[JAPAN] Kyoko Koizumi Tribute - Award-winning Actress, Singer, and Writer, etc.

This video is dedicated to multi-talented Ms. Kyoko Koizumi. Kyoko was born in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture to Japanese parents. She graduated from Atsugi Municipal Mita Elementary School and Atsugi Municipal Mutsuai Junior High School, and left Kanagawa Prefectural Tsukui High School before graduating. Between Jan and March 1981, she participated in and passed the audition for the Nippon TV program, "A Star is Born!" Kyoko performed Mako Ishino's song "He Was My First Love"; at the age of 15, Kyoko signed contracts with Burning Production, the agency Ishino belonged to at the time, and the record label Victor Musical Industries. Kyoko made her debut as an idol singer in 1982, with the single "My 16th Year." Her promotional catchphrase was "A Smiling Girl: I Love Your Smile." She was part of the "Class of '82" (known as the "Blooming Class of '82")—a group of idols who debuted that same year, including Chiemi Hori, Iyo Matsumoto, Hiroko Mita, Yu Hayami, Hidemi Ishikawa, Akina Nakamori, and Shibugakitai. Initially, Kyoko wore the "Seiko-chan cut" hairstyle common among idols of the time, but at age 17, she decided on her own to switch to a short hairstyle. In 1983, Kyoko's 5th single, "A Girl in Bright Red"—which marked her image change to short hair—reached number 8 on the Oricon charts. The song served as the theme for the Fuji TV special drama "Princess Anmitsu," which was her first starring role; the program achieved high viewership ratings. Kyoko was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, and Anmitsu Princess was subsequently developed into a three-part series. In 1984, her 9th single, "Stylish Mermaid of the Shore," became her first to reach number one on the Oricon weekly charts. With sales exceeding 330,000 copies, she quickly established herself as a top-tier idol. Among young girls, the "Kyoko Cut"—a hairstyle imitating hers—became a trend. The album *Celebration*, released in Dec of the same year, sold nearly 400,000 copies. At the end of the year, she made her debut appearance on the 35th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, performing as the opening act for the second half of the program; she went on to appear in the show for five consecutive years, up to the 39th edition. Because Kyoko placed greater emphasis on her career as an actress than as a conventional idol, whenever a new single charted on programs like The Best Ten or *The Top Ten*, she often appeared via live remote broadcasts from film or drama shooting locations. During this period, nearly all of her songs ranked within the top 100 of the year-end charts; among female singers, her momentum was second only to Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori. According to a survey by *Bessatsu Takarajima*, her total single sales in the 1980s—counting only those that reached the annual top 50—amounted to 2.791 million copies across ten songs; she ranked third among female idols of the era in both categories. Realizing she could not match the sheer talent of Seiko Matsuda or Akina Nakamori, Koizumi adopted an attitude that defied convention—characterized by a free-spirited nature and an "ordinary girl" quality that the other two lacked—thereby creating a new archetype for the Japanese female idol. Kyoko is known as an avid reader. From the time of her debut, books served as a tool to keep others from striking up conversations in the dressing room, helping her maintain her peace of mind. She has long loved the novels of Osamu Dazai and the manga of Yumiko Oshima since her adolescence. During her time as an idol, her words and actions constantly drew attention; for instance, her mention of Banana Yoshimoto's debut work Kitchen as a favorite book on a music program boosted its popularity, and J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye became a bestseller after she introduced it on a radio show. She also recommended Michael Ende's children's book Momo in an interview published in the evening edition of the Asahi Shimbun on March 26, 1987, leading the title to become a bestseller—a rare feat for a children's book. In 2005, Kyoko accepted a position as a book reviewer for the Yomiuri Shimbun through the introduction of her mentor, Mitsuhiko Kuze, serving in the role for ten years until 2014. In 2015, a collection of her reviews titled Kyoko Koizumi Book Review Collection was published. From April 2021 to Sept 2023—a period of two and a half years—she hosted a book-themed podcast on Spotify titled "Honto no Koizumi-san" (The Real Koizumi-san), and a three-volume book series based on the show was also published. Kyoko has won numerous awards as an actress, singer, and writer, and show her multi-talented self. Best of luck to her! Thanks for watching...; please give a massive thumbs up! My videos are sort of related to each other, so enjoy others as well. Peace out... to all the beautiful souls out there in the world. Cheers!