, (born 18 December 1961), of
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan, is a Japanese
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
singer.
Career
In 1982, under the alias "Hiromi Hoshi", she debuted with "Koi no Ienakiko" ('恋の家なき子'), released by
New Century Records. In April 1985, she used the name "Yuki Kagawa" with the song "Yoake Made Yokohama" ('夜明けまでヨコハマ'). In 1986, using her real name Terumi Nakagawa, she released the song "Yume Kizuna" ('夢きずな'). In 1987, she used the name Natsuko Godai, combining characters from the names of fellow Enka singers
Hiroshi Itsuki
is a Japanese singer and composer. As of 1987, he had sold 20 million singles and 4 million LP albums.
Itsuki is usually regarded as an ''enka'' singer, but he has also released a cover version of Southern All Stars' J-pop song "Tsunami".
Care ...
and
Aki Yashiro whom she greatly admired. Under that alias, she released her first major album, 'Modori Gawa' ('戻り川'). In 1990, she released the hit single and appeared in ''
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
'' for the first of more than 20 appearances. "Shinobu Ame" reached 12th in the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
She is the tourism ambassador for
Ozu, Ehime prefecture.
Personal life
She is the daughter of a fish dealer who had a storefront in
Shibuya
is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station.
As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...
.
[木村隆『この母ありて』 青蛙房 2010年 121頁] In 1999, she married
Ryōtarō Sugi
(born 14 August 1944, Kobe) is a Japanese singer and actor. He is the father of actor Jundai Yamada.
He appeared in ''Sukima Kaze'', which sold over a million copies. His acting credits include 18 films. On television, he specialized in ''jid ...
.
Awards
* 1988
Japan Cable Awards
are an annual set of music awards, sponsored by the .
The awards were presented annually since 1968 and are based on requests from the audience received by cable broadcasters. The awards ended in 2017; Kiyoshi Hikawa, who is a Japanese enka si ...
Best Newcomer Award
* 1990
Japan Enka Awards Enka Star Award
* 1990
Japan Music Awards
for outstanding achievements in the Broadcast Music Producers Federation, was major music awards show held annually in Japan from 1969 to 1993. The 1988 awards ceremony was cancelled due to the deteriorating health of Emperor Shōwa.「歌番組� ...
Broadcast Music Award
* 1995
Japan Record Awards
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Established in 1959, the Japan Record Awards are one of the oldest and most prestigious music awards in the countr ...
Special Award (with
Fuyumi Sakamoto
is a Japanese female enka singer under EMI Music Japan.
Career
Having won a singing contest in early 1986, and after receiving about 11 months of vocal training, Sakamoto debuted as an enka recording singer with the single "Abare Daiko" in March ...
,
Yōko Nagayama,
Kaori Kozai
is a Japanese ''enka'' singer.Keys to Japan: its language and its people 1993 "Such singers are referred to as "Endoru" (Enka + idol). Beautiful singers like Ayako Fuji, Kaori Kozai, Fuyumi Sakamoto, and Yoko Nagayama are examples of Endoru. Thes ...
, and
Ayako Fuji)
See also
*
Ayako Fuji, born in the same year and also signed to
Sony Music Direct
References
External links
Official Website伍代夏子｜SonyMusic
SonyMusic特設サイト
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godai, Natsuko
1961 births
Japanese-language singers
Musicians from Tokyo
Enka singers
Japanese women singers
Living people