Naoko Kawai is a Japanese singer who recorded for Nippon Columbia from 1980 to 1996, releasing a long run of top-ten albums and topping the Oricon singles chart with “Debut/Manhattan Joke” in 1985.[1]
Career
Born in Osaka in 1963, Kawai won the 1979 audition held by the agency Geiei to find a “younger sister” for Hideki Saijo, and debuted in June 1980; her second single “Young Boy” won newcomer awards including at the 22nd Japan Record Awards.[1] Albums such as Twilight Dream (1981), Sky Park (1983) and Daydream Coast (1984) reached the Oricon top three, and “Debut/Manhattan Joke” went to No. 1 in 1985.[1]
Later years
In 1987 she won prizes at the Intertalent 87 contest in Prague, and in 1988 she appeared on two songs on Jackie Chan’s album Jackie Chan.[1] After marrying in 1996 she suspended her music activities.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Twilight Dream (Oricon No. 2) | Nippon Columbia |
| 1983 | Sky Park (Oricon No. 2) | Nippon Columbia |
| 1984 | Daydream Coast (Oricon No. 3) | Nippon Columbia |
| 1985 | Stardust Garden (Oricon No. 4) | Nippon Columbia |
| 1986 | Scarlet (Oricon No. 4) | Nippon Columbia |
Notable singles
| Year | Title | Oricon peak |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | “Young Boy” | 13 |
| 1983 | “Escalation” | 3 |
| 1985 | “Debut / Manhattan Joke” | 1 |
References
- “Naoko Kawai”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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