Why Yukino Ichikawa Transcended Record Company Boundaries and Joined Forces with Kaori Mizumori

Toshio Ishikawa, entertainment reporter, tells us what’s going on behind the scenes in the entertainment industry at…

Singer Yukino Ichikawa’s new song “Miyako Wasure” has been viewed more than 420,000 times on YouTube. She has started a nationwide joint concert with her singing friend Kaori Mizumori, with whom she has competed in karaoke contests since elementary school.

Starting on June 22 at the main hall of the Rohm Theater Kyoto in Kyoto, she plans to tour the country.

The girls have been discussing the possibility of having a concert just the two of them someday.

The girls had been talking about having a concert of just the two of them someday, and now they have crossed the boundaries of their record company to perform on stage. Yukino’s debut was three years earlier than Kaori’s, but she is two years younger. Kaori’s new song “Kujukurihama” is also doing well, and her participation in this year’s NHK “Kohaku Uta Gassen” is almost a done deal.

As for Yukino, it has been about 9 years since her debut in 2002. In 2002, about nine years after her debut, Yukino was physically and mentally pushed to the limit.

“I can’t sing if I feel like this,” she said.

She sometimes stopped her singing career, saying, “I can’t sing if I feel like this. However, her passion for singing remained, and four and a half years later, she started singing again. In 2004 and 2005, she participated in “Kohaku” for two consecutive years.

In private, Yukino calls Kaori

Yukino calls Kaori “Yukko-chan” (real name: Yumikiko).

Kaori-chan (real name: Yumikiko), and in private, Yukino called Kaori

Kaori-chan (her real name).

They are such good friends that Kaori-chan calls her “Mari-chan (real name).”

When I was quitting singing, it was because of Kaori-chan that I was able to keep going and not give up, and I was happy that she welcomed me with a smile when I came back to the singing world. I have been following Kaori-san since I was a child, and this joint concert is like a dream come true for me.

I’ve been watching her since I was a child, and I’m still following her.

I am also deeply moved that my dream has come true and this day has finally arrived. After all, we have been together for 37 years.

I am so thrilled.

The joint concerts will continue from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Yukino-san appeared on Rainbow Town FM, where I am the MC.

Earlier this year, Ms. Yukino performed at the New Kabuki-za Theater in Osaka with the leader of the Yoshimoto Shinki Theatre, Yasushi Kawabata aka “Bata-yan,” and others.

I have always loved comedy. It was a great experience for me to be able to perform with Shinkigeki performers.

Working with Yutaka Yoshida, Akie Asaka, and others was a great experience.

“When I chewed my lines, they chewed them too, and they showed me that my mistakes were not mistakes at all. They were really kind people. I hope to work with them again on stage.”

To promote Yukino’s performance, she also took the stage at “Namba Grand kagetsu”. She is such an active performer, and I was mean to her.

“Are you thinking of taking another break?”

I asked her.

She replied, “Not at all. I have regrets about taking time off. But I think it was a positive experience, and I will make the most of it.”

Yukino said crisply. During her absence, she worked part-time at a famous tempura restaurant in Shinjuku. She tried to stay away from singing by avoiding watching singing shows and staying away from the singing section of CD stores.

The COVID-19 crisis had reduced his performance work, but he was gradually getting to see his customers

She is always positive, saying, “It would be a blessing for me as a singer if I could meet them in person, hear them sing, and bring a smile to their faces.”

She is always positive.

I would like to see the two perform with Ms. Mizumori in “Kohaku” next time, but I would rather see them on the “Nenmoyoren Nihon no Uta” (TV Tokyo) than in “Kohaku,” where the enka quota has been reduced. After all, I would like the two of them to preserve Japanese songs for the next generation.