Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930
– January 8, 1996),
born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢 美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in
Kamiiso,
Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, was an
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, ...
singer in postwar
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Along with
Hachiro Kasuga
, born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer".
Having seen Ichiro Fujiyama on stage, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he joined the Imperial ...
and
Hideo Murata, he was regarded as one of the most notable singers to have established the genre ''enka''.
Mihashi was among the leading Enka singers in his time and was known for his high-pitched and elastic singing voice. He recorded around 2,500 songs. By 1983, he sold more than 100 million records.
Takashi Hosokawa
, born 細川貴志 (Hosokawa Takashi) on 15 June 1950, Makkari, Hokkaidō, Makkari, Abuta District, Hokkaidō, Abuta District, Hokkaidō, Japan) is a Japanese ''enka'' singer.
In 1975, he debuted with the song "Kokoro Nokori". Hosokawa immedi ...
was his pupil.
Biography
Mihasa began his career as a singer of Japanese
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
or
min'yō
, ''Nihon min'yō'', Japanese ''min'yō'' or Japanese folk music is a genre of traditional Japanese music.
Characteristics
Styles
Many ''min'yō'' are connected to forms of work or to specific trades and were originally sung between work ...
, winning a min'yō competition in his native Hokkaidō at age 11. In 1954, he made his record debut with the song "Sake no Nigasayo" (酒の苦さよ).
His 1955 song "Onna Sendō Uta" (おんな船頭唄) became a hit song.
In 1960, he sang the theme song for the tokusatsu series ''
Kaiketsu Harimao'', which was created by
Shotaro Ishinomori
was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and , creating several immensely popular long-running series such as '' Cyborg 009,'' the ''Super Sentai'' series (later adapted into the ''Power Rangers'' series), ...
.
In the latter half of the 1970s he reinvented himself, adopting a 'rough' style and hosting a
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
program aimed at young men, from whom he acquired the nickname "Michie" (ミッチー). In 1983, he set a record by becoming the first Japanese singer in history to sell one hundred million records.
Mihasa died in hospital in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
on January 8, 1996, from
multiple organ failure
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis.
Although Irwin and Rippe cautioned in 2005 that the use of "multiple organ failure" or "multisy ...
at the age of 65.
Discography
* : 1955
* : 1955
* : 1956
* : 1956
* : 1959
* : 1961
* "Tsugaru Jongara Bushi" (with
Takeshi Terauchi
, also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...
& Bunnys) : 1967
See also
*
Best selling music artists
References
External links
Website in King Records
1930 births
1996 deaths
Enka singers
Deaths from multiple organ failure
Japanese racehorse owners and breeders
Musicians from Hokkaido
20th-century Japanese male singers
20th-century Japanese singers
{{Japan-musician-stub