Aki Yashiro’s “Private Photographs” Riot: Veteran Entertainment Reporter Reveals “40-Year-Old Fate” of Troubled Photographs

Background of the Polaroid photo

Aki Yashiro’s “private photos” are causing a stir.

It has been one year and four months since her death. A year and four months after her death, a “secret photo” that even she had never thought about will be released on April 21, along with a CD.

The CD is titled “Don’t Forget Me,” and is the first in a series of Aki Yashiro treasures.

Not only will the CD be released, but two secret Polaroid photos of the two of them taken at the place where they used to live together will also be included as an extra. The fact that these photos are about to be revealed has caused trouble between Ms. Yashiro’s former personal office and the “New Century Records” company that is planning the release.

Personally speaking, I am not sure if it is right for them to release it simply because they own the rights to it. There are many fans, including myself, who have feelings for Ms. Yashiro. Her charming voice and, above all, her humanity are wonderful.

Ms. Yashiro was kind and gentle to younger singers making their debut, with the feeling that she had crawled up from the lower ranks. I have never heard anyone in the entertainment world speak ill of her.

The first guest on the regular program I still have on Rainbow Town FM was Ms. Yashiro. She is such a warm-hearted person that she even came to the show in spite of her busy schedule and no pay.

Mr. Yashiro moved to Tokyo at the age of 15 and continued to work as a club singer in Ginza while studying the basics at a music academy, but in 1971 he was scouted and made his debut as a singer with “Ai wa shinda mo mo” (Even though love is dead) from Teichiku.

In 1973, “Namida Koi” became a big hit, selling 1.2 million copies. She was on her way to becoming a star. Many people must have seen her subsequent successes on television and other media.

Around that time, she fell in love with a man who had a wife and child. He was Mr. N of Teichiku Records, whom I knew very well, and who took the photo that is now in question.

From the end of love to the collapse of the record company

In 1982, Mr. N took his girlfriend and left T.I.C. to start his own company with Mr. K., a friend of Mr. N’s who had been working extensively in Hawaii in the real estate business and other fields. This was Century Records.

Although the relationship between Ms. Yashiro and Mr. N did not cause a stir in the media, her relationship with Mr. N was “well known” in the music industry.

There is someone I like,” she said. But he has a wife.

She must have liked Mr. N as much as he liked her, because he told the people concerned that he had a wife.

Century Records had transferred veteran publicists and salesmen from T.I.C.K., to which Mr. N. belonged. One of the transferees was a friend of mine, and I often heard from him about the inner workings of the company.

When I think back to those days, the end of their “love affair” led to the collapse of Century, and the relationship between Mr. N and Ms. K became suspicious.

Mr. N tried to expand the business as the executive director of Century Records, but failed. Mr. K, who was the president, withdrew from the music business and returned to Hawaii, and the rights to the record company were transferred to the current “New Century.

Polaroid photo taken of Ms. Yashiro and Mr. N when they were almost living together and feeling “love” for each other. Both Mr. Yashiro and Ms. N must have transferred the rights to the photos without thinking that they would remain as company documents.

After Century, Mr. Yashiro moved to Nippon Columbia in 1986 and established his own private office, “Million Planning.

《This incident is extremely unpleasant. This is an unforgivable incident.

The New Century side said, “We are not a Century company, but a private company, and we are not a private company.

We have all the rights from Century, including the rights to all private photographs, love letters, and other private documents,” he said, insisting on the copyright.

The New Century side insists that it has all rights to the copyright.

Mr. Yashiro passed away in December 2011, and Ms. N died a few years after Century Records ended, so an event that took place some 40 years ago is now causing trouble in the absence of the parties involved.

I wonder if this is a problem that can be forgiven simply by saying, “I have the right. I am not the only one who feels strongly that the business should stop ignoring Mr. Yashiro’s personality.