Agnes Chan
Encyclopedia
Agnes Chan or Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan is a pop singer
, a television personality (Gaijin tarento), a Doctor of Education
, a professor
at Japan
ese universities, an essayist, a novelist. Since 1988 Chan is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and also supports the Japan Committee for UNICEF, a Japanese private corporation unaffiliated with UNICEF
.
in her junior high years in Hong Kong, as volunteer work for fundraising events. She had a chance to record a cover of Joni Mitchell
's "The Circle Game" with her elder sister, actress Irene Chan, and it became a hit song in Hong Kong. She became famous throughout southeast Asia through several of Chang Cheh
's movies, including Young People and The Generation Gap.
Chan was brought to Japan by Japanese singer/songwriter Masaaki Hirao. In 1972 she recorded her first Japanese pop hit, "Poppy Flower (ひなげしの花)." Her clear voice, pretty looks, and imperfect Japanese made her a teenage idol. In 1973, Chan's third single, "Splendor in the Grass (草原の輝き)," earned her the Japan Record Grand Prix "Rookie of the Year" award. She graduate from The American School in Japan in 1973.
Chan enrolled in Tokyo's Sophia University
and studied for two years, after which she decided to take a break from the entertainment business and study social child psychology at the University of Toronto
in Canada
.
After graduating in 1978, Chan returned to Japan to resume her singing career. Her first Cantonese album was released in Hong Kong in 1979. She won a prize for her peace thesis for International Youth Year
, 1984. Her first concert in China
, a benefit for Soong Ching-ling
's child fund, was held in 1985 at Beijing
's capital gym for an audience of 54,000.
Chan's 1984 visit to Ethiopia
during a drastic drought and food shortage was covered for the Nippon Television Network
's annual "24-Hour TV" charity special. Through these events, she began volunteer work once again, aside from continuing her entertainment career.
In 1986, Chan married her former manager, Tsutomu Kaneko, and gave birth to her eldest son in Canada. After returning to Japan the following year, she began bringing her infant son to the workplace. This was seen as highly controversial ("Agnes" became something of a buzzword in Japan) and raised the question of a mother's place in the working world.
In 1989, Chan began studying with Stanford University
's department of education. During her stay in the United States
, she gave birth to her second son. With Myra H. Strober, Chan investigated the situations of ten graduates from Tokyo University
and Stanford
ten years after their graduation. This showed significant differences between the men and women of Japan and the U.S., and earned Chan her Ph.D. Chan returned to Japan as a lecturer, essayist, and university professor.
In 1996, Chan gave birth to her 3rd son.
In 1998, Chan was appointed the first ambassador of the Japan Committee for UNICEF, established as an independent local non-governmental organization in Japan, under agreement with UNICEF
.
Chan's education had a profound impact on her singing career - by the year 2000, her recordings had taken a darker, moodier tone.
In 2002, Chan began her work as a novelist with Perfect Couple and Bullet Ring.
Chan released her first self-cover single, "Splendor in the Grass 2005 (草原の輝き2005)," in 2005, and it was used as a TV commercial song for a herbal tea by Asahi beverage. Chan's latest single is "Flower of Happiness (しあわせの花)". She won the 14th Pestalozzi
Education Award presented by Hiroshima University
on October.
Her new English-language album Forget Yourself, including a duet with the legendary Chinese performer, Jackie Chan
, was released in the United States in February 2006.
Chan is planning to release 3 Japanese new singles on the peace during 2007 and making an album. She's also planning to perform 35th anniversary concerts in about 100 of Japanese cities and Beijing
, China
in 2007 and 2008.
In October, 2007 it was reported that Chan had undergone surgery for breast cancer
in a Tokyo Hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery.
Since April 2009, Chan has been the dean of the Agnes University, an unaccredited virtual university (not to be confused with accredited St. Agnes College in Kyoto) founded by Record China Co., where an honorary Bachelor's degree is awarded on completion of twelve essays of 10-400 words.
Her eldest son, Arthur, graduated from Stanford University
in 2009. Her 2nd son, Alex, studies music at the same university, and has gained some attention through his acoustic YouTube performances. And her youngest son, Apollo, studies in Japan.
She is a Roman Catholic.
}
Debut single in Hong Kong||align="right"|1971 (#1)
|-
|2||align="left"|
Debut single in Japan||align="right"|1972-11-25 (#5)
|-
|3||align="left"|||align="right"|1973-04-10 (#5)
|-
|4||align="left"|||align="right"|1973-07-25 (#2)
|-
|5||align="left"|
Biggest hit in Japan||align="right"|1973-10-25 (#1)
|-
|6||align="left"|||align="right"|1974-02-25 (#4)
|-
|7||align="left"|||align="right"|1974-06-10 (#6)
|-
|8||align="left"|'||align="right"|1974-09-10 (#8)
|-
|9||align="left"|
||align="right"|1974-12-21 (#2)
|-
|10||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-03-25 (#7)
|-
|11||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-06-10 (#12)
|-
|12||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-08-25 (#12)
|-
|13||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-12-10 (#14)
|-
|14||align="left"|||align="right"|1976-04-10 (#8)
|-
|15||align="left"|||align="right"|1976-08-10 (#14)
|-
|16||align="left"|
||align="right"|1977-04-25 (#32)
|-
|17||align="left"|||align="right"|1977-08-25 (#64)
|-
|18||align="left"|
||align="right"|1977-11-25 (#68)
|-
|19||align="left"|||align="right"|1978-08-25 (#22)
|-
|20||align="left"|||align="right"|1978-11-25 (#52)
|-
|21||align="left"|||align="right"|1979-03-30 (#76)
|-
|22||align="left"|||align="right"|1979-07-25 (#97)
|-
|23||align="left"|||align="right"|1984-11-25 (#61)
|-
|24||align="left"|||align="right"|2000-06-21 (#50)
|-
|25||align="left"|||align="right"|2001-04-25 (#80)
|-
|26||align="left"|||align="right"|2001-09-21 (#91)
|-
|27||align="left"|||align="right"|2003-10-22 (#97)
|-
|28||align="left"|||align="right"|2007-03-07 (#26)
|}
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
, a television personality (Gaijin tarento), a Doctor of Education
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
, a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese universities, an essayist, a novelist. Since 1988 Chan is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and also supports the Japan Committee for UNICEF, a Japanese private corporation unaffiliated with UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
.
Career
Agnes Chan began singing and playing guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in her junior high years in Hong Kong, as volunteer work for fundraising events. She had a chance to record a cover of Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's "The Circle Game" with her elder sister, actress Irene Chan, and it became a hit song in Hong Kong. She became famous throughout southeast Asia through several of Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh was Shaw Brothers Studio's best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer , the The One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia and kung fu film.-Career:Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100...
's movies, including Young People and The Generation Gap.
Chan was brought to Japan by Japanese singer/songwriter Masaaki Hirao. In 1972 she recorded her first Japanese pop hit, "Poppy Flower (ひなげしの花)." Her clear voice, pretty looks, and imperfect Japanese made her a teenage idol. In 1973, Chan's third single, "Splendor in the Grass (草原の輝き)," earned her the Japan Record Grand Prix "Rookie of the Year" award. She graduate from The American School in Japan in 1973.
Chan enrolled in Tokyo's Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
and studied for two years, after which she decided to take a break from the entertainment business and study social child psychology at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
After graduating in 1978, Chan returned to Japan to resume her singing career. Her first Cantonese album was released in Hong Kong in 1979. She won a prize for her peace thesis for International Youth Year
International Youth Year
The year 1985 was proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Youth Year, or IYY. It was held to focus attention on issues of concern to and relating to youth. The proclamation was signed on January 1, 1985 by United Nations Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.-Events:Throughout the...
, 1984. Her first concert in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, a benefit for Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China...
's child fund, was held in 1985 at Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
's capital gym for an audience of 54,000.
Chan's 1984 visit to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
during a drastic drought and food shortage was covered for the Nippon Television Network
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
's annual "24-Hour TV" charity special. Through these events, she began volunteer work once again, aside from continuing her entertainment career.
In 1986, Chan married her former manager, Tsutomu Kaneko, and gave birth to her eldest son in Canada. After returning to Japan the following year, she began bringing her infant son to the workplace. This was seen as highly controversial ("Agnes" became something of a buzzword in Japan) and raised the question of a mother's place in the working world.
In 1989, Chan began studying with Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's department of education. During her stay in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, she gave birth to her second son. With Myra H. Strober, Chan investigated the situations of ten graduates from Tokyo University
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
and Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
ten years after their graduation. This showed significant differences between the men and women of Japan and the U.S., and earned Chan her Ph.D. Chan returned to Japan as a lecturer, essayist, and university professor.
In 1996, Chan gave birth to her 3rd son.
In 1998, Chan was appointed the first ambassador of the Japan Committee for UNICEF, established as an independent local non-governmental organization in Japan, under agreement with UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
.
Chan's education had a profound impact on her singing career - by the year 2000, her recordings had taken a darker, moodier tone.
In 2002, Chan began her work as a novelist with Perfect Couple and Bullet Ring.
Chan released her first self-cover single, "Splendor in the Grass 2005 (草原の輝き2005)," in 2005, and it was used as a TV commercial song for a herbal tea by Asahi beverage. Chan's latest single is "Flower of Happiness (しあわせの花)". She won the 14th Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
Education Award presented by Hiroshima University
Hiroshima University
, located in the Japanese cities of Higashihiroshima and Hiroshima, was established 1949 by the merger of a number of national educational institutions.-History:Under the National School Establishment Law, Hiroshima University was established on May 31, 1949...
on October.
Her new English-language album Forget Yourself, including a duet with the legendary Chinese performer, Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, was released in the United States in February 2006.
Chan is planning to release 3 Japanese new singles on the peace during 2007 and making an album. She's also planning to perform 35th anniversary concerts in about 100 of Japanese cities and Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 2007 and 2008.
In October, 2007 it was reported that Chan had undergone surgery for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in a Tokyo Hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery.
Since April 2009, Chan has been the dean of the Agnes University, an unaccredited virtual university (not to be confused with accredited St. Agnes College in Kyoto) founded by Record China Co., where an honorary Bachelor's degree is awarded on completion of twelve essays of 10-400 words.
Her eldest son, Arthur, graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 2009. Her 2nd son, Alex, studies music at the same university, and has gained some attention through his acoustic YouTube performances. And her youngest son, Apollo, studies in Japan.
She is a Roman Catholic.
Television
- TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
- Kitajima Wink Heart (Ended by Sep., 2007) - Chiba TVChiba TV, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
- Agnes' Music Salon (Ended by Jan., 2006)
Radio
- Radio NipponRadio Nipponis a local AM radio station in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-Offices:*The Headquarters: 5-85, Chōjamachi, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan*Tokyo Office: 2-2-1, Azabudai, Minato, Tokyo, Japan-Broadcasting:*Station:Yokohama...
(RF) - Agnes' Sunny Side Up - RTHK - City Snapshot (September 2005 - March 2006)
Albums
- 1971 Will the circle game be unbroken
- 1972 ORIGINAL(1), Poppy flower, With Love from Agnes
- 1973 As Stars, As Flowers, Splendor In The Grass, Flower Concert
- 1974 Agnes's small diary and The Concert for Your and Me, Fly of Swallows
- 1975 The Story of Small Love, Family concert, Hello To Youth, Say Thank You To You, Loving Songs, I Am In Love
- 1976 Mei Mei - Dream all the time, See You Again Some Day, Where shall I go to look for my lover, Agnes Chan, Memorial of Love
- 1977 How are you? and My lover, With love from Canada
- 1978 Happy Again, Ready, Go!
- 1979 Agnes in Wonderland, ABC AGNES, Carnation in the rain , Beautiful days
- 1980 Message, Morning Star, Love robber, Wonderer, Swallow has came back
- 1981 Love Me Little Love Me Long, Mystic words for love, Absorbed in love, Anxiety-forgetting grass
- 1982 Song of Lijiang River, Half Time, Christmas Song Medley
- 1983 Small question, Girl Friends, Wish you to being mellow
- 1985 Loving Harmony, Love will be found - City romance
- 1990 Dear Agnes - Carpenters collection
- 1992 World nursery rhyme and baby-sitter song complete volume I-V
- 1997 Agnes Chan Cantonese selection
- 1999 Famous baby-sitter song and nursery rhymes in the world
- 2000 Happy kids songs by Agnes, English songs by Agnes, Melancholy, Love, Peace & Freedom
- 2001 Private novel - My Love Story
- 2002 Now and Then, Agnes Chan CD BOX
- 2005 Lost & Found -Come to Me-
- 2006 Forget Yourself (Audio CD with DVD)
- 2008 Peaceful World
Charted singles
| # | Title | Release Date/Chart Position |
|---|
| 1 |
Debut single in Hong Kong||align="right"|1971 (#1)
|-
|2||align="left"|
Debut single in Japan||align="right"|1972-11-25 (#5)
|-
|3||align="left"|||align="right"|1973-04-10 (#5)
|-
|4||align="left"|||align="right"|1973-07-25 (#2)
|-
|5||align="left"|
Biggest hit in Japan||align="right"|1973-10-25 (#1)
|-
|6||align="left"|||align="right"|1974-02-25 (#4)
|-
|7||align="left"|||align="right"|1974-06-10 (#6)
|-
|8||align="left"|'||align="right"|1974-09-10 (#8)
|-
|9||align="left"|
||align="right"|1974-12-21 (#2)
|-
|10||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-03-25 (#7)
|-
|11||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-06-10 (#12)
|-
|12||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-08-25 (#12)
|-
|13||align="left"|||align="right"|1975-12-10 (#14)
|-
|14||align="left"|||align="right"|1976-04-10 (#8)
|-
|15||align="left"|||align="right"|1976-08-10 (#14)
|-
|16||align="left"|
||align="right"|1977-04-25 (#32)
|-
|17||align="left"|||align="right"|1977-08-25 (#64)
|-
|18||align="left"|
||align="right"|1977-11-25 (#68)
|-
|19||align="left"|||align="right"|1978-08-25 (#22)
|-
|20||align="left"|||align="right"|1978-11-25 (#52)
|-
|21||align="left"|||align="right"|1979-03-30 (#76)
|-
|22||align="left"|||align="right"|1979-07-25 (#97)
|-
|23||align="left"|||align="right"|1984-11-25 (#61)
|-
|24||align="left"|||align="right"|2000-06-21 (#50)
|-
|25||align="left"|||align="right"|2001-04-25 (#80)
|-
|26||align="left"|||align="right"|2001-09-21 (#91)
|-
|27||align="left"|||align="right"|2003-10-22 (#97)
|-
|28||align="left"|||align="right"|2007-03-07 (#26)
|}
Commercials
- AjinomotoAjinomotoAjinomoto Co. Inc. , is a Japanese food and chemical corporation which produces seasonings, cooking oils, TV dinners, sweeteners, amino acids and pharmaceuticals...
- BridgestoneBridgestoneThe is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....
- ECC JuniorECC (eikaiwa)is one of the major private English teaching companies or eikaiwa in Japan.ECC is based mainly in the Kansai region of Japan and has 148 schools nationwide with many branches in the Chūbu and Kantō areas but has not entered into the rural market to the same extent as major competitor GEOS...
- MeijiMeiji Seikais the trade name of a pharmaceutical company in Japan, , until March 31, 2011.It was the confectionery and pharmaceutical company that manufactures a wide range of products including Hello Panda and Yan Yan...
- Mitsubishi ElectricMitsubishi Electricis a multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group....
- SuntorySuntoryis a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
Written Works
- 1983 My Chinese dishes by Agnes
- 1984 Be peaceful with songs
- 1984 We all are the people who live on the earth
- 1993 Neo Woman
- 1994 Mama You Don't Need to be a Doctor
- 1996 We all are the people who live on the earth Part2
- 1997 Hong Kong Guide by Agnes
- 1999 The Road Winds Uphill All The Way (collaboration with Myra H. Strober), We all are the people who live for the future
- 2001 Positive child care by Agnes
- 2002 Perfection couple, Ring of bullet
- 2003 This road leads to the hill (Japanese translation)
- 2004 Cheers to the world!, Japan, where I love, Messages from little lives
- 2005 The Right Track -To people who live for the future-, What the Marriage Life is ?(collaboration with Yoko Kitajima)
- 2006 Agnes' Style Aging - Chinese Herbal Detoxification, Flowers , Colors and Birthday Messages (collaboration)
- 2007 We all are the people who live on the earth Part3, 26 words of love for finding happiness by Mother Teresa