(born November 22, 1974, in
Akita,
Akita, Japan) is a former
J-pop idol, singer-songwriter and actress. Throughout her career, she released three albums and nine singles.
Biography
Early life
Junko Kawada graduated from Meguro Nihon University Junior High and High School and the Junior College of Kagawa Nutrition University.
Idol career
During her first year in junior high school, Kawada entered an audition hosted by
CBS Sony
, often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation and is ...
,
Fuji TV, and
Shueisha. In her second year of junior high school, she left her parents' home and moved to a dormitory that was run by CBS Sony to focus on her singing and dancing lessons until she made her debut at the age of 13.
Kawada finished runner-up on the 2nd
Tohato
is a Japanese food company that specializes in snack food. They are known for their variety of the caramel corn snack, manufactured since 1971.
Company history
In March 2003, Tohato applied for court protection from creditors after the failed o ...
All Raisin Princess Contest in 1987, losing to Hanako Asada. Two years later, she formed the idol unit with
Shinobu Nakayama
is an actress and a former J-pop singer. The younger sister of singer and actress Miho Nakayama, she released her first single on 2 November 1988; her final release as a J-pop artist was on 1 March 1991. Nakayama was also a member of the short-l ...
and Mamiko Tayama. In 1990, Rakutenshi became part of the idol group , which included
Rumi Shishido
is a Japanese singer and voice actress from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Shishido debuted as an idol singer with Sony Records in 1990 with the single "Cosmic Rendezvous." In 1992, she left her management and began releasing music independently.
...
and
Lip's.
During her career as an idol, Kawada appeared in numerous commercials and recorded anime theme songs.
Retirement and post-career
Kawada retired in 1995 at the age of 20 without any formal announcements and became an
office lady for 10 years until she became a middle manager. In 2005, she returned to the entertainment scene as a member of the idol duo Lenpha, under the pseudonym . The duo lasted a year before Kawada finally announced her retirement.
In 2009, Kawada moved to the health and beauty business by opening under the name . In addition, she expanded her business in
Kenya to help create jobs for underprivileged neighborhoods.
In 2013, Kawada recorded the songs "Egao" and "Aitakute" for lyricist Miju, who was fighting a rare illness.
Personal life
Kawada married
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
fighter
Shungo Oyama on September 20, 2010. She stood by him at ringside until his retirement in 2014.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kawada, Junko
1974 births
Japanese idols
Japanese women pop singers
Living people
Musicians from Akita (city)
Singers from Akita Prefecture
20th-century Japanese women singers
20th-century Japanese singers