is a Japanese actress and a

J-pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

singer.

Biography

In 1976, Sakakibara took part in the Talent Scout Caravan organised by

Horipro is a Japanese talent agent, talent agency that manages actors, entertainers and musicians, as well as commercial and television productions. It has locations in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville and Los Angeles in the United States. History I ...

, and won the competition. She made her musical debut on January 1, 1977, with the single ''"Watashi no Sensei"'' (My Teacher). The Japanese press dubbed Sakakibara the "100 million yen Cinderella". Sakakibara was promoted alongside Idols Mizue Takada and Yukiko Shimizu, who also debuted in 1977. They were dubbed the "Fresh San'nin Musume" (three fresh girls). Before them, Junko Sakurada,

Momoe Yamaguchi , known by her maiden name , is a Japanese former singer, actress, and Japanese idol, idol whose career lasted from 1972 to 1980. Often simply referred to by her given name "Momoe", Yamaguchi is one of the most successful singers in Japanese musi ...

and Masako Mori were promoted in the same fashion. The single ''"Natsu No Ojousan" (Summer Girl), provided Sakakibara with her biggest hit. It reached the number 11 position on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...

charts in the summer of 1978. That same year she was invited to appear on

Kohaku Uta Gassen is the Japanese word for amber. Kohaku (琥珀) may refer to: Music * Kohaku, a song by Mikuni Shimokawa Characters * Kohaku (''Dr. Stone''), a character in the manga series ''Dr. Stone'' * Kohaku (''InuYasha''), a character in ''InuYash ...

, and would subsequently make five more appearances on the show. In 1981 Sakakibara debuted in the musical

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

, which turned out to be a great success. Sakakibara played the part of Peter Pan for seven years on the stage. In 1987, she married Japanese actor Toru Watanabe and gave birth to two sons. After her marriage she gave up her musical career, and began hosting television programs such as Monomane Battle.

Notable singles

* ''"Itoshi No Robin Hood-sama"'' (My Darling Robin Hood), released on January 18, 1978. (Reached the No. 18 position on the Oricon charts.) * ''"Natsu No Ojousan"'' (Summer Girl), released on July 1, 1978. (Reached the No. 11 position on the Oricon charts. Performed at the 29th edition of

.) * ''"Do It BANG BANG"'', released on October 1, 1978. ( Reached the No. 15 position on the Oricon charts.) * ''"Seishun Kiryū"'' (Youth Airflow), released on April 1, 1979. (Reached the No. 21 position on the Oricon charts.) * ''"Love Jack Summer"'', released on July 1, 1979.(Reached the No. 20 position on the Oricon charts. Performed at the 30th edition of

.) * ''"ROBOT"'', released on June 1, 1980. (Reached the No. 22 position on the Oricon charts. Performed at the 31st edition of

.) * ''"Shining Love"'' released on October 1, 1981. (Reached the No. 60 position on the Oricon charts. Performed at the 32nd edition of

Filmography

Television

* ''

Aoi Zesshō is a Japanese television drama series that first aired on TBS in 1980. Cast * Kyōhei Shibata – Tetsuo Suzuki * Ikue Sakakibara – Hanako Suzuki * Pinko Izumi – Sumire Suzuki * Emi Watanabe * Katsutoshi Arata – Hideharu Suzuki * Gaku ...

'' (1980) * ''

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series, the 45th entry in Toei's long-running ''Super Sentai'' series, and the second produced in the Reiwa era. Additionally, it commemorates the 45th anniversary of the ''Super Sentai'' franchise and is t ...

'' (2021)

Film

* '' Cherry Magic! the Movie'' (2022)

References

External links

Hori Pro
1959 births Living people 20th-century Japanese singers 20th-century Japanese women singers Japanese women pop singers Japanese female idols Actresses from Kanagawa Prefecture Nippon Columbia artists Singers from Kawasaki, Kanagawa {{Japan-singer-stub