Special Interview with Noriko Sakai: “I want to encourage the afflicted areas with my songs! Thoughts on Ishikawa, her “second hometown

Noto Peninsula Earthquake Strikes “Second Hometown
Has a regular radio show in Kanazawa, Ishikawa,
Holds a dinner show every year

Kanazawa is in trouble.

It was the evening of January 1 this year when singer and actress Noriko Sakai (53) received a line from an acquaintance. She was on her way home from a voice training session after seeing the first sunrise in Kamakura. It was inside an Enoshima Electric Railway train running along the coastline in southern Kanagawa Prefecture. Sakai recalls.

I didn’t understand what he was talking about right away. I searched the Internet news and found …… that there had been a major earthquake with a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale in Ishikawa Prefecture. Kanazawa is my ‘second hometown. I got worried and confirmed the safety of several people that came to mind.”

Nicknamed “Noripi,” Sakai has been supported by fans of all ages since her days as an idol. A native of Fukuoka Prefecture, she has a strong connection with Kanazawa, which she describes as her “second hometown. Sakai spoke of her feelings toward the people of the Noto Peninsula, who are still struggling to make ends meet, and the disaster-stricken area (comments below by Sakai).

I had the opportunity to play the role of Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s wife in NHK’s 2002 historical drama “Toshiie to Matsuri” (depicting the life of Toshiie Maeda, the founder of the Kaga domain, and his wife). It was probably six or seven years ago that I started working with you in earnest. I participated in an event in Kanazawa and the president of the management company liked me very much.

Kanazawa is a place with a strong community of business owners and neighborhood associations, and is open to people from outside the city. Thanks to the president of the management company, I was introduced to many attractive people.

Sakai is also attached to Kanazawa, which warmly welcomes him and holds a dinner show every year. Since April 2010, she has been in charge of a regular radio program “Noriko Sakai’s Mammoth Radio” on her hometown Hokuriku Broadcasting, for which she does the composition and interviews herself.

The mama of a club called ‘Royal Box Kanazawa’ is very kind to me,” she said. Through her introduction, I got acquainted with the female owner of ‘Open Belt,’ a racehorse who was active mainly in Kanazawa and won a total of nine races.

Open Belt” died shortly after giving birth to his third foal in April ’21 (……). I was so moved by the owner’s story of the foal’s condition and the people involved who loved him that I became the godfather of ‘Star Mammoth,’ who made his local debut as a posthumous descendant of ‘Open Belt.

Star Mammoth” (mare, 3 years old) is still active today with a total of 12 races and one win.