Keiko Fuji
Encyclopedia
, real name is a Japanese enka
singer and actress. She had success in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s with her ballad
-type songs. Her parents were itinerant musical performers. Her father was a rōkyoku
singer. Her mother was a blind shamisen
player or goze
. As a child, Fuji sometimes accompanied her parents and sang with them when they were on tour. Her song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" (Keiko's version of "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku
") won the "mass popularity award" at the Japan Record Award
in 1970. By this song, she took part in the 21st Kōhaku Uta Gassen
.
She married the Enka singer Hideo Murata
|村田英雄| (Murata Hideo) and retired from singing in 1979, announcing her retirement during a TV show on 30 December of that year. The marriage ended in divorce, after which she emigrated to the USA.
Her debut album, , released March 5, 1970, topped the Oricon
album chart for 20 consecutive weeks, and her next album , released July 5, 1970, continued topping that chart for 17 consecutive weeks. She topped the Oricon album chart for a 37 consecutive weeks, an incredible record in Japan's music history. Her debut album's number-one record of 20 consecutive weeks remains the longest consecutive number-one record in Oricon
history.
She was married to Teruzane Utada
, a record producer. Their only child, Utada Hikaru
, was born in 1983. The couple have been married and divorced seven times.
officials confiscated more than $400,000 in U.S., Canadian, and Australian currencies from Junko Utada's carry-on luggage at JFK Airport
, New York, as she waited to board a flight to Las Vegas. Utada denied any wrongdoing, and was not charged with any crime. However, the government initiated forfeiture
proceedings, seeking to seize the money, which it alleged represented proceeds of drug sales or was intended to be used to buy drugs.
Utada disputed the government's claim. In August, 2008, the matter remained pending in Federal District Court in New York. On January 27, 2009, the Federal District Court in New York ordered the confiscated money to be returned to her, citing lack of supporting evidence.
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...
singer and actress. She had success in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s with her ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
-type songs. Her parents were itinerant musical performers. Her father was a rōkyoku
Rokyoku
Rōkyoku is a genre of traditional Japanese narrative singing. Generally accompanied by a shamisen, rōkyoku became very popular in Japan during the first half of the 20th century.-Notable performers:...
singer. Her mother was a blind shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
player or goze
Goze
is a Japanese historic term referring to visually impaired Japanese women, of whom most worked as musicians.- Etymology :The ideographs for mean "blind" and "woman." The ideographs are, however, read in this manner because the word already existed. In fact, it probably derived from the term ,...
. As a child, Fuji sometimes accompanied her parents and sang with them when they were on tour. Her song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" (Keiko's version of "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku
Yume wa Yoru Hiraku
is a Japanese song. The song was composed by Komei Sone. The song was originally noted down in a juvenile classification home.The lyric of the song was re-written by various lyricists. Mari Sono's cover version of this song was released in 1966. However, the song is best known for being sung by...
") won the "mass popularity award" at the Japan Record Award
Japan Record Award
for outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association, is major music awards show held annually in Japan.- Categories :The Japan Record Award are four awards which are not restricted by genre....
in 1970. By this song, she took part in the 21st Kōhaku 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...
.
She married the Enka singer Hideo Murata
Hideo Murata
was a Japanese rōkyoku and enka singer. He had taken part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen 27 times.Murata was born as a son of rōkyoku singer and . However, he was immediately adopted by and became his stepfather. His real name was . He studied rōkyoku under one of Kumoemon Tochuken's disciples, Kumo...
|村田英雄| (Murata Hideo) and retired from singing in 1979, announcing her retirement during a TV show on 30 December of that year. The marriage ended in divorce, after which she emigrated to the USA.
Her debut album, , released March 5, 1970, topped the Oricon
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. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
album chart for 20 consecutive weeks, and her next album , released July 5, 1970, continued topping that chart for 17 consecutive weeks. She topped the Oricon album chart for a 37 consecutive weeks, an incredible record in Japan's music history. Her debut album's number-one record of 20 consecutive weeks remains the longest consecutive number-one record in Oricon
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. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
history.
She was married to Teruzane Utada
Teruzane Utada
is a Japanese music executive producer and attendant.He married Junko Utada and worked as her attendant. Their daughter and only child is the singer Hikaru Utada, one of Japan’s most successful pop music singers of all time. The couple have been married and divorced to each other seven times. He...
, a record producer. Their only child, Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru
, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, arranger, and producer. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums...
, was born in 1983. The couple have been married and divorced seven times.
2006 confiscation of money by the DEA
On March 3, 2006, U.S. DEADrug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
officials confiscated more than $400,000 in U.S., Canadian, and Australian currencies from Junko Utada's carry-on luggage at JFK Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
, New York, as she waited to board a flight to Las Vegas. Utada denied any wrongdoing, and was not charged with any crime. However, the government initiated forfeiture
Asset forfeiture
Asset forfeiture is confiscation, by the State, of assets which are either the alleged proceeds of crime or the alleged instrumentalities of crime, and more recently, alleged terrorism. Instrumentalities of crime are property that was allegedly used to facilitate crime, for example cars...
proceedings, seeking to seize the money, which it alleged represented proceeds of drug sales or was intended to be used to buy drugs.
Utada disputed the government's claim. In August, 2008, the matter remained pending in Federal District Court in New York. On January 27, 2009, the Federal District Court in New York ordered the confiscated money to be returned to her, citing lack of supporting evidence.