Sayuri Ishikawa


Sayuri Ishikawa is one of the most recognized and successful Japanese enka singers of all time, with a remarkable singing career spanning over four decades since mid-70s.
Ishikawa is a popular contestant on the annual NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen broadcast. Up till 2017, she has been invited to perform 40 times since 1977, the year that she finally made her name releasing her biggest hit, the classic "Tsugaru Kaikyo-Fuyugeshiki". To date, she holds the record for the most appearances in the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for a female artist. She has released over 100 albums and more than 120 singles so far, of which a few were not enka, but rock and jazz music instead. Another of her biggest hits, "Amagi-goe", which was released in 1986, won her many awards, and many believe that it was this song that made her an icon as an A-list enka singer.

Biography

Ishikawa grew up during enka's heyday and went with her mother and grandmother to see Chiyoko Shimakura’s performance. “I loved singing,” she recalls. Ishikawa won a singing contest in 1972 when she was only 14 years old and released her first single "Kakurenbo" the next year. She finished her high school but didn't go to university, entering show business instead. Her biggest hit, "Tsugaru Kaikyō Fuyugeshiki", was released in 1977.
Major league baseball player Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners chose Sayuri Ishikawa's "Amagi-goe" as an AT-BAT MUSIC of 2008 with "Ishin Denshin" and "Royal Chocolate Flush" of Misia. She re-recorded this song with Marty Friedman for Ichiro.
In 2010, Ishikawa release a rare, non-enka single, Baby Baby, a duet with rock singer Tamio Okuda.
In 2015, Ishikawa recorded "Chanto Iwanakya Aisanai", the ending theme for the new Lupin III anime.
In July 2017, Tokyo Olympic 2020 organizers kicked off the countdown celebration to the Olympic by releasing a promotional theme song along with a summer dance. The song, with which the organizer is aiming to promote the Japanese summer festivals, is a new version of “Tokyo Gorin Ondo,” the theme song for the 1964 Summer Olympics, but with updated lyrics. It will be performed by Ishikawa, alongside Yūzō Kayama and Pistol Takehara.
On May 20, 2019, it was announced that Ishikawa would be awarded the 2019 Spring Purple Ribbon Medal of Honours for her accomplishments.
Ishikawa married Kenji Baba in 1981, but the couple divorced in 1989. Their daughter, Saori, was born in 1984.

NHK ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen'' appearances

Ishikawa's first Kōhaku Uta Gassen appearance was in 1977, four years after her debut and following the hit of her signature song "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki".
2017 marked her 40th appearances in total, and 36th consecutive years in the ever popular annual event, which is a record for a female artist.
She missed the 34th edition in 1983 as she was heavily pregnant, though she did attend the show and appeared as a guest, cheering the red group.
Year/Kōhaku ##SongAppearance OrderOppositeNotes
1977/:ja:第28回NHK紅白歌合戦|28th1Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 19/24Akira Kobayashi
1978/:ja:第29回NHK紅白歌合戦|29th2Hino Kuni he 3/24Kariudo
1979/:ja:第30回NHK紅白歌合戦|30th3Inochi Moyashite 19/23Hiroshi Uchiyamada and Cool Five
1980/:ja:第31回NHK紅白歌合戦|31st4Kamome to Iu Na no Sakaba 17/23Takashi Hosokawa
1981/:ja:第32回NHK紅白歌合戦|32nd5Namida no Yado 17/22Goro Noguchi
1982/:ja:第33回NHK紅白歌合戦|33rd6Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 19/22Hideo Murata
1983/:ja:第34回NHK紅白歌合戦|34th–Guest appearance only–-
1984/:ja:第35回NHK紅白歌合戦|35th7Tokyo Meguri-Ai 14/20Gannosuke Ashiya
1985/:ja:第36回NHK紅白歌合戦|36th8Hatoba Shigure 18/20Hideo Murata
1986/:ja:第37回NHK紅白歌合戦|37th9Amagi-goe 20/20Shinichi Mori Ultimate
1987/:ja:第38回NHK紅白歌合戦|38th10Meoto Zenzai 18/20Saburo Kitajima
1988/:ja:第39回NHK紅白歌合戦|39th11Taki no Shiraito 19/21Hiroshi Itsuki
1989/:ja:第40回NHK紅白歌合戦|40th12Kaze no Bon Koiuta 20/20Saburo Kitajima Grand Ultimate
1990/:ja:第41回NHK紅白歌合戦|41st13Utakata 28/29Shinji Tanimura Penultimate
1991/:ja:第42回NHK紅白歌合戦|42nd14Minato Uta 27/28Saburo Kitajima Penultimate
1992/:ja:第43回NHK紅白歌合戦|43rd15Hotel Minato-ya 26/28Takashi Hosokawa
1993/:ja:第44回NHK紅白歌合戦|44th16Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 26/26Saburo Kitajima Ultimate
1994/:ja:第45回NHK紅白歌合戦|45th17Kiga Kaikyo 24/25Saburo Kitajima Penultimate
1995/:ja:第46回NHK紅白歌合戦|46th18Kita no Nyobo 23/25Saburo Kitajima
1996/:ja:第47回NHK紅白歌合戦|47th19Showa Yume-Tsubame 23/25Takashi Hosokawa
1997/:ja:第48回NHK紅白歌合戦|48th20Amagi-goe 23/25Shinichi Mori
1998/:ja:第49回NHK紅白歌合戦|49th21Kaze no Bon Koiuta 21/25Takashi Hosokawa
1999/:ja:第50回NHK紅白歌合戦|50th22Amagi-goe 25/27Shinji Tanimura
2000/:ja:第51回NHK紅白歌合戦|51st23Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 25/28Takashi Hosokawa
2001/:ja:第52回NHK紅白歌合戦|52nd24Namida Tsuzuri 24/27Takao Horiuchi
2002/:ja:第53回NHK紅白歌合戦|53rd25Amagi-goe 27/27Hiroshi Itsuki Ultimate
2003/:ja:第54回NHK紅白歌合戦|54th26Noto Hanto 28/30Saburo Kitajima
2004/:ja:第55回NHK紅白歌合戦|55th27Ichiyo Koiuta 26/28Kiyoshi Hikawa
2005/56th28Amagi-goe 22/29Porno Graffitti
2006/57th29Meoto Zenzai 14/27Shinichi Mori First half ultimate
2007/58th30Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 27/27Hiroshi Itsuki Ultimate
2008/59th31Amagi-goe 24/26SMAP
2009/60th32Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 23/25Kiyoshi Hikawa
2010/61st33Amagi-goe 20/22Saburo Kitajima
2011/62nd34Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 25/25SMAPUltimate
2012/63rd35Amagi-goe 24/25Saburo Kitajima Penultimate
2013/64th36Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 21/26Akihiro Miwa
2014/65th37Amagi-goe 20/23Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi
2015/66th38Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 20/26Hiroshi Itsuki
2016/67th39Amagi-goe 23/23Arashi Ultimate
2017/68th40Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki 22/22Yuzu Ultimate
2018/69th41Amagi-goe 22/22Arashi Ultimate

Discography

Honors