Yukiko Iwai (Onyanko Club)
Encyclopedia
, also known by the nickname
, is a Japanese
singer and actress born 1968-05-26 in Yokohama
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
.Iwai was a member of the all-girl pop
group Onyanko Club
(from 1985-06-21 until 1987-08-31), and she was the shortest of all the members at 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in). She was also half of the pop group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
, a spin-off group of Onyanko Club. She graduated from Kaetsu Women's Junior High and High School (now Kaetsu Ariake Junior High and High School), but left university before finishing at Kaetsu Women's Junior College (now Kaetsu University Junior College). She is the younger in a set of identical twins.
after her parents divorced when she was younger. She made her media debut in 1985 as a gravure model in Model Graphix, a magazine for which her older sister was on the editorial committee.
On 1985-06-21, she became the 19th member of Onyanko Club after auditioning on the TV program Yūyake Nyan Nyan, and she appeared on the cover of their first album, Kick Off. Shortly afterward, she and Mamiko Takai
(also a member of Onyanko Club) formed the group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
. About this time, she acquired the nickname "Yuuyu".
Yukiko Iwai performed the lead vocals for Onyanko Club's fifth single, Osaki ni Shitsurei, released in July 1986. From that point, she became the main vocalist for the majority of their albums, and was considered central to the success of the group.
She made her solo debut with the single on 1987-03-25. In April of that same year, Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi was disbanded because Takai (the other member of the group) graduated from Onyanko Club and moved on to other things. Onyanko Club itself disbanded in August later that year, and Iwai began working for Nabe Pro
along with fellow Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. She also began doing work under her nickname "Yuuyu", turning it into a stage name
.
Albums
Compilations
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, is a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
singer and actress born 1968-05-26 in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, 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...
.Iwai was a member of the all-girl pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group Onyanko Club
Onyanko Club
was a large all-girl Japanese pop idol group in the 1980s. The group gave a new approach to the idol formula with its 52 official members and three unofficial members...
(from 1985-06-21 until 1987-08-31), and she was the shortest of all the members at 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in). She was also half of the pop group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
was a two-member Japanese pop music group created in 1985, consisting of Yukiko Iwai and Mamiko Takai. While members of this group, Iwai and Takai were also members of Onyanko Club, a large pop group considered a precursor to groups such as Morning Musume. Onyanko Club sang back-up vocals on some...
, a spin-off group of Onyanko Club. She graduated from Kaetsu Women's Junior High and High School (now Kaetsu Ariake Junior High and High School), but left university before finishing at Kaetsu Women's Junior College (now Kaetsu University Junior College). She is the younger in a set of identical twins.
Biography
Iwai moved to Chiba PrefectureChiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
after her parents divorced when she was younger. She made her media debut in 1985 as a gravure model in Model Graphix, a magazine for which her older sister was on the editorial committee.
On 1985-06-21, she became the 19th member of Onyanko Club after auditioning on the TV program Yūyake Nyan Nyan, and she appeared on the cover of their first album, Kick Off. Shortly afterward, she and Mamiko Takai
Mamiko Takai
Mamiko Takai is a japanese idol from the eighties, who began in 1985 with Jpop girl band Onyanko Club, and its first sub-group, duo Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi with co-worker Yukiko Iwai...
(also a member of Onyanko Club) formed the group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi
was a two-member Japanese pop music group created in 1985, consisting of Yukiko Iwai and Mamiko Takai. While members of this group, Iwai and Takai were also members of Onyanko Club, a large pop group considered a precursor to groups such as Morning Musume. Onyanko Club sang back-up vocals on some...
. About this time, she acquired the nickname "Yuuyu".
Yukiko Iwai performed the lead vocals for Onyanko Club's fifth single, Osaki ni Shitsurei, released in July 1986. From that point, she became the main vocalist for the majority of their albums, and was considered central to the success of the group.
She made her solo debut with the single on 1987-03-25. In April of that same year, Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi was disbanded because Takai (the other member of the group) graduated from Onyanko Club and moved on to other things. Onyanko Club itself disbanded in August later that year, and Iwai began working for Nabe Pro
Watanabe Productions
is a multimedia management company in Japan dealing in recordings, films, television, music publishing and artist management as well as the main subsidiary of the Watanabe Production Group....
along with fellow Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. She also began doing work under her nickname "Yuuyu", turning it into a stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
.
Discography
Singles- 1987.03.25 : Tenshi no Bodyguard (天使のボディガード) (with Onyanko Club)
- 1987.07.22 : -3°C
- 1987.10.28 : 25 cent no Mangetsu (25セントの満月)
- 1988.01.21 : Tsuite Ikenai ~Ganbare Boyfriend~ (ついて行けない -がんばれボーイフレンド-)
- 1988.04.21 : Hidarimune Atari (左胸あたり)
- 1988.07.27 : Sayonara Shigan (サヨナラ志願)
- 1988.11.30 : Hoshizora no Gangster (星空のギャングスター)
- 1989.02.08 : Mouichido Peter Pan (もう一度ピーターパン)
Albums
- 1987.07.29 : Yuuyu (ゆうゆ光線)
- 1987.12.16 : Iya! (いやっ!)
- 1988.07.21 : Summer Tasty
- 1988.07.21 : Kotteru Ne! (こってるネ!)
Compilations
- 1989.03.21 : Best Damon Ne! (ベストだもんね!)
- 2002.02.20 : My Kore!kushon YuuYu Best (MY これ!クション ゆうゆ BEST)
- 2007.08.17 : Yuuyu Singles Complete (ゆうゆSINGLESコンプリート)