Hibari

It's impossible to talk about Japanese popular music without mentioning Misora Hibari, considered the "Queen of Singers" in Japan. Hibari was born in Yokohama. Her career began when she was just a child and stretched all the way to her untimely death in 1989 at the age of 52. She had so many hit songs, including Kawa no nagare no yō ni (Life is like a flowing river) which was released in the year of her death. It was voted the greatest song of all time in a poll by NHK Television. She sang sad songs like Kanashii Sake and also inspirational ones like Yawara. She may be considered old-fashioned now, but I still love her songs.