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Momoe Yamaguchi

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Momoe Yamaguchi is a legendary idol in Japan.

She was a very successful singer and actress. Her career lasted from 1972 until 1980. During this time, she released 32 singles and 21 studio albums. She also starred in 15 feature films and many television dramas. Many people in Japan still remember her today. She was so popular that she was responsible for over 25% of the sales at her company, Hori Productions.

Her path to stardom began when she was only 13 years old. She applied to a talent search show called Star Tanjō! by sending a postcard. After passing auditions, she appeared on the show singing "Kaiten Mokuba." Although she finished in second place, she received many offers from music producers. She signed with Hori Productions and began her professional life. She attended Hinode Joshi Gakuin High School, which helped students with show business careers. Early on, she was part of a group called the Hana no Chūsan Torio.

As she grew up, her music and fame changed. Her second single, "Aoi Kajitsu," reached number 9 on the charts. Later, she worked with famous songwriters like Shunichi Tokura and Kazuya Senge. One of her biggest hits was "Yokosuka Story" in 1976. This song sold more than 600,000 copies and reached number one. She also worked with the team of Ryudo Uzaki and Yoko Aki. Her music even became more sophisticated later in her career. She recorded albums in big cities like London and Los Angeles.

Momoe also became a very famous actress. She often worked with the actor Tomokazu Miura. Fans called them the "golden comb" because they had great chemistry. They starred in 14 movies together, usually one every winter and summer. Their on-screen romance eventually became a real romance in real life. In 1979, Miura proposed to her during a trip to Hawaii. She accepted his proposal but chose to retire from acting and singing. She wanted to spend her time as a wife and a mother.

She performed a final farewell concert at the Nippon Budokan in 1980. This concert was expected to earn $22.2 million. After she retired, she married Tomokazu Miura on November 19, 1980. She has since lived a quiet life as a homemaker. Her two sons, Yūtarō and Takahiro, also entered the world of entertainment. Even though she is retired, her songs are still very popular. Many other artists continue to cover her music today.

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