Miho Nakayama (中山 美穂, Nakayama Miho, born 1 March 1970) is a Japanese singer and actress. She made her debut in the 1985 drama Maido Osawagase Shimasu, where her performance lead to instant stardom. Nakayama released her debut single, "C", shortly after, and finished the year with her film debut in the blockbuster Be-Bop High School. She became one of the most popular idols during its "Golden Age" in the 1980s.

Miho Nakayama
中山 美穂
Born (1970-03-01) 1 March 1970 (age 54)
Other namesMiporin (ミポリン)
Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂)
Issaque (一咲)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • lyricist
  • actress
Years active1985–present
AgentBig Apple
Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Spouse
(m. 2002; div. 2014)
Children1[2]
RelativesShinobu Nakayama (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
LabelsKing Records
Japanese name
Kanji中山 美穂
Hiraganaなかやま みほ
Katakanaナカヤマ ミホ
Websitenakayamamiho.com

Nakayama's early releases as a teen pop artist were moderate sellers, with the singles compilation Collection (1987) becoming her first of three chart-topping studio albums on the Oricon chart. By this point, Nakayama had pivoted towards a dance-oriented sound and achieved five consecutive number one singles. Her best known songs from this period include "Waku Waku Sasete", "50/50", "Catch Me" and "You're My Only Shinin' Star".

By the 1990s, her artistry began to mature as she penned lyrics and recorded ballads, resulting in several platinum singles and her biggest sales: "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..." (1991), "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto" (1992) with Wands, and "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" (1994).

Nakayama received positive reviews for her lead roles in Love Letter (1995) and Tokyo Weather (1997); the former remains as her most recognizable credit internationally.

Since 1985, she is represented by Big Apple Co., Ltd.[3][4] Nicknamed Miporin (ミポリン), Nakayama occasionally uses the pseudonyms Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂, Kitayama Mizuho) or Issaque (一咲, Issaku) when she writes song lyrics.[5][6]

Biography edit

History edit

Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. After her mother remarried, her family moved to Koganei, Tokyo, where Nakayama attended Koganei Municipal Junior High School.[1]

Idol career edit

After a talent scout discovered her in Harajuku, Nakayama debuted on 21 June 1985 with her single "C", and with her starring role in the film Be-Bop High School. Throughout her career as a singer and actress, she recorded 22 studio albums and scored eight No. 1 singles on Oricon charts, two of which sold over one million copies each. She also starred in a Famicom Disk System dating sim produced by Nintendo titled Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School, in which she played a high school student who tries to conceal her actual identity.[6]

Acting career edit

In 1995, director Shunji Iwai cast Nakayama in the starring dual roles of Hiroko Watanabe and Itsuki Fujii in the film Love Letter. The film was a huge box-office success, and Nakayama won Best Actress awards for her role in the film at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards,[7] the 17th Yokohama Film Festival[8] and the 18th Hochi Film Awards.[9][6]

Nakayama was nominated for a Best Actress Japanese Academy Award in 1998 for her role in Tokyo Biyori,[10] and has appeared in numerous TV series including Love Story (2001).[11]

On 8 November 2021, Nakayama starred alongside King & Prince member Yuta Jinguji in the stage play Aoi no Ue/Yoroboshi (『葵上』『弱法師』, Lady Aoi/Weak Lawyer) at The Globe Tokyo. The play ran until December 5.[12][13]

Personal life edit

Nakayama's younger sister is Shinobu Nakayama, also an actress and retired pop singer.[6] She also has a younger brother named Tomoaki.[1]

Two years after her friend Yasuko Endō died by suicide, Nakayama performed a song, "Long Distance to Heaven," during a 1988 concert tour. As an homage to the title of Endō's cancelled debut single "In the Distance", Nakayama's song was intended as a requiem for Endō. Nakayama wrote the lyrics and composed the music for the song. It was included in her July 1988 album Mind Game, and mentioned in her 1991 essay collection P.S. I Love You. Without specifying Endō's name, Nakayama wrote about her in her 2009 photo essay collection Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara.[14]

Nakayama married musician Hitonari Tsuji in 2002 after an eight-month relationship. They moved to Paris, where they had a son a year later.[6] In 2014, Nakayama and Tsuji divorced, and Nakayama moved back to Japan, with Tsuji retaining custody of their son.[2][1]

Discography edit

Studio albums

Filmography edit

Film edit

Release Date Title Distributor Role Director Co-stars Theme Song
12/14/1985 Be-Bop High School Tōei Co., Ltd. Kyōko Izumi Hiroyuki Nasu Kojiro Shimizu, Tōru Nakamura, Masumi Miyazaki Miho Nakayama/"Be-Bop High School"
8/9/1986 Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Elegy Tōei Co., Ltd. Kyōko Izumi Hiroyuki Nasu Kojiro Shimizu, Tōru Nakamura, Masumi Miyazaki Miho Nakayama/"Jingi Aishite Moraimasu"
8/26/1989 Who Do I Choose? Toho Nobuko Kuwata Shūsuke Kaneko Hiroyuki Sanada, Tōru Kazama, Rie Miyazawa Miho Nakayama/"Virgin Eyes"
8/31/1991 Nami no Kazu dake Dakishimete Toho Mariko Tanaka Yasuo Baba Yuji Oda, Yuki Matsushita, Tetsuya Bessho
3/25/1995 Love Letter Herald Ace Hiroko Watanabe/Itsuki Fujii Shunji Iwai Etsushi Toyokawa, Miki Sakai, Takashi Kashiwabara
10/18/1997 Tokyo Weather Toho Yōko Shimatsu Naoto Takenaka Naoto Takenaka, Takako Matsu, Tomokazu Miura Taeko Ōnuki/"Himawari"
1/23/2010 Sayonara Someday Asmik Ace Kutsuko Manaka John H. Lee Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuriko Ishida, Takehiro Hira, Takahiro Nishijima, Masaya Kato Mika Nakashima/"Always"
10/6/2012 I Have to Buy New Shoes Tōei Co., Ltd. Aoi Teshigawara Eriko Kitagawa Osamu Mukai, Mirei Kiritani
4/27/2018 Marmalade Boy Warner Bros. Chiyako Matsuura Ryūichi Hiroki Hinako Sakurai, Ryo Yoshizawa, Michitaka Tsutsui, Shōsuke Tanihara, Rei Dan GReeeeN/"Koi"
5/12/2018 Butterfly Sleep Kadokawa Pictures Ryoko Matsumura Jeong Jae-eun Kim Jae-wook, Anna Ishibashi, Shun Sugata, Masanobu Katsumura, Masatoshi Nagase
1/25/2019 Ai Uta: My Promise to Nakuhito Tōei Co., Ltd. Saeko Hashino Taisuke Kawamura Ryusei Yokohama, Kaya Kiyohara, Hiroki Iijima, Riko Narumi, Naomi Zaizen GReeeeN/"Yakusoku x No title"
10/25/2019 108: Revenge and Adventure of Goro Kaiba Phantom Film Co., Ltd. Ayako Kaiba Suzuki Matsuo Suzuki Matsuo, Shunsuke Daitō, Louis Kurihara, LiLiCo, Seizō Fukumoto Gen Hoshino/"Yoru no Bōto"
1/17/2020 Last Letter Toho Sakae Shunji Iwai Takako Matsu, Masaharu Fukuyama, Suzu Hirose, Nana Mori, Etsushi Toyokawa Nana Mori/"Kaeru no Uta"
5/6/2022 Lesson in Murder The KlockWorx Co., Ltd. Eriko Kakei[15] Kazuya Shiraishi Sadao Abe, Kenshi Okada, Takanori Iwata, Yū Miyazaki

Television series edit

Broadcast Dates Title Network Role Co-stars Theme Song
1/8–3/26 (1985) Maido Osawagase Shimasu TBS Nodoka Mori Akira Onodera, Kazuya Kimura, Hiroko Shino C-C-B/"Romantic ga Tomaranai"
4/12/1985 Uchi no Ko ni Kagitte..., Part 2, Episode 1 (guest appearance) TBS Nobuko Takaoka Masakazu Tamura, Aiko Morishita, George Tokoro, Reiko Nakamura, Nobuko Miyamoto
8/20–9/25 (1985) Story of a Summer Experience TBS Yuki Sugimoto Naoko Amihama, Shōjotai, Yoshi Ikuzō, Eri Ishida, Arthur Kuroda Miho Nakayama/"C"
12/10/1985 – 3/25/1986 Maido Osawagase Shimasu, Part 2 TBS Nodoka Mori Akira Onodera, Kazuya Kimura, Hiroko Shino C-C-B/"Kūsō Kiss"
10/13/1986–3/23/1987 Sailor Suit Rebel Alliance Nippon TV Miho Yamagata Nobuko Sendō, Risa Yamamoto, Kyōko Gotō, Ren Osugi, Kazuki Minabuchi A-JARI/"Shadow of Love"
10/16–12/18 (1986) Na-ma-i-ki Zakari Fuji TV Kayoko Kinoshita[16] Shigeyuki Nakamura, Kahori Torii, Yōichi Yamamoto, Taiji Yano, Chiaki Watanabe Miho Nakayama/"Waku Waku Sasete"
4/14–6/16 (1987) Mama Is an Idol[17] (1987) TBS herself Kunihiko Mitamura, Kumiko Goto, Masatoshi Nagase Miho Nakayama/"Hade!!!"
10/22–12/24 (1987) Ohima nara Kite yo ne! Fuji TV Nozomi Satake/Yōko Hirose Yu-ki Matsumura, Shizuka Kudo, Kazuhiko Kanayama Miho Nakayama/"Catch Me"
1987 Maido Osawagase Shimasu, Part 3 (guest appearance) TBS Nodoka Mori Hiroshi Katsuno, Risa Tachibana
7/8–9/23 (1988) Waka-Okusama wa Ude-Makuri! TBS Tomoko Hirose Kunihiko Mitamura, Noriko Sengoku, Mari Nishio, Jun Miho, Kazuyuki Matsuzawa Miho Nakayama/"Mermaid"
1/16–3/20 (1989) Can't Take My Eyes Off You! Fuji TV Hitomi Takagi Momoko Kikuchi, Tomoko Fujita, Kōyō Maeda, Gitan Ōtsuru Mariko Murai/"Dōshiyō mo naku Renai (Love Affair)"
1/12–3/30 (1990) Graduation TBS Kaori Kinoshita Yūji Oda, Nobuko Sendō, Michiko Kawai, Koji Matoba Dreams Come True/"Egao no Yukue"
10/15–12/17 (1990) Wonderful One-Sided Love Fuji TV Keiko Yoda Toshiro Yanagiba, Emi Wakui, Mikihisa Azuma, Ken Ishiguro Miho Nakayama/"Aishiterutte Iwanai!"
10/7–12/16 (1991) When I Really Miss You, but You Are Not Here... Fuji TV Miyoko Oki Gitan Ōtsuru, Kenji Moriwaki, Fumiya Fujii, Tōru Kazama Miho Nakayama/"Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..."
1/5–12/13 (1992) NHK Taiga drama: Nobunaga: King of Zipangu NHK Nene Naoto Ogata, Momoko Kikuchi, Jirō Hiramiki, Tōru Nakamura
10/14–12/23 (1992) Somebody Loves Her Fuji TV Tsubasa Takano Jinpachi Nezu, Kōji Matoba, Mayu Tsuruta Miho Nakayama & Wands/"Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto"
1/7–3/25 (1994) Moshimo Negai ga Kanau nara TBS Mirai Mōri Masatoshi Hamada, Takashi Hamazaki, Kōki Okada, Marina Watanabe Miho Nakayama/"Tada Nakitaku Naru no"
1/9–3/20 (1995) FOR YOU Fuji TV Yayoi Yoshikura Masanobu Takashima, Katsunori Takahashi, Hiroko Moriguchi, Shingo Katori Miho Nakayama/"Hero"
10/14–12/16 (1996) Delicious Relations Fuji TV Momoe Fujiwara Toshiaki Karasawa, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Naoko Iijima Miho Nakayama/"Mirai e no Present"
10/8–12/24 (1998) Nemureru Mori Fuji TV Minako Ōba Takuya Kimura, Tōru Nakamura, Yūsuke Santamaria Mariya Takeuchi/"Camouflage"
1/10–3/20 (2000) Love 2000 Fuji TV Rieru Mashiro Takeshi Kaneshiro, Yukie Nakama, Mikihisa Azuma Do As Infinity/"Yesterday & Today"
4/15–6/24 (2001) Love Story TBS Misaki Sutō Etsushi Toyokawa, Haruhiko Katō, Shingo Katori, Yūka Spitz/"Haruka"
10/7–12/16 (2002) Home and Away Fuji TV Kaede Nakamori Naomi Nishida, Kōtarō Koizumi, Wakana Sakai day after tomorrow/"Hello, Everybody!"
5/25–7/13 (2014) Platonic NHK BS Premium Sara Mochizuki Tsuyoshi Domoto, Kōtarō Koizumi, Mei Nagano
8/20–9/10 (2016) Love of the Wise Man Wowow Mayuko Takanaka Ryō Ryūsei, Saki Takaoka, Seiichi Tanabe
4/17–6/26 (2017) The Noble Detective Fuji TV Tanaka (maid) Masaki Aiba, Emi Takei, Nakama Yukie Arashi/"I'll Be There"
1/7–1/28 (2018) The Makioka Sisters NHK BS Premium Tsuruko Makioka Saki Takaoka, Ayumi Ito, Yuri Nakamura
10/11–12/13 (2018) Like Shooting Stars in the Twilight Fuji TV Mariko Takizawa Kuranosuke Sasaki, Hitomi Kuroki, Ryūsei Fujii Ken Hirai/"Half of Me"
5/10/2019 The Women of Tokyo's 23 Wards (Episode 5: The Woman of Itabashi Ward) Wowow Kaoru Mafia Kajita, Yū Asakawa, Shigemitsu Ogi
10/25/2019 Time Limit Investigator (Episode 3, guest appearance) TV Asahi Machiko Kotobuki Joe Odagiri, Kumiko Aso, Tetsuya Bessho
1/11–2/29 (2020) Things You Can Know by Looking at Them Wowow Momoko Uchida Tae Kimura, Yuko Oshima, Yusuke Kamiji, Hiroshi Nagano, Katsuhisa Namase
3/19/2021 Three-Star Bar in Tokyo's West Ogikubo District (Episode 6) Mainichi Broadcasting Naomi Saigawa Keita Machida, Kisetsu Fujiwara, Win Morisaki I Don't Like Mondays./"Entertainer"
4/30–7/2 (2021) Keishichō Zero-Gakari Seikatsu Anzenka Nande mo Sōdan-shitsu (Season 5) TV Tokyo Rei Hoshina Kōtarō Koizumi, Yuki Matsushita Hideaki Tokunaga/"Tomorrow"
7/31–9/18 (2021) The High School Heroes TV Asahi Ruriko Manaka Taishō Iwasaki, Yūto Nasu, Ryūga Satō, Naoki Fujii, Issei Kanasashi, Hidaka Ukisho KAT-TUN/"Euphoria"
7/18/2022 Renovation Like Magic (Episode 1, guest appearance) Kansai TV・Fuji TV Machi Nishizaki Haru, Shotaro Mamiya

Television Movies edit

Broadcast Date Title Network Role Co-stars
3/3/1986 Monday Drama Land: Fujiko Fujio's Dream Camera Fuji TV Sayoko Shiratori Kyoko Koizumi, Yōko Oginome
5/15/1986 Thursday Drama Street: Aitsu to Watashi Fuji TV Keiko Nishida Yu-ki Matsumura, Kyoko Enami, Yumiko Fujita, Ayumi Tsuchiya
4/2/1987 Tuesday Super Wide: Hanjuku Widow! Mibōjin wa Jūhassai TV Asahi Tamao Suzumoto Shingo Tsurumi
10/2/1987 Papa wa Newscaster (special edition, guest appearance) TBS herself Masakazu Tamura, Honami Suzuki, Jun Fubuki
12/20/1988 Tuesday Super Wide: Mismatch TV Asahi Tamaki Sugihara Shizuka Kudo, Masanori Sera
4/19/1990 Tales of the Unusual: Fearful Touch Fuji TV Satomi Ayukawa Johnny Ōkura
12/26/1990 Chūshingura TBS Okaru Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi), Keiko Takeshita, Takanori Jinnai, Claude Maki, Masami Shimojō
1/23/1991 Suiyō Gurando Roman: Itsuka, Sarejio Kyōkai de Nippon TV Taeko Yamamoto Eisaku Yoshida
8/27/1992 Drama City '92: Ai shite iru to Kaite Mita Yomiuri TV Nobuyuki Ishii, Mayumi Hasegawa
1/3/1994 New Spring Drama Special '94: Aogeba Tōtoshi (Episode 1: "Ni-nen C-gumi no Kiseki") Fuji TV Chiaki Sawai Teruyoshi Uchimura, Rie Tomosaka
12/23/1995 Seiya no Kiseki (Episode 2: "Seisha ga Machi ni Yattekuru") Fuji TV Satsuki Nonomura Hiroyuki Sanada
8/27/1999 True Horror Stories: That Summer's Visitor Fuji TV Shōko Morii Yōsuke Kubozuka, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
12/30/2001 Meoto Manzai TBS Nobuko Tsujimoto Etsushi Toyokawa (dir.), Masahiro Kōmoto, Tatsuo Nadaka, Adeyto
3/20/2012 Dorama Tokubetsu Kikaku: Shūchaku-eki – Twilight Express no Koi TBS Chie Takatsu Kōichi Satō, Hiroko Nakajima, Sae Shimizu, Chieko Ichikawa, Midori Kimura
6/25/2013 Shiawase ni naru Mittsu no Kaimono: Manshon o Katta Onna Kansai TV Mutsumi Ando Reika Kirishima, Tasuku Emoto, Yutaka Matsushige
3/29/2017 Special Drama: Seichō Matsumoto, A Barren Forest TV Tokyo Miyuki Etō Noriyuki Higashiyama, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Saki Aibu
10/14/2017 Tales of the Unusual: Fall 2017 Special Edition – "Freestyle Mom" Fuji TV Fusako Hosokawa Yosuke Asari, Serai Takagi, Seikō Itō
4/19/2018 The Woman of Unresolved Mystery: Women Document Detectives TV Asahi Izumi Shimano Kyōka Suzuki, Haru, Kenichi Endō, Junji Takada, Asuka Kudo
5/18/2019 Confidence Man JP Special: Unsei-hen Fuji TV Wakaba Watanabe Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide, Fumiyo Kohinata, Kazuki Kitamura, Ryōko Hirosue
11/23/2019 The Tragedy of W NHK BS Premium Yoshie Watsuji Tao Tsuchiya, Rie Mimura, Shinya Owada, Mari Natsuki, Kenichi Okamoto

Kōhaku Uta Gassen appearances edit

Year / Broadcast Appearance number Song Appearance order Contender Notes
1988 (Shōwa 63) / 39th Debut "Witches" 1/21 Hikaru Genji
1989 (Heisei 1) / 40th 2 "Virgin Eyes" 10/27 Otokogumi
1990 (Heisei 2) / 41st 3 "Aishiterutte Iwanai!" 2/29 Eisaku Yoshida
1991 (Heisei 3) / 42nd 4 "Rosa" 3/28
1992 (Heisei 4) / 43rd 5 "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto"
(with Wands)
10/28 Shonentai Also performed a cover of "Candy Candy" with Chisato Moritaka and Hikaru Nishida.
1993 (Heisei 5) / 44th 6 "Shiawase ni Naru Tame ni" 14/26
1994 (Heisei 6) / 45th 7 "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" 8/25 Fumiya Fujii

Bibliography edit

  • Issho Kenmei Nakayama Miho Photo Collection (1985, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionIssho Kenmei Nakayama Miho Photo Collection. Wani Books. 1985. ISBN 9784847020247.
  • Toumei de Iru Yo, Meippai Onna no Ko (1985, Wani Books) - Essay CollectionToumei de Iru Yo, Meippai Onna no Ko. Wani Books. 1985. ISBN 4847010310.
  • Miho Ganbaru (1986, Shueisha) - Photo CollectionMiho Ganbaru. Shueisha. 1986.
  • Docchi ni Suru no. (1989, Shueisha) - Photo CollectionDocchi ni Suru no. Shueisha. 1989.
  • Ambivalence Nakayama Miho Shashinshu (1989, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionMysterious Book. Wani Books. 1901.
  • SCENA miho nakayama pictorial (1991, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionAmbivalence Nakayama Miho Shashinshu. Wani Books. 1991.
  • P.S. I LOVE YOU (1991, Nippon Hassou Shuppan and Fusosha Publishing) - Essay CollectionP.S. I LOVE YOU. Fusosha Publishing. 1991.
  • LETTERS in Love Letter (Nakayama Miho Photo Collection) (1995, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionLETTERS in Love Letter. Wani Books. 1995.
  • Nakayama Miho in Eiga Tokyo Biyori (1997, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionNakayama Miho in Eiga Tokyo Biyori. Wani Books. 1997.
  • Atashi to Watashi (1997, Gentosha) - NovelMiho Nakayama (1997). Atashi to Watashi. Gentosha.
  • ANGEL (1998, Wani Books) - Photo CollectionANGEL. Wani Books. 1998.
  • Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara (2009, Shueisha) - Photo Essay Collection[18]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "中山美穂の知られざる素顔、そして家族、年の離れた弟の存在". Entertainment Topics. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Miho Nakayama reportedly to get divorce after 12 years". Japan Today. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  3. ^ "中山 美穂". Narrow. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  4. ^ "中山美穂". Talent Dictionary. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Miho Nakayama | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e "TV Stars: Nakayama Miho". Japan-Zone. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. ^ ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  8. ^ 第17回ヨコハマ映画祭 1995年日本映画個人賞 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  9. ^ 報知映画賞ヒストリー (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  10. ^ Takenaka, Naoto (18 October 1997), Tokyo biyori, retrieved 17 October 2016
  11. ^ Love Story, 15 April 2001, retrieved 17 October 2016
  12. ^ "『葵上』/『弱法師』". The Globe Tokyo. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  13. ^ "キンプリ神宮寺勇太の言葉に中山美穂が涙「たくさん助けられました」". Oricon. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  14. ^ Miho Nakayama (2009). Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara. Shueisha. pp. 89–91. ISBN 9784087805253.
  15. ^ "岩田剛典、映画「死刑にいたる病」で半顔隠れる謎の男を熱演". Natalie.mu. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  16. ^ "な・ま・い・き盛り". TV Drama Database. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  17. ^ Mama wa Idol TV Special 1988 on TBS
  18. ^ Miho Nakayama (2009). Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara. Shueisha. ISBN 9784087805253.

External links edit

Preceded by Japan Record Award for Best New Artist
1985
Succeeded by