Hitomi “Penny” Tohyama is a Japanese singer from Okinawa whose bilingual, American-styled records for Nippon Columbia have become favourites of the city pop revival.[1]
Background
Born in Koza, Okinawa, in 1957 to a father serving with the US armed forces, Tohyama moved to California in junior high school and attended Oakland High School.[1] Back in Japan she sang in the chorus of Rie Ida’s band Auction and the trio Joy before her first release with the disco project Ecstacy E.Z.[1]
Nippon Columbia
She debuted with Just Call Me Penny in May 1981 and released more than a dozen albums for Nippon Columbia, including Next Door (1983). For Imagination (1988) she recorded in Los Angeles with Mike Baird, Eric Gale, Randy Jackson and Richard Tee.[1]
Revival
Songs such as “Exotic Yokogao” and “Tuxedo Connection” reached new listeners in the late 2010s; Night Tempo remixed “Cathy” in 2024, and Nippon Columbia issued the career set Pretty Penny the same year.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Just Call Me Penny | Nippon Columbia |
| 1982 | Heart Full of L.A. Mind | Nippon Columbia |
| 1982 | On the Radio | Nippon Columbia |
| 1983 | Next Door | Nippon Columbia |
| 1983 | Sexy Robot | Nippon Columbia |
| 1985 | Five Penny’s | Nippon Columbia |
| 1985 | Human Voice | Nippon Columbia |
| 1986 | Lady Ballad | Nippon Columbia |
| 1986 | Hello Me | Nippon Columbia |
| 1987 | One Scene | Nippon Columbia |
| 1988 | Imagination | Nippon Columbia |
| 1988 | Watch Out! | Nippon Columbia |
| 1989 | After 5:00 Story | Nippon Columbia |
| 1992 | Munasawagi | Nippon Columbia |
References
- “Hitomi Tohyama”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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