Sayuri Ishikawa

Sayuri Ishikawa (石川さゆり, Ishikawa Sayuri, born

January 30, 1958) is a Japanese enka singer who made Sayuri Ishikawa
her professional debut in 1973. With a career nearing 石川さゆり
five decades, she is one of the most-recognized and
successful enka singers in history.

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
she released her biggest hit, "Tsugaru Kaikyo-
Fuyugeshiki".[1] 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
(including compilation albums[note 1]) and more than
120 singles, 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 Background information
that made her an icon as an A-list enka singer. Birth name Kinuyo Ishikawa (石川絹代)

Ishikawa appears in the Wim Wenders film "Perfect Born January 30, 1958
Days", which won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Kumamoto, Japan
the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[2] Genres Enka
Occupation Singer
Years active 1973–present
Biography Labels Nippon Columbia (1973–1993)
Ishikawa grew up during enka's heyday and went with Pony Canyon (1993–1999)
her mother and grandmother to see Chiyoko Teichiku Records (2000–present)
Shimakura's performance. “I loved singing,” she
Spouse Kenji Baba ​(m. 1981⁠–⁠1989)​
recalls. Ishikawa won a singing contest in 1972 when
she was only 14 years old and released her first single Website Official site (http://www.ishikawas
"Kakurenbo" the next year. She finished her high ayuri.com)
school but didn't go to university, entering show
business instead. Her biggest hit, "Tsugaru Kaikyō Fuyugeshiki", was released in 1977.[3][4]

Major league baseball player Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners chose Sayuri Ishikawa's "Amagi-goe"
as an at-bat walk-up song in 2008 along with Misia's "Ishin Denshin" and "Royal Chocolate Flush".
Ishikawa re-recorded this song with Marty Friedman for Ichiro.[5]

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 of the Lupin the 3rd Part IV
anime.[6]

In July 2017, Tokyo Olympics 2020 organizers kicked off the countdown celebration to the Olympics by
releasing a promotional theme song along with a summer dance. The song, with which the organizer
aimed to promote Japanese summer festivals, is a new version of “Tokyo Gorin Ondo,” the theme song
for the 1964 Summer Olympics, but with updated lyrics. It is performed by Ishikawa, alongside Yūzō
Kayama and Takehara Pistol (ja).

On May 20, 2019, it was announced that Ishikawa would be awarded the 2019 Spring Purple Ribbon
Medal of Honours (令和元年春の紫綬褒章) for her accomplishments.[7]

Ishikawa married Kenji Baba in 1981, but the couple divorced in 1989. Their daughter, Saori, was born in
1984.[8]

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 Kaikyō Fuyugeshiki".

2017 marked her 40th appearance in total, and 36th consecutive year 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 (female) group.
Year/Kōhaku Appearance
# Song[note 2] Opposite[note 4] Notes[note 5]
# Order[note 3]
Tsugaru Kaikyo
1977/28th 1 19/24 Akira Kobayashi
Fuyugeshiki

1978/29th 2 Hino Kuni e (火の国へ) 3/24 Kariudo (狩人)

Inochi Moyashite (命燃 Hiroshi Uchiyamada

1979/30th 3 19/23
やして) and Cool Five

Kamome to Iu Na no
1980/31st 4 Sakaba (鴎という名の 17/23 Takashi Hosokawa
酒場)

Namida no Yado (なみ

1981/32nd 5 17/22 Goro Noguchi
だの宿)

Tsugaru Kaikyō
1982/33rd 6 19/22 Hideo Murata
Fuyugeshiki (2)

1983/34th – Guest appearance only – - [note 6]

Tokyo Meguri-Ai (東京 Gannosuke Ashiya

1984/35th 7 14/20
めぐり愛) (芦屋雁之助)

Hatoba Shigure (波止場

1985/36th 8 18/20 Hideo Murata (2)
しぐれ)

1986/37th 9 Amagi-goe 20/20 Shinichi Mori Ultimate (1)

Meoto Zenzai (夫婦善

1987/38th 10 18/20 Saburo Kitajima
哉)

Taki no Shiraito (滝の白

1988/39th 11 19/21 Hiroshi Itsuki
糸)

Grand
Kaze no Bon Koiuta (風
1989/40th 12 20/20 Saburo Kitajima (2) Ultimate[note 7]
の盆恋歌) (2)

1990/41st 13 Utakata (うたかた) 28/29 Shinji Tanimura Penultimate (1)

1991/42nd 14 Minato Uta (港唄) 27/28 Saburo Kitajima (3) Penultimate (2)

Hotel Minato-ya (ホテル Takashi Hosokawa

1992/43rd 15 26/28
港や) (2)

Tsugaru Kaikyō
1993/44th 16 26/26 Saburo Kitajima (4) Ultimate (3)
Fuyugeshiki (3)

1994/45th 17 Kiga Kaikyo (飢餓海峡) 24/25 Saburo Kitajima (5) Penultimate (3)

Kita no Nyobo (北の女

1995/46th 18 23/25 Saburo Kitajima (6)
房)

Showa Yume-Tsubame Takashi Hosokawa

1996/47th 19 23/25
(昭和夢つばめ) (3)

1997/48th 20 Amagi-goe (2) 23/25 Shinichi Mori (2)

Kaze no Bon Koiuta (風 Takashi Hosokawa

1998/49th 21 21/25
の盆恋歌) (2) (4)
1999/50th 22 Amagi-goe (3) 25/27 Shinji Tanimura (2)
Tsugaru Kaikyō Takashi Hosokawa
2000/51st 23 25/28
Fuyugeshiki (4) (5)

Namida Tsuzuri (涙つづ

2001/52nd 24 24/27 Takao Horiuchi
り)

2002/53rd 25 Amagi-goe (4) 27/27 Hiroshi Itsuki (2) Ultimate (4)

2003/54th 26 Noto Hanto (能登半島) 28/30 Saburo Kitajima (7)

2004/55th 27 Ichiyo Koiuta (一葉恋歌) 26/28 Kiyoshi Hikawa

2005/56th 28 Amagi-goe (5) 22/29 Porno Graffitti

First half
2006/57th 29 Meoto Zenzai (2) 14/27 Shinichi Mori (3)
ultimate[note 8]

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2007/58th 30 27/27 Hiroshi Itsuki (3) Ultimate (5)
Fuyugeshiki (5)
2008/59th 31 Amagi-goe (6) 24/26 SMAP

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2009/60th 32 23/25 Kiyoshi Hikawa (2)
Fuyugeshiki (6)
2010/61st 33 Amagi-goe (7) 20/22 Saburo Kitajima (8)

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2011/62nd 34 25/25 SMAP(2) Ultimate (6)
Fuyugeshiki (7)

2012/63rd 35 Amagi-goe (8) 24/25 Saburo Kitajima (9) Penultimate (4)

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2013/64th 36 21/26 Akihiro Miwa
Fuyugeshiki (8)

2014/65th 37 Amagi-goe (9) 20/23 Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2015/66th 38 20/26 Hiroshi Itsuki (4)
Fuyugeshiki (9)
2016/67th 39 Amagi-goe (10) 23/23 Arashi Ultimate (7)

Tsugaru Kaikyō
2017/68th 40 22/22 Yuzu Ultimate (8)
Fuyugeshiki (10)

2018/69th 41 Amagi-goe (11) 22/22 Arashi (2) Ultimate (9)

Discography

Filmography

Film
Izu no Odoriko (1974), Okimi[9]
 Perfect Days (2023), Mama[10]

Television
Kōmyō ga Tsuji (2006), Setsu[11]
Awaiting Kirin (2020), Maki[12]

Honors
Medal with Purple Ribbon (2019)

Notes
1. Ishikawa's official website lists only her Teichiku albums.
2. ( ) shows times Ishikawa sung the same song at Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
3. Shows Ishikawa's "appearance order/all contestants" at each Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
4. ( ) shows times Ishikawa sung opposite the same singer.
5. ( ) shows times Ishikawa sung the position (appearance order). Ultimate (last singer of the
team, Tori トリ) or penultimate (penultimate singer of the team, Tori-mae トリ前) positions
are reserved for established singers.
6. Ishikawa was on maternity leave and was excused from appearing as a contestant.
7. "Grand Ultimate (Ōtori, 大トリ)" means Ishikawa sung after the ultimate singer of the
opposite "Shiro-gumi (White team)" and was the last singer of all contestants.
8. "First half ultimate" means Ishikawa was the last singer of the first half of the show,
immediately before the half-time NHK News break.

References
1. Martin, Alex. " 'Enka' still strikes nostalgic nerve" (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20
081118i1.html). The Japan Times. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
2. Rouden, Céline (27 May 2023). "Palmarès Festival de Cannes 2023 : La Française Justine
Triet remporte la Palme d'or" (https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Palmares-Festival-Cannes-2
023-Francaise-Justine-Triet-remporte-Palme-dor-2023-05-27-1201269108). La Croix (in
French). Retrieved 28 May 2023.
3. Betros, Chris (2007-07-27). "Sayuri Ishikawa keeps enka alive" (http://archive.japantoday.co
m/jp/newsmaker/417). Japan Today. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
 4. Although the Japan Today article (the URL link not working as of 9 June 2019) said Hibari
Misora as her influence, this was likely by mistake. Ishikawa herself publicly stated on
various occasions that going to a concert by Chiyoko Shimakura in her childhood
determined her career as a professional singer. For example, see Ishikawa's interview
appearing in “Ms Wendy” 「歌一筋35年、2000曲。歌うことが私の役目だと思っています」
(
https://www.wendy-net.com/nw/person/216.html), viewed 9 June 2019. Ishikawa mentioned
this again when she read the obituary at Shimakura's funeral representing the singers’
society, Sponichi Annex, 14 November 2013 (石川さゆり涙の弔辞全文「心が砕けるような
ことをたくさん耐えて…」
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2013/11/14/kiji/K20131114007010050.html ),
viewed 9 June 2019. See also the note in Ishikawa's official website dated 25 March 2015
(私のデビュー記念日 http://www.ishikawasayuri.com/diary/2015/03/post_265.html ), viewed
9 June 2019. Shimakura was an honorary guest to Ishikawa's first full length recital as
recorded in her first live album “Sayuri Ishikawa Show -Hana Hiraku Jyu-hassai” (石川さゆ
りショー～花ひらく１８才, Nippon Columbia AZ 7036-7). In 1987, Ishikawa released her
47th single ”Naniwa Shimai" (浪花姉妹) in which she sang a duet with Shimakura.
5. イチローの「天城越え」選曲秘話 (http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/baseball/mlb/text/20/20080
8120007-spnavi.html)
6. "VIDEO: New "Lupin the Third" TV Anime PV Featuring Iconic Theme" (http://www.crunchyr
oll.com/anime-news/2015/08/25-1/video-new-lupin-the-third-tv-anime-pv-featuring-iconic-the
me).
7. Jiji Press, 20 May 2019 「歌手の石川さゆりさんら紫綬褒章＝囲碁の趙治勲さんも－春の褒
(
章」https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2019052000090&g=pol ), viewed 9, June, 2019. See
also, Ishikawa's press conference script, 「春の紫綬褒章、受章。
( 」
http://www.ishikawasayuri.com/news/2019/05/post_442.html ), viewed 9, June, 2019.
8. "石川さゆり「金と男」に翻弄された「怨歌人生」（3）嫁姑問題がこじれ離婚を経験" (http
s://www.asagei.com/143828). アサ芸プラス (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
9. "伊豆の踊子(1974)" (https://eiga.com/movie/68438/). eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved
2 January 2025.
10. "PERFECT DAYS" (https://eiga.com/movie/99306/). eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved
2 January 2025.
11. "功名が辻" (https://haiyaku.web.fc2.com/06-taiga.html). Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese).
Retrieved 2 January 2025.
12. "麒麟がくる" (https://haiyaku.web.fc2.com/20-taiga.html). Haiyaku Jiten (in Japanese).
Retrieved 2 January 2025.

External links
Official site (http://www.ishikawasayuri.com)
Ishikawa's site by Teichiku (http://www.teichiku.co.jp/teichiku/artist/ishikawa/)
Sayuri Ishikawa's channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MhoHT5v039W2I9WxpG
woA) on YouTube
Sayuri Ishikawa (https://www.instagram.com/sayuri_ishikawa_official/) on Instagram

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