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born January 30, 1958 is a Japanese enka singer who made her professional debut in 1973. With a career nearing five decades, she is one of the most-recognized and successful enka singers in history.
Ishikawa is a popular contestant on the annual NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen broadcast. Up till 2017, she has been invited to perform 40 times since 1977, the year she released her biggest hit, "Tsugaru Kaikyo-Fuyugeshiki". To date, she holds the record for the most appearances in the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for a female artist. She has released over 100 albums (including compilation albumsIshikawa's official website lists only her Teichiku albums.) and more than 120 singles, of which a few were not enka, but rock and jazz music instead. Another of her biggest hits, "Amagi-goe", which was released in 1986, won her many awards, and many believe that it was this song that made her an icon as an A-list enka singer.
Ishikawa appears in the Wim Wenders film "Perfect Days", which won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
viewed 9 June 2019. Ishikawa mentioned this again when she read the obituary at Shimakura's funeral representing the singers'
), viewed 9 June 2019. See also the note in Ishikawa's official website dated 25 March 2015 (私のデビュー記念日 http://www.ishikawasayuri.com/diary/2015/03/post_265.html ), viewed 9 June 2019. Shimakura was an honorary guest to Ishikawa's first full length recital as recorded in her first live album "Sayuri Ishikawa Show -Hana Hiraku Jyu-hassai" (石川さゆりショー～花ひらく18才, Nippon Columbia AZ 7036-7). In 1987, Ishikawa released her 47th single "Naniwa Shimai" (浪花姉妹) in which she sang a duet with Shimakura.
Major league baseball player Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners chose Sayuri Ishikawa's "Amagi-goe" as an at-bat walk-up song in 2008 along with Misia's "Ishin Denshin" and "Royal Chocolate Flush". Ishikawa re-recorded this song with Marty Friedman for Ichiro. イチローの「天城越え」選曲秘話
In 2010, Ishikawa released a rare, non-enka single, Baby Baby, a duet with rock singer Tamio Okuda.
In 2015, Ishikawa recorded "Chanto Iwanakya Aisanai", the ending theme of the Lupin the 3rd Part IV anime.
In July 2017, Tokyo Olympics 2020 organizers kicked off the countdown celebration to the Olympics by releasing a promotional theme song along with a summer dance. The song, with which the organizer aimed to promote Japanese summer festivals, is a new version of "Tokyo Gorin Ondo," the theme song for the 1964 Summer Olympics, but with updated lyrics. It is performed by Ishikawa, alongside Yūzō Kayama and Takehara Pistol (ja).
), viewed 9, June, 2019. See also, Ishikawa's press conference script, (「春の紫綬褒章、受章。」 http://www.ishikawasayuri.com/news/2019/05/post_442.html ), viewed 9, June, 2019.
2017 marked her 40th appearance in total, and 36th consecutive year in the ever popular annual event, which is a record for a female artist.
She missed the 34th edition in 1983 as she was heavily pregnant, though she did attend the show and appeared as a guest, cheering the red (female) group.
| Ishikawa was on maternity leave and was excused from appearing as a contestant. |
| Ultimate (1) |
| Grand Ultimate"Grand Ultimate (Ōtori, 大トリ)" means Ishikawa sung after the ultimate singer of the opposite "Shiro-gumi (White team)" and was the last singer of all contestants. (2) |
| Penultimate (1) |
| Penultimate (2) |
| Ultimate (3) |
| Penultimate (3) |
| Ultimate (4) |
| First half ultimate"First half ultimate" means Ishikawa was the last singer of the first half of the show, immediately before the half-time NHK News break. |
| Ultimate (5) |
| Ultimate (6) |
| Penultimate (4) |
| Ultimate (7) |
| Ultimate (8) |
| Ultimate (9) |
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