Hiroko Yakushimaru

Born on 9 June 1964 in Shibuya, Tokyo, award-winning Japanese actor and singer Hiroko Yakushimaru (薬師丸 ひろ子, Yakushimaru Hiroko, born June 9, 1964) landed her debut acting role in the 1978 film Never Give Up 野性の証明 (Yasei no Shomei) before taking things up a notch in 1981 with a leading role in comedy/action movie Sailor Suit and Machine Gun. She simultaneously kicked her music career into gear, procuring a number one victory on the Oricon chart with the theme song for the film, and issuing her first album in 1982. Released by Nippon Columbia, Seishun no Memoire (青春のメモワール) collected music from Never Give Up and 1981's Nerawareta Gakuen while in 1984, she issued her debut studio LP of original J-pop material, Kokinshū (古今集) marked her. Her subsequent three albums—1985's Yume Jūwa (夢十話) (number two), 1986's Hana Zukan (花図鑑) (number two) and 1987's Hoshi Kikō (星紀行) (number three)—all made it into the top ten in Japan while her first live album also arrived in 1987 First Live: Hoshi Kikō (ファースト・ライヴ 星紀行). She went on to release another four albums during the late 1980s and 1990s, concluding with her ninth offering Koibumi: Love Letter (恋文) in 1998. After a 20-year break, Hiroko Yakushimaru returned in 2018 with Etoile (エトワール), which peaked at number 16 on Japan's Oricon chart. In 2023, she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her debut release with Shinshi Domei (Live at Tokyo International Forum Hall A on November 18, 2022).