, better known as , later changed to , was a

Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements b ...

and musical singer. In 1985, she made her debut with the single "Satsui no Vacane". She was diagnosed with

acute myelogenous leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may include ...

on January 5, 2005. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the

Juntendo University is a private university in Japan. Its headquarters are on its campus in Bunkyo, Tokyo, for the School of Medicine and in Inzai, Chiba, for the School of Health and Sports Science. The university was established in 1838 for medical and in 1946 f ...

Hospital in Bunkyō, Tokyo.

Early life

Kudo was born in

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 ...

July 31 Events Pre-1600 *30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide. * 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

at Narimasu Maternity Hospital in Narimasu,

Itabashi is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it calls itself Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada; Shijingshan District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and ...

. Kudo's family initially lived in Shibamata,

Katsushika is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. The ward calls itself Katsushika City in English. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 444,356, and a population density of 12,770 people per km². The total area is 34.80 ...

but would end up moving to

Asaka, Saitama 260px, Pond at JGSDF Camp Asaka 260px, former IJA Officer Preparatory School at JGSDF Camp Asaka is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 143,195 and a population density of 7800 persons per km² ...

where at an early age she would enroll in Asaka's Shirayuri Kindergarten.

Beginnings

As a child Kudo was very involved with singing, largely influenced by her mother who dreamed of becoming a singer. In Kudo's graduation collection from Asaka's 6th Elementary School in Aska City, she wrote that, "It would be nice if I could become an actress or singer." While at Asaka Daiichi Junior High School at the age of 14, she would audition for

Star Tanjō! is a Japanese talent show from Nippon Television that ran from 1971 to 1983. On October 24, 1982, the series was retitled to reflect its switch from monaural to stereo broadcasting. On April 3, 1983, it was again retitled to . The show was cre ...

, where in the TV qualifying round she would sing "Hello Goodbye" by

Yoshie Kashiwabara is a Japanese popular pop singer-songwriter and actress, who gained her popularity as a teen idol in the early 80s. Biography Born in Osaka, Yoshie Kashiwabara took part in, and won, the "Star Tanjo" contest in 1979, and rose to fame in 1980 ...

which would win her that round and advance her to the battle tournament round, for that she would sing "Blue Angel" by her cousin,

Seiko Matsuda , known professionally as , is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter, known for being one of the most popular Japanese idols of the 1980s. Since then, she is still actively releasing new singles and albums, doing annual summer concert tours, win ...

, however none of the production companies expressed interest and Kudo would not win the competition. While Kudo was enrolled at Tokyo Seitoku University Junior & Senior High School in 1983, she would visit Harajuku because the record label Bondo Kikaku was recruiting a new member for the group called Shojotai. Bondo Kikaku had also participated in the show Star Tanjō!. While still working with Bondo Kikaku in 1984, she heard a demo of Meiko Nakahara's song "Kimitachi Kiwi Papaya Mango da ne", which had just become a hit, this lead Kudo to believe Bondo Kikaku's President, Keiji Takasugi was taking the company in the wrong direction, and would make her decide to become a solo artist. In 1984, Kudo performed at the Nagasaki Kayo Festival, which was a television contest to where teenagers and young adults competed to become new idols by winning what was called the grand prix. On the show, Honda was highly evaluated by judges who noted her powerful voice and overwhelming signing ability which made led her to win the grand prix part of the competition. Following her success in the Nagasaki Kayo Festival, Kudo would make her debut under the name Minako Honda with the song "Satsui no Vacane", this lead her to receive a Japan Record Award for the best new artist of that year. Looking to follow up on the success of "Satsui no Vacane", Honda would release "1986 nen no Marilyn", in which a controversy would arise from her performances, in which Honda would shake her hips suggestively while wearing a navel costume, at the time this was not common for idols and was thought to be offensive. In 1988, she made an attempt to revive her dwindling career by forming an all girl rock group called "Minako with Wild Cats", the group however would disband a year later due to lack of any hit songs. In 1990 a turning point came for her career. Honda had auditioned for a part in the Tokyo production of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...

'', she won out over 15,000 other candidates for the part of Kim. She would go on to perform in leading roles in

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childre ...

, and Les Miserables.

Later career and illness

Towards the end of her life, she released several classical albums demonstrating her

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

singing voice, including religious works such as "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

" and

Ave Maria The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's s ...

. She also sang theme songs for several anime programs. She did not abandon pop music in her adult career; indeed, she became recognized for her vocal improvement in the adult pop genre. Her song "Tsubasa" is famous for the "long note" that she holds for 30 seconds. In 2004, Honda would add a period to the end of her name; this was done because Honda believed there was judgment to her surname. Honda became ill in late 2004, but still performed in December in spite of a fever and

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

. When her cold-like symptoms failed to improve, she sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with

on January 5, 2005. Honda was able to celebrate her 38th birthday at home feeling relatively well, but had a relapse shortly afterwards.

Chromosome aberration A chromosomal abnormality, chromosomal anomaly, chromosomal aberration, chromosomal mutation, or chromosomal disorder, is a missing, extra, or irregular portion of chromosomal DNA. These can occur in the form of numerical abnormalities, where ther ...

was discovered and she received a dose of anticancer medicine from the United States to treat it. She recovered again briefly, but then suffered another relapse.

Death

Honda developed lung complications on October 21, and she lapsed into a coma on November 3. At 4:38 a.m. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the

Hospital in Bunkyō, Tokyo, officially from acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 38 at the time of her death.

Discography

Singles

#Satsui No Vacance (殺意のバカンス ''Satsui No Bakansu'', Vacation of the Urge To Kill) (April 21, 1985) #Suki To Iinasai (好きと言いなさい, Tell Me "I Love You") (July 20, 1985) #Aoi Shumatsu (青い週末, Blue Weekend) (August 31, 1985) #Temptation (September 28, 1985) #1986 Nen No Marilyn (1986年のマリリン ''Senkyuhyakuhachijūnen No Maririn'', Marilyn in 1986) (February 5, 1986) #Sosotte (Seduce Me) (May 1, 1986) #Help (July 23, 1986) #The Cross -Ai No Jyujika- (愛の十字架, The Cross Of Love) (September 3, 1986) #Oneway Generation (February 4, 1987) #Crazy Nights (April 22, 1987) #Golden Days (May 11, 1987) ''released only in UK'' #Heartbreak (22 June 1987 ) #Kodoku Na Hurricane (孤独なハリケーン ''Kodoku Na Harikēn'', Lonely Hurricane) (September 9, 1987) #Kanashimi Swing (悲しみSWING ) (November 25, 1987) #Anata To Nettai (あなたと、熱帯, With You, Tropical) (July 6, 1988) as "''Minako With Wildcats''" #Stand Up～Full Metal Armor (November 30, 1988) as "''Minako With Wildcats''" #Katte Ni Sasete (勝手にさせて, Let Me Have My Own Way) (May 31, 1989) as "''Minako With Wildcats''" #7th Bird "Ai Ni Koi" (愛に恋 Love And Love) (October 11, 1989) #Shangri-La (July 4, 1990) #Tsubasa (つばさ, Wings) (May 25, 1994) #Rarabai~Yasashiku Dakasete~ (ら・ら・ば・い～優しく抱かせて, Lullaby~Let Me Hold You Kindly) (May 10, 1995) (2nd ending theme of Magic Knight Rayearth) #Boku No Heya De Kurasou (僕の部屋で暮らそう, Let's Live in My Room) (July 26, 1995) #Fall in Love With You -Koi Ni Ochite- (恋に落ちて, Fall in Love) (November 6, 1995) #Shining Eyes (July 21, 1996) #Kaze No Uta (風のうた, Wind Song) (November 21, 1999) (ending theme song of Hunter × Hunter) #Honey (October 21, 2000) #Hoshizora (星空, Starlit Sky) (January 24, 2001) #Nadja!! (ナージャ!! ''Nādja!!'') (February 21, 2003) (theme song of

Ashita no Nadja is a romance anime produced by Toei Animation and aired between February 2, 2003 and January 25, 2004 on ANN. In 2009, William Winckler Productions produced two all-new English-dubbed movie versions edited from the original series. Producer W ...

) #Shinsekai (新世界, New World) (May 14, 2004)

Albums

Studio albums

# M'Syndrome (M'シンドローム''Emu'Shindorōmu'') (November 21, 1985) # Lips (June 4, 1986) # Cancel (September 28, 1986) # Oversea (June 22, 1987) # Midnight Swing (December 15, 1988) # Hyōteki (豹的, Target) (July 5, 1989) as "''Minako With Wildcats''" # Wild Cats (August 4, 1989) as "''Minako With Wildcats''" # Junction (September 24, 1994) # Hare Tokidoki Kumori (晴れときどきくもり, Fine, Sometimes Cloudy) (June 25, 1995) # Ave Maria (May 21, 2003) # Toki (時, Time) (November 25, 2004) # Amazing Grace (アメイジング・グレイス ''Ameijingu Gureisu'') (October 19, 2005) # Kokoro Wo Komete... (心を込めて... Heartily) (April 20, 2006) # Yasashii Sekai (優しい世界 Gentle World) (December 6, 2006) # Eternal Harmony (November 6, 2008) # Last Concert (ラスト・コンサート) (December 10, 2008)

Live albums

* The Virgin Concert (ザ・ヴァージン・コンサート ''Za Vājin Consāto'') (February 20, 1986) * DISPA 1987 (January 24, 1989)

Compilations

* The Minako Collection (December 20, 1986) * Golden Best- New Best Now (June 4, 1988) * Look Over My Shoulder (October 26, 1988) * Stand Up- Best Beat Collection (December 12, 1988) * Life -Minako Honda: Premium Best- (May 21, 2005) * I Love You (March 29, 2006) * Angel Voice ~Minako Honda. Memorial Best~ (April 18, 2007) * Classical Best ~Ten Ni Hibiku Uta~ (April 20, 2007)

Movie soundtracks

* Passenger (October 25, 1988)

VHS/DVD

* The Virgin Live in Budokan * Dangerous Bond Street * Dramatic Flash * DISPA 1987 * Minako in L.A. * Katte Ni Sasete (勝手にさせて, Let Me Have My Own Way) * Tropical Holiday * Tropical Holiday in Hawaii

Theatre

(1992–1993) – Kim *

(1994-1998) – Hodel *

(1996–2002) – Tuptim *

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

(1997–2001) – Eponine * Himeyuri (2002-2004) – Kimi *

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

(2003) – A Cat * Claudia (2004) – Claudia Note: Minako Honda was originally cast as

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...

for the Japanese tour in 2005, but due to her death, another actor was given the part.

References

External links

Minako Honda's official page

Web page by Columbia record

Live for Life web page

Nippop – Minako Honda Profile

MSN-Mainichi Daily News {{DEFAULTSORT:Honda, Minako 1967 births 2005 deaths Deaths from leukemia Japanese actresses Japanese women pop singers Japanese female idols Actors from Saitama Prefecture Deaths from cancer in Japan Nippon Columbia artists Musicians from Saitama Prefecture 20th-century Japanese women singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers 21st-century Japanese singers