Oyako Game (親子おやこゲーム Parent-Child Game) (1986)
• Oyako Zigzag (親子おやこジグザグ Parent-Child Zigzag) (1987)
• Stand By Me (スタンド・バイ・ミー) (1988)
• Tombo (とんぼ Dragonfly) (1988)
• Usagi no Kyūjitsu (うさぎの休日きゅうじつ Holiday of the Rabbit) (1988)
• Shabondama (しゃぼん玉だま Soap Bubbles) (1991)
• Run (RUN) (1993)
• Eiji Futatabi (英えい二にふたたび) (1997)
• Body Guard (ボディーガード) (1997)
• Shōnen "Okamesan" (少年しょうねん「おかめさん」 Young Mr. Okame) (2002)

Film

• Hot Jam '80 (1980)
• Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy (男おとこはつらいよ　幸福こうふくの青あおい鳥とり, Kōfuku no Aoi Tori, 1986)
• Orgel (オルゴール) (1989)
• Water Moon (ウォータームーン) (1989)
• Eiji (英二えいじ) (1999)
• Family Bond (2020)

See also

• List of best-selling music artists in Japan

External links

• Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi website <Live On> (in Japanese)