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Juju
Juju
Japanese jazz singer
1
Ryōko Moriyama
Ryōko Moriyama
Japanese jazz singer
2
Hibari Misora
Hibari Misora
Japanese singer and actress (1937-1989)
3
Takako Matsu
Takako Matsu
Japanese actress and pop singer-songwriter
4
Seiko Matsuda
Seiko Matsuda
Japanese pop singer, actress (1962-)
5
Keiko Fuji
Keiko Fuji
Japanese enka singer and actress (1951-2013)
6
Sayuri Ishikawa
Sayuri Ishikawa
Japanese singer and actress (1958-)
7
Saburō Kitajima
Saburō Kitajima
Japanese enka singer, actor, lyricist, composer (1936-)
8
Saori Yuki
Saori Yuki
Japanese singer, talent, actress, narrator (1946-)
9
Hiroko Moriguchi
Hiroko Moriguchi
Japanese singer
10
Rumiko Koyanagi
Rumiko Koyanagi
Japanese singer and actress (1952-)
11
Junko Sakurada
Junko Sakurada
Japanese singer and actress (1958-)
12
Ayaka
Ayaka
Japanese singer
13
Saori Minami
Saori Minami
Japanese singer (1954-)
14
Atsuko Maeda
Atsuko Maeda
Japanese singer, actress and former member of AKB48
15
Minako Honda
Minako Honda
Japanese singer and actress
16
Ringo Sheena
Ringo Sheena
Japanese singer-songwriter (1978-)
17
Akiko Wada
Akiko Wada
Japanese singer and talent (1950-)
18
Rina Aiuchi
Rina Aiuchi
Japanese singer
19
Mariya Takeuchi
Mariya Takeuchi
Japanese singer-songwriter (1955-)
20
Yoshiko Tanaka
Yoshiko Tanaka
Japanese singer and actress (1956-2011)
21
Emiko Shiratori
Emiko Shiratori
Japanese singer-songwriter (1950-)
22
Daichi Miura
Daichi Miura
Japanese singer and dancer
23
Meiko Kaji
Meiko Kaji
Japanese actress and singer
24
Maaya Uchida
Maaya Uchida
Japanese actress and voice actress
25
Junko Yagami
Junko Yagami
Japanese singer-songwriter (1958-)
26
Kumi Koda
Kumi Koda
Japanese singer
27
Gen Hoshino
Gen Hoshino
Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, writer, radio personality (1981-)
28
Mika Nakashima
Mika Nakashima
Japanese singer and actress (1983-)
Mieko Hirota
Japanese singer (1947-2020)

Mieko Hirota

Intro
Japanese singer (1947-2020)
Record Labels

Mieko Hirota (弘田三枝子, Hirota Mieko, February 5, 1947 – July 21, 2020) was a Japanese popular singer. Her nickname was Mico (also spelled Miko).

Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pop and jazz in places like Tachikawa, which was frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at age 14. In 1965, Mico became the first Japanese singer to sing the song Sunny (Bobby Hebb song) on album and the first to appear at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Mico appeared on the NHK New Year's Eve Kōhaku Uta Gassen eight times. Her first performance was in 1962, when she sang the Connie Francis tune "Vacation." NHK tapped her for the next four years in succession, and again in 1969, 1970, and 1971.

She sang the theme song, "Leo no Uta", for the animated television series Kimba the White Lion.

Hirota's commercial career included endorsements for Nescafé, Nippon Oil, Daikin Industries, Fujiya, Renown, and Sapporo Beer.

Hirota died on July 21, 2020 at the age of 73 following a fall. She became one of eight recipients of the Special Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards.