Yōko Nagayama


Yōko Nagayama is a Japanese enka singer, former J-pop singer, and actress.
WWW jvcmusic.co.jp/yoko

Early life

Nagayama was born in Tokyo. At the age of four, she began attending min'yo group singing lessons with her father. Although she originally went because she enjoyed the attention from her father's classmates, she soon began studying and performing min'yo together with her father. When she was ten, she started playing shamisen. Her father gave her a shamisen that she still uses today.
She is married to American entrepreneur Mark Smith, president of IT staffing firm .

J-pop era

Nagayama continued singing and performing through her junior high school years. Her plan was to become a professional enka singer after finishing junior high school. However, when she was sixteen, her handlers told her and her parents that she was too young to sing enka. Despite her father's wishes, she then decided to become a J-pop idol singer.
Her debut song was Haru wa SA-RA SA-RA, released in 1984. It was not well received, nor were her releases over the next two years. However, in 1986, Nagayama had her first big hit with a cover version of British girl group Bananarama's dance-pop take on Shocking Blue's Venus. Her next song, "You're My Love," a cover of the Eurodisco hit by Patty Ryan, was also popular. Five of her songs were all Oricon top 10 hits.
During this time, Nagayama also performed in various dramas, such as the jidaigeki ''Sanbiki ga Kiru!, Minipato yori Ai o Komete, and Yūwaku''.

Enka era

In 1993, she started a second career as an enka singer. She received three prizes for her first enka song Higurashi. Suterarete also became famous.
Nagayama continues to play the shamisen in many of her songs. Notable songs with shamisen parts are Jonkara Onnabushi and Usoda to Itte, the latter having been posted on YouTube under the title "DEATH BY SHAMISEN".
She regularly presents enka programmes on Japanese TV. Nagayama has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. In 1993, she made her first appearance on the NHK New Year's Eve spectacular Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Since 1995, she has performed at "Kōhaku" for 13 consecutive years, making a total of 14 appearances to date.
On April 6, 2009 she announced on her blog that she had married American entrepreneur Mark Smith. They have one daughter, born in 2010.
Yōko was featured at the 2025 Music Awards Japan where she sang a few songs including: Tsugaru Kaikyō Fuyugeshiki, originally performed by Ishikawa Sayuri, which she sang as part of a performance detailing the seasons of Japan, and her own song Jonkara Onnabushi, which she sang at the end of the show.

Discography

Jpop Singles

  • April 1, 1984
  • Shabon August 1, 1984
  • Hisoyaka ni Tokimeite... February 21, 1985
  • Shunkan 「Toki」wa Fantasy April 5, 1985
  • Golden Wind August 5, 1985
  • Sugao no mama de December 5, 1985
  • Kumo ni Noritai May 1, 1986
  • Venus October 21, 1986
  • You Are My Love March 5, 1987
  • Kanashiki Koibitotachi June 3, 1987
  • Heart ni hi wo Tsukete October 9, 1987
  • Hangyaku no Hero January 12, 1988
  • Lonely Goodnight May 25, 1988
  • KOIKO December 16, 1988
  • Hitomi no naka no Faraway February 21, 1989
  • Katahaba no Mirai July 5, 1989
  • If We Hold On Together August 21, 1990

Enka Singles

  • Higurashi January 21, 1993
  • Umi ni furu yuki June 2, 1993
  • Namida Sake September 22, 1993
  • Sougetsu March 9, 1994
  • Meoto Sake October 5, 1994
  • Watashi ga Uarete Sodatta Tokoro January 21, 1995
  • March 24, 1995
  • Kose ni shite ne February 21, 1996
  • Yokohama Silhouette June 21, 1996
  • Tategami November 7, 1996
  • Tategami January 22, 1997
  • O Edo no Iroonna April 23, 1997
  • Anoko ro no Namida ha April 23, 1997
  • Moonlight Jealousy November 6, 1997
  • Nani wa Yume Jouwa November 6, 1997
  • Koi no Platform January 13, 1998
  • Tōsan no Uta March 21, 1998
  • Okeya no Hot Sun May 2, 1998
  • Hanazono Shigure November 13, 1998
  • Kasa March 4, 1999
  • Sadame Yuki August 4, 1999
  • Musuba retai no January 1, 2000
  • Koi Sakaba April 1, 2000
  • Akai Yuki November 1, 2000
  • Touno Monogatari May 17, 2001
  • Meguri Ai March 21, 2002
  • Adesu gata onna hana Fubuki July 24, 2002
  • Ai Arigato November 23, 2002
  • Rankyo January 22, 2003
  • Jonkara Onnabushi June 25, 2003
  • Arinko to Himawari June 25, 2003
  • Onna tankou bushi May 26, 2004
  • Usoda to itte January 26, 2005
  • Yoko no… Umi June 16, 2005
  • Nagorino Tsuki October 19, 2005
  • Kizuna April 26, 2006
  • Matsue Funauta June 21, 2006
  • Yoko no… Shinjuku Oiwake February 21, 2007
  • Etsuraku no Sono August 22, 2007
  • Boukyou hitori naki August 27, 2008
  • Toi Machi January 21, 2009
  • Seto no Banka June 10, 2009
  • Okesa koi uta January 20, 2010
  • Hakata Yamakasa Onnabushi February 23 2011
  • Kiso no Asunaro April 11, 2012
  • Hottoshite Kudasai October 31, 2012
  • Moichido… Komori Uta August 21, 2013
  • Koi no Tsugaru Jusanko May 28, 2014
  • Konpira Ichidan April 8, 2015
  • Fureaibashi May 18, 2016
  • Onna, Hitoritabi November 23, 2016
  • Wakarejouzu July 19, 2017
  • Joppari Yosare / Koi - Shamisen June 27, 2018
  • Yozakura Blues September 26, 2019
  • Anokoro mo Ima mo - Hana no 24 nengumi - October 21, 2020
  • Shitamachi Ginza September 22, 2021
  • Imasarane September 2, 2022
  • Oishii Osake Nomeryaii June 21, 2023
  • Shirakami-Sanchi June 19, 2024
  • Shōwa no Onna June 25, 2025

Albums

  • Hitomi no naka no Faraway June 7, 1989
  • Yoko Nagayama 40th anniversary Pops Best February 21, 2024
  • Yoko Nagayama 40th anniversary Enka Best February 21, 2024

Covers

Yoko Nagayama has covered the following songs;