born as Tatsuo Sasaki was a Japanese popular music (ryūkōka

Ryukoka

- 1914–1927: Origin :In 1914, Sumako Matsui's song "Katyusha's song", composed by Shinpei Nakayama, was used as a theme of the rendition Resurrection in Japan. The record of the song sold 20,000 copies...

) singer.

He studied music as enka

Enka

is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...

-shi or a street musician. At that time, he was encouraged by Taro Shoji

Taro Shoji

was a Japanese popular music singer.Shoji was born in Akita, Akita Prefecture. He graduated from the Waseda University. He at first entered the South Manchuria Railway. He made his debut as a recording singer in 1933. He attempted to become a Western classical singer, but finally became a popular...

 in Ginza

Ginza

is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...

. He signed with King Records in 1938. He debuted with song "Kokkyō no Haru" (国境の春, lit. "Spring at the Border") in 1939. He married with Kiyoko Okuda in 1940. In 1944 during the Pacific War

Pacific War

The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...

, he was dispatched to Ambon Island

Ambon Island

Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...

, but soon returned due to sickness.

After the war, his popularity grew up and was starred at the movie "Akogare no Hawaii kōro

Akogare no Hawaii koro

is a 1950 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Torajiro Saito.-Cast:* Haruo Oka* Hibari Misora* Sanae Ijita * Mitsuko Yoshikawa* Tamae Kiyokawa * Achako Hanabishi * Shintarō Kido* Robba Furukawa * and others...

", in which Hibari Misora

Hibari Misora

was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress. and was the first woman in Japan to receive the People's Honour Award, which was awarded posthumously for her notable contributions to the music industry. Misora recorded 1,200 songs, and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand...

 also appeared. However, he had never attended the Kohaku Uta Gassen

Kohaku Uta Gassen

, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...

 partly because he attached importance to live performances

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

.