is 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 ...
Jpop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
band created in 1986 as a four-member sub-group
Onyanko Club
was a large all-girl Japanese pop idol group in the 1980s. Some members of the group participated in spin-off groups, such as Nyangilas, Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi and Ushirogami Hikaretai. Many of the latter two groups' songs were used as theme so ...
.
History
During November and December 1985, on , a
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...
program featuring Onyanko Club, discussions about the record debut of three unorthodox members, Rika Tatsumi(
立見里歌, Tatsumi Rika), Aki Kihara(
樹原亜紀, Kihara Aki), and Mika Nagoya(
名越美香, Nagoya Mika), with opinions from the audience, took place under the name "Onyanko AID: Love Saves Onyanko!".
These three members were considered more comical characters than idols.
Yasushi Akimoto
is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, maki ...
, a lyricist and broadcast writer at the time, expressed his approval of their debut.
It was then decided that a subgroup called Nyangilas would be formed with the addition of Mako Shiraishi(
白石麻子, Shiraishi Mako).
In April 1986, they debuted with a
novelty song
A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...
called , which became the number one on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
chart in its first appearance.
Music critic
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
commented on this as follows. "I believe that because Onyanko Club is at the peak of its popularity, it is in a lucky position to be allowed to release such an extremely silly song that pokes fun at people. However, if they were not members of Onyanko Club, even someone like me, who is as gentle as an angel, would surely give them a flying kick from behind and then hit them in the
secret holes".
Akina Nakamori
is a Japanese Singing, singer and Actor, actress. She is one of the most popular and best-selling artists in Japan. Akina achieved national recognition after winning the 1981 season of the talent show ''Star Tanjō!''. Her debut single "Slow M ...
, a leading idol at the time, had an overt loathing for Nyangiras, also affiliated with
Warner Pioneer
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
.
Nakamori sternly reprimanded one of the employees, saying, "Don't you feel ashamed that a world-class record company is promoting a group like that?
Actually, Nakamori's staff members were also in charge of Nyangiras, but their names were not mentioned anywhere on the Nyangiras album because they did not want her to know this fact. Incidentally, Tatsumi was aware that they were loathed by Nakamori.
On the other hand, there was also an opinion that the song itself was highly accomplished, despite the emphasis on Rika Tatsumi's terrible singing.
Akira Mitake
Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo.
Mitake composed , ''Like the Flow of the River'', a song recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora
was a Japanese singer, actress and cultural icon. Sh ...
, who actually composed the song, praised himself for the cool song, which sounds like a fusion of
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
and the idol trio
Candies.
In June 1986, their second single, , was released, which also went to number one. in August 1986, their album, , was released. In September 1986, Nagoya graduated from Onyanko Club, and Nyangilas also disbanded.
They have continued to communicate with each other after Onyanko Club disbanded in September 1987, and in May 2013, they all gathered at the
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
Shibuya
Shibuya ( 渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station.
As of April 1 ...
store for a special talk show.
Members
Aki Kihara
Aki Kihara (樹原亜紀, Kihara Aki, born March 30, 1969, in
Kanagawa
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
,
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 ...
)
Kihara, then a freshman at , appeared on
All Night Fuji High School Girl Special, which aired twice in February and March 1985.
She then was selected as a member of Onyanko Club for some reason, and she made regular appearances on the TV program Yūyake Nyan Nyan featuring Onyanko Club, which launched on April 1, 1985.
However, about two weeks after the program started, a major scandal occurred. She and five other members, , , , , and , were photographed smoking in a
coffee shop by a man from the weekly magazine
Shūkan Bunshun
is a Japanese weekly news magazine (Shūkanshi) based in Tokyo, Japan, known for its investigative journalism and frequent clashes with the Japanese government. It is considered one of the most influential weekly magazines in the country.
Histo ...
.
Although the published photograph only showed Mika Okuda smoking, the other members also admitted to smoking.
On the contray, Kihara stubbornly denied it.
As a result, the five members who admitted smoking were dismissed from Onyanko Club, but Kihara was only suspended for two weeks.
Since these five were considered core members of the group, the scandal changed the form and fate of Onyanko Club.
On the other hand, no official explanation was ever given by the program's officials as to why she was the only one who was able to escape dismissal.
They mentioned the scandal several times, but never about Kihara.
The truth is still a mystery as to whether or not her repudiation had any effect on her avoiding dismissal.
She was one of the least popular members of Onyanko Club.
Kihara herself admitted that she would never have been selected as a member of Onyanko Club if she had participated in the open audition called "The Scout: Where's Idols" held on Yūyake Nyan Nyan. On the other hand, her unique personality was appreciated by those around her, as her way of looking at things and thinking was different from the other members. She was regarded as one of the three most unorthodox characters in Onyanko Club, along with Rika Tatsumi and Susan Kumiko Yamamoto(
山本スーザン久美子, Yamamoto Susan Kumiko).
She was 173 cm tall, which was a very non-standard height for an idol at the time.
Therefore, before she became a member of Onyanko Club, she was a model for the fashion magazine
Olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
, along with singer
Minako Honda
, better known as , later changed to , was a Japanese idol and musical singer. In 1985, she made her debut with the single "Satsui no Vacane".
She was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 200 ...
.
In April 1987, she graduated from Onyanko Club along with
Sayuri Kokushō
is a Japanese actress, singer, and tarento. She was an original member of Onyanko Club. She works for the talent management firm Sony Music Artists. Her debut single, "Valentine Kiss", is the most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan.
Brief ...
,
Mamiko Takai
Mamiko Takai (高井麻巳子, Takai Mamiko, born December 28, 1966, in Obama, Fukui, Japan) is a Japanese idol from the eighties, who debuted in 1985 with the J-pop girl band Onyanko Club, and its first sub-group, duo Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi with ...
, Rika Tatsumi, and Kazuko Utsumi(
内海和子, Utsumi Kazuko).
She then became a writer and wrote articles for the idol magazine
DUNK, as well as for the subculture magazine
Takarajima
, literally "treasure island", is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. The island, 7.14 km² in area, has a population of 116 persons. The island can only be reached by boat as it has no airport; there is regular ferry ...
and the music information magazine Oricon.
Moreover, for a time she lived in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
with Mika Nagoya.
She then backpacked throughout Asia.
She also became a
cook
Cook or The Cook may refer to:
Food preparation
* Cooking, the preparation of food
* Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food
* Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry
* ...
in a
Japanese restaurant
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and othe ...
in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
,
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
There she married Dutch artist
Geert Mul, became a housewife, and had two children.
Mika Nagoya
Mika Nagoya (名越美香, Nagoya Mika, born April 13, 1966, in
Ōmiya Ōmiya 大宮 is a Japanese word originally used for the imperial palace or shrines, now a common name, and may refer to:
People
*Ōmiya (surname), a Japanese surname
*Ōmiya, or is a female character in ''The Tale of Genji'', an 11th-century nove ...
,
Saitama, Japan)
Nagoya, then a junior in the part-time course at , also appeared on All Night Fuji High School Girl Special.
Tsurutarō Kataoka
is a Japanese television personality, actor, artist, and former professional boxer. For his role in the 1988 film ''The Discarnates'', he won the award for best supporting actor at the 31st Blue Ribbon Awards, at the 13th Hochi Film Award, and at ...
, one of the hosts of the program, repeatedly pointed out that she resembled Mitsuko Yorichika(
頼近美津子, Yorichika Mitsuko), an anchor who was married to the president of Fuji TV at the time and was the talk of the town. She then was invited by the program's officials to become a member of Onyanko Club and made regular appearances on Yūyake Nyan Nyan.
Among the Onyanko Club members, along with Aki Kihara, she was regarded as having an excellent sense of fashion.
As an old-timer, she is said to have often picked on the newer members, but it is believed that she was misunderstood as such because, unlike the others, she said what needed to be said clearly to them. She was petite at 153 cm and cried a lot, but was said to be one of the smarter members of Onyanko Club.
In September 1986, she graduated from Onyanko Club along with popular members such as
Eri Nitta
is a Japanese singer, actress, lyricist, and tarento. She made her professional debut as the fourth member of the all-female singing group Onyanko Club in 1985. She made her solo debut with the hit song on January 1, 1986. Nitta performed the o ...
,
Satomi Fukunaga
Satomi Fukunaga (福永恵規, Fukunaga Satomi, born January 26, 1967, in Tokyo, Japan), is a former Japanese idol and singer. She was among the 11 original members of Onyanko Club.
Biography
When Fukunaga was a child, her parents often took her ...
, and
Akie Yoshizawa
Akie Yoshizawa (吉沢 秋絵, Yoshizawa Akie, born October 20, 1968, in Tokyo, Japan) is a former Japanese idol, singer and actress in the 1980s. She made her debut in 1985, simultaneously selected as a member of Jpop female band Onyanko Club and ...
.
She then appeared on several TV programs, including
Takeshi's Castle
is a Japanese game show that aired between 1986 and 1990 on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). It features the Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano (also known as Beat Takeshi) as a count who owns a castle and sets up difficult physical challeng ...
.
Moreover, for a time she lived in London with Aki Kihara.
There she met and married a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
and had one child.
Afterwards, she became a stylist in Hong Kong.
She also formed an
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
unit called SHEEPS.
Rika Tatsumi
Rika Tatsumi (立見里歌, Tatsumi Rika, born November 14, 1965, in
Meguro
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.
Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, Japan)
In April 1984, Tatsumi enrolled at
Tokai University
is a private non-sectarian higher education institution located in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae.
It was accredited under Japan's old educational system in 1946 and under the new system in 1950. In 2008, Tokai Un ...
after graduating from .
In October of that year, she was selected as the grand prix winner of the university's idol contest.
This led her to appear on Fuji TV's popular mid night program, All Night Fuji, and then became a member of All Nighters, a female college student idol group exclusive to the program.
In March 1985, she graduated from All Nighters.
In April 1985, she was invited by a Fuji TV producer to appear the audition for Yūyake Nyan Nyan.
Although candidates scoring more than 100 points would be accepted for the audition, she scored 142 points which made her a member of Onyanko Club.
This score was never broken afterwards. Subsequently, however, when she realized that she was not suited to be an idol, she decided to pursue her own existence as a comedy-esque character.
Thus, she became a unique representative of the unorthodox members of Onyanko Club.
In a segment called , which started in January 1986, she and others, including Kazuko Utsumi, a student at
Toita Women's College, answered quizzes given by the music critic
Masanori Ito.
They gave a series of inexplicable answers, such as the current president of the United States is
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, the capital of the United Kingdom is
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and the meaning of the English word "Temptation" is temporary halt.
They were criticized from various quarters for their intellect, which is unbecoming of college students.
Tatsumi subsequently claimed on a radio program that she had just made the mistakes intentionally.
In June 1986, in a segment called "", The bickering suddenly started between her and
Takaaki Ishibashi
is a Japanese owarai artist, singer and actor. He is best known as a member of Tunnels and Yaen with his partner Noritake Kinashi.
Early life and family
Born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan, Ishibashi moved to Narimasu, Itabashi after his fathe ...
of the comedy duo
Tunnels
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...
. On this occasion, Ishibashi became incensed and stormed out, then left the studio on his own.
In March 1987, she made her solo debut with the song . In April 1987, she graduated from Onyanko Club along with Sayuri Kokushō, Mamiko Takai, Aki Kihara, and Kazuko utsumi.
In March 1988, she graduated from Tokai University and went to work for
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
, which released many Onyanko Club records.
She then got married and had one child, but got divorced.
Since then, she has been involved in several companies, including an
advertising agency
An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...
and a
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
related business.
Mako Shiraishi
Mako Shiraishi (白石麻子, Shiraishi Mako, born June 12, 1969, in
Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan)
Shiraishi went through a number of auditions related to the entertainment industry when she was in junior high school.
She was offered a chance to make her debut as a singer by the music school she was affiliated with at the time after she enrolled at in April 1985.
However, she participated in the audition for Yūyake Nyan Nyan and was accepted in July 1985.
Then, with the recommendation of her music school teacher, she chose to join Onyanko Club instead of becoming a solo singer.
According to the program's chief director, Kazuji Kasai, he was convinced that Shiraishi was absolutely essential to Onyanko Club, so he accepted her at his strong insistence.
However, even though Shiraishi and Ruriko Nagata(
永田ルリ子, Ruriko Nagata) were eager to make their solo debuts, Kasai refused on the grounds that they were not suitable for it.
On the other hand, it is said that when she and
Minayo Watanabe
is a Japanese idol and singer.She debuted as member number 29 of the idol group Onyanko Club. As she was one of the most popular members, in 1986 she started releasing solo songs. Her solo career continued after the group disbanded in 1987.
Biog ...
were the backing vocalists for Sayuri Kokushō's
Valentine Kiss
is the solo debut J-pop single from Sayuri Kokushō (though it was billed on the cover as "Sayuri Kokushō with Onyanko Club") released on February 1, 1986 by CBS Sony in Japan. Kokushō was the eighth member of Onyanko Club. The B-side song was ...
released in February 1986, she was approached by
CBS Sony Records about making her solo debut, but she allegedly declined the offer.
According to Yasushi Akimoto, at first she vehemently refused to join Nyangilas.
In front of Rika Tatsumi and staff members of the program, she cried and complained that she did not want to join such an unorthodox comedy subgroup. However, she was persuaded by Kasai and others that even such a subgroup needed a cute girl like you, and she agreed to join reluctantly.
On the other hand, she herself flatly denied the story.
Although she could not make her solo debut as a result, she did serve as the lead vocalist on several Onyanko Club songs.
She remained with the group instead of graduating until September 1987, when Onyanko Club disbanded.
She is described as the epitome of the bright, cute, normal girl and played a prominent supporting role in Onyanko Club.
She had four children after she got married in 1992.
Entering the 2010s, she returned to the front of the stage and appeared in several television commercials.
She also became a
therapist
Therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counsellors, life coachers and others. They are helpful in counselling individuals ...
for infants and a
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
instructor.
Discography
Singles
*''Watashi wa Rika-chan'' (April 1, 1986)
*''Jibun de Yūnomo Nan Desukeredo'' (June 21, 1986)
Albums
*''Saisho de Saigo ~First & Last~'' (August 25, 1986)
References
*
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control, state=expanded
Musical groups established in 1986
Japanese pop music groups
Japanese girl groups
Japanese idol groups
Onyanko Club
1986 establishments in Japan
Musical groups from Tokyo