Yoko Yamaguchi (山口 洋子, Yamaguchi Yōko, May 10, 1937 – September 6, 2014) was a Japanese lyricist and novelist. In 1985, Yamaguchi won the Naoki Prize for her novels, Enka no Mushi ("Japanese Ballad Lover") and Robai ("Old Japanese Plum"). [1]
Yamaguchi was born in Nagoya as the illegitimate child of a wealthy restaurant owner and a waitress. [2] She dropped out of high school at 16 and opened a coffee shop named "Yoko" with backing by an elderly widower. Although it was successful, she quit after about three years. [2] In 1957, Yamaguchi passed Toei's 4th New Face competition of 1,000 people, becoming an actress. However, she only ever had small parts, and quit acting after two years. [2]
When she was 20 years old, Yamaguchi met then- yakuza boss Noboru Ando. She became his mistress, known to members of his crime family, the Ando-gumi ( ja:安藤組), as "Hime" ("princess"). [3] When Ando was on the run from the police in 1958 for having a hitman shoot businessman Hideki Yokoi, Yamaguchi hid him in her apartment in Yoyogi. [3]
On August 5, 1959, she opened an upscale bar in the Ginza district of Tokyo, which she named "Hime". [1] [3] Yamaguchi wrote song lyrics during the slow times while managing her bar, leading to a series of successful songs during the 1970s. [1] In 1971, Yamaguchi's song "Yokohama Tasogare" ("Yokohama Twilight Time"), performed by Hiroshi Itsuki, became a major hit within the enka genre. [1] Yamaguchi penned another hit with "Brandy Glass", performed by actor and singer, Yujiro Ishihara. [1] She began writing novels during the 1980s. [1]
Yamaguchi died from respiratory failure on September 6, 2014, at the age of 77. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lyricist and literary award winner Yoko Yamaguchi dies at 77". Japan Times. 2014-09-16. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
- ^ a b c 山口洋子は東映ニューフェイスからヤクザの愛人に…. Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- ^ a b c クラブ「姫」は安藤昇の愛人だった時の愛称から名付けた. Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
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Yoko Yamaguchi (山口 洋子, Yamaguchi Yōko, May 10, 1937 – September 6, 2014) was a Japanese lyricist and novelist. In 1985, Yamaguchi won the Naoki Prize for her novels, Enka no Mushi ("Japanese Ballad Lover") and Robai ("Old Japanese Plum"). [1]
Yamaguchi was born in Nagoya as the illegitimate child of a wealthy restaurant owner and a waitress. [2] She dropped out of high school at 16 and opened a coffee shop named "Yoko" with backing by an elderly widower. Although it was successful, she quit after about three years. [2] In 1957, Yamaguchi passed Toei's 4th New Face competition of 1,000 people, becoming an actress. However, she only ever had small parts, and quit acting after two years. [2]
When she was 20 years old, Yamaguchi met then- yakuza boss Noboru Ando. She became his mistress, known to members of his crime family, the Ando-gumi ( ja:安藤組), as "Hime" ("princess"). [3] When Ando was on the run from the police in 1958 for having a hitman shoot businessman Hideki Yokoi, Yamaguchi hid him in her apartment in Yoyogi. [3]
On August 5, 1959, she opened an upscale bar in the Ginza district of Tokyo, which she named "Hime". [1] [3] Yamaguchi wrote song lyrics during the slow times while managing her bar, leading to a series of successful songs during the 1970s. [1] In 1971, Yamaguchi's song "Yokohama Tasogare" ("Yokohama Twilight Time"), performed by Hiroshi Itsuki, became a major hit within the enka genre. [1] Yamaguchi penned another hit with "Brandy Glass", performed by actor and singer, Yujiro Ishihara. [1] She began writing novels during the 1980s. [1]
Yamaguchi died from respiratory failure on September 6, 2014, at the age of 77. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lyricist and literary award winner Yoko Yamaguchi dies at 77". Japan Times. 2014-09-16. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
- ^ a b c 山口洋子は東映ニューフェイスからヤクザの愛人に…. Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- ^ a b c クラブ「姫」は安藤昇の愛人だった時の愛称から名付けた. Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
|
| This article about a Japanese writer, poet, or screenwriter is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |