Sachiko Kobayashi’s Boldness and Challenge Set Her Apart
Kobayashi debuted as a singer at the age of 10 and celebrated 60 years in the entertainment industry this year. She has long been a leading figure in the enka world, truly a final boss type presence.
Kobayashi appeared consecutively in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen from the 30th edition in 1979 to the 62nd in 2011. She was famous for her enormous costumes that resembled stage sets, with costume battles against Kenichi Mikawa (78) becoming one of the highlights of the show.
However, due to changes in the times, the decline of enka, and shifts in the Kohaku’s concept, she stopped appearing after 2015. Fellow stars who had been staples on Kohaku for years, such as Mikawa and Akiko Wada (74), have also not appeared in recent years. Although it seemed that the loss of her opportunity to perform at the year-end event and the drastic reduction in her exposure would be a major blow to Kobayashi, a source from a major record company who has known her for a long time states:
“She’s absolutely full of energy. In fact, her popularity is not declining but actually increasing, with a fan base that spans from young generations to older ones. That’s because she doesn’t cling to the past at all. She has the flexibility to always adapt to the times and consciously update herself.”
Indeed, Kobayashi is never idle and is always challenging herself in new fields. Three years before her last appearance on Kohaku, she made her debut appearance as a guest on the “Niconico Douga” program.
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“Niconico” is a video-sharing service on the internet where users can post real-time comments on videos. The ability for users to share their thoughts is its biggest feature.
Kobayashi, who was called the “final boss” by young people due to her massive, luxurious costumes reminiscent of the ultimate enemy (villain) appearing at the end of a game, began to gain more young fans after appearing on “Niconico.” She even started posting her own videos on the platform. Her first video, “Boku to Watashi to Nico Nico Douga wo Natsu Kan Manzai de Utatte Mita” (I Tried Singing Nico Nico Douga with a Summer Feel), posted in September 2013, surpassed 1 million views in just two and a half days.
Drawn to the world of the internet, which she had never had much contact with before, Kobayashi found a sense of fulfillment and began to challenge herself with “Vocaloid” music. Vocaloid, a voice synthesis technology, allows a computer to synthesize a song by inputting melodies and lyrics, with a virtual singer performing the song instead of a human. The technology is said to have capabilities far beyond human abilities. In an interview with a magazine, Kobayashi said:
“There are songs with over 100 bars without a breath, things that seem impossible. But I thought, ‘If machines can do it, there’s no reason humans can’t sing!’ and this strange fighting spirit emerged (laughs).” (Weekly Woman PRIME, June 19, 2021)
When she returned to Kohaku in 2015 as part of a special segment, she performed “Senbonzakura,” a well-known Vocaloid song sung by the virtual singer Hatsune Miku. Continuing her relentless challenges, in 2018, Kobayashi also participated as “Virtual Grandmother Sachiko Kobayashi” in activities as a virtual YouTuber.
Sachiko Kobayashi at 17 years old.
In April of this year, Sachiko Kobayashi appeared at the “Super Dance” booth at the “Nico Nico Chokaigi 2024,” where she performed DJ sets and live singing, wearing a gal fashion style and performing Vocaloid songs under the name “Sachipi☆.” In September, she began a TikTok account called “Kobayashi Sachiko (17),” continuing to expand her activities and showing no signs of slowing down.
“The currently airing NHK morning drama ‘Omusubi’ features a gal theme, but it’s no coincidence that she embraced the gal style a little earlier. She constantly captures new information and eagerly incorporates even things aimed at younger generations without distinction. She has the positivity to enjoy doing this. Many veteran singers can be difficult — they’re often stubborn or have strange quirks. But Kobayashi-san has none of that.
It may be her natural personality, but she’s an open-minded person. I’ve never heard her criticize or speak ill of anyone. As she herself says, she never refuses any work. She accepts everything and tries it out, and that attitude resonates with many generations,” says an insider from the record company.
When asked in an interview about her continuous pursuit of new challenges, Kobayashi responded just a week before her birthday, saying:
“Doing silly things with full dedication is incredibly fun. It’s enjoyable. (omitted) I’m 70, but age doesn’t matter at all.”
Kobayashi’s adaptability and ability to ride the waves of change without being swept away can be clearly seen in her approach.
The question now is, what kind of “Sachiko Kobayashi” will we see next? Expectations continue to rise.
PHOTO： Takero Yui
