Kaori Futenma (普天間 かおり, Futenma Kaori, born 23 September 1973) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, radio personality, philanthropist and goodwill ambassador for Bandai Plateau[1][2] in Kita-Shiobara Village, Yama District, Fukushima. She is originally from Nakagusuku village, in Nakagami county, Okinawa, Japan.
Kaori Futenma 普天間 かおり | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 September 1973 Nakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan |
| Genres | Anison Japanese pop Ryukyuan music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter philanthropist radio personality |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Starchild Records (1991–1992) Teichiku Records (2002–present) |
| Website | www |
Biography edit
Kaori Futenma was born into a bloodline of the royal family of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. She started her singing career at the age of 3[3] and used to be acclaimed in local music competitions in Okinawa. In 1991, Futenma signed with King Records and rose to prominence singing mostly anime songs under her stage name "Kaori Honma," but 6 years later changed her stage name to the real one to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. In 1999 she signed with Teichiku records and since then CDs have been released by the label. In most of songs she penned she expresses her emotions about her home, Okinawa, on the lyrics.
In addition to her career as a singer, she performs as the host of radio shows e.g. she podcasts a show "Kaori Futenma's Summer Wind Letters (Japanese:普天間かおりの真南風便り|Futenma Kaori no Mafē Dayori)" on Radio Fukushima.[4] Futenma appears on radio shows and TV commercials mainly on local broadcast stations in Fukushima.
On 11 March 2011, she encountered the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake while performing on a live radio show on Radio Fukushima.[5] In the wake of the disasters, she founded a project called "Smile Again 0311"[6] to benefit victims and started performing charity concerts for people who live in evacuation shelters and conducting benefit concerts to raise funds, also, penned a charity song called "Smile Again" and released it on the Internet and donated proceeds to those who suffered the disasters. Additionally, Futenma's since participated in another project called "Smile Books(Japanese:スマイル文庫|sumairu bunko)"[7] hand in hand with local people and champions for the project in Jinbōchō, Tokyo, the most famous bookstore street in Japan—the aim of the project is book donation to children in Fukushima—she also tours round evacuation shelters and reads books and performs concerts for them[8] as a member of the project. On this activity, she gains support for the project and builds bridges between philanthropists from various different fields.
Discography edit
Singles edit
| Year | A-side | B-side | Chart positions[which?] | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Tsukamaete Ite" | "Hoshi no Lullaby" | 28[9] | 'Ronin Warriors: Message (anime video)' theme songs. The B-side was composed by Ritsuko Okazaki. |
| 1991 | "Toshiue (the single version)" | "Omoide ni Sayonara" | — | Composed by Ritsuko Okazaki. |
| 1991 | "Jinsei Madamada Agedaman" | "Sekai wa Watashi no Tame ni" | — | 'Genji Tsūshin Agedama (TV anime series)' theme songs. |
| 1992 | "Soreike Kororin" | "Tengoku no Komori-uta" | — | 'Chikyū SOS Soreike Kororin (TV anime series)' theme songs. The B-side was composed by Ritsuko Okazaki. |
| 1992 | "Tokoroga Dokkoi! Sexy-Musume" | "Kowarekaketa Kagami" | — | 'Devil Hunter Yohko 2 (anime video)' theme songs. |
| Year | A-side | B-side | Chart positions[which?] | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Unmei no Ito" | "Hikari no Kawa" | — | |
| 2001 | "Kono Chikyū ni Umarete" | "Daijōbu Dayo..." | — | |
| 2002 | "Kami Nanka Kittari Shinai" | "Akubi" | — | |
| 2003 | "Harukana Ai..." | "Itsuka no Sora" | — | The A-side is the theme song for 'Semishigure (jidaigeki show on NHK)'. |
| 2004 | "Inori" | "Waratte" | — | The A-side was on-aired on a children's show called 'Minna no Uta' on NHK from June to July 2004. |
| 2005 | "Nakenai Rhapsody" | "Ai no Uta" | — | |
| 2006 | "Hanahoshi Sanka" | "Kimi no Sanka," "Hanahoshi Sanka ("Eurasia Version" i.e. a Russian version) | — | "Eurasia Version" was used as a closing theme for 'Bi no Kyojin tachi,' an arts documentary show on TV Tokyo, from January to March 2006. |
| 2007 | "Mamoritai mono" | "Warai" | — | The A-side was used on a local TV commercial for a Hina-matsuri doll company in Fukushima called Ningyō no Tōgetsu: Futenma appeared on the commercial. It was also used as a closing theme for 'Iitabi Yume-Kibun," a travel show on TV Tokyo, in July 2006. |
| 2008 | "Tsukame nai mono" | "Beautiful Name" | — | The A-side was used as a closing theme for a TV show called Uwasa no! Tokyo Magazine on TBS from January to March 2008. |
| 2008 | "Mamoritai mono" | "Warai" | — | A limited edition with DVD. |
| 2009 | "Hallelujah" | — | — | A cover version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'; Futenma wrote the Japanese lyrics. |
| 2010 | "Hitsuyō Nan Dayo" | "Mamoritai mono (Acoustic version)" | 164[10] | |
| 2014 | "Sakura Mau Machi de" | "Sakura Mau Machi de (sung by Toshiro "Bin" Murai)", " Sakura Mau Machi de (duet with Murai)" | — | All the proceeds from this single are donated to a charity called "Yorunomori no Sakura Hozen Kikin (the Yorunomori cherry blossom conservation foundation)" to help conserve cherry blossoms in Tomioka, Fukushima.[11] |
Albums edit
| Year | Title | Chart positions[which?] | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Message | — |
| Year | Title | Chart position[which?] | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mafē | — | An indie album |
| 1999 | "14-tsubu no Ai no Shizuku" | — | Label: Bandai Music Entertainment |
| 2004 | Yugafu | — | Label: Teichiku (from then on) |
| 2004 | Yuragi | — | Containing "Kami Nanka Kittari Shinai," "Akubi," "Harukana Ai," "Itsuka no Sora," "Inori" and "Waratte." |
| 2006 | MONSOON | — | Containing "Hanahoshi Sanka (A-side version and "Eurasia Version") and "Aeka naru Ai," which was used as a closing theme for "Shuji-i ga Mitsukaru Shinryojo," a medical talk show on TV Tokyo. |
| 2007 | Precious | — | Containing "Inori," "Waratte," "Mamoritai Mono" and "Tsukame nai Mono." |
| 2010 | Kaori Futenma Singles Best Collection And More! | — | Containing all the A-sides and a B-side ("Daijōbu Dayo..."), plus a cover of an Okinawa folk song and two unreleased songs. |
| 2012 | Smile Again | — | Containing "Smile Again" and "Mamoritai Mono (Acoustic Version)". |
| 2014 | Mellow | — | A cover album. |
Filmography edit
TV edit
Kaori Futenma
- "Tokimeki Wide" / 4 February 2000 / NHK
- "Beauty Tsūshin" / 1 July 2001 / BS Japan
- "Studio Park" / 24 August 2001 / NHK
- "NHK Kayō Concert" / 23 November 2001, 22 January and 10 December 2002 / NHK
- "Music Tide" / 22 September 2003 / BS-i
- "Jojōka Dai-zenshu 2010" / 30 October 2010 / NHK-BS2
- "Ongaku no Hi" / 29 June 2013 / TBS
Radio edit
Kaori Honma
- "Kaori no Hello! Ani Pop" (in Japanese) / October 1990 – September 1997 / Tokai Radio Broadcasting
Kaori Futenma
- "Kattobi Wide" / Radio Fukushima
- "Futenma Kaori no Ahaha de Ufufu" / Tōkai Radio Broadcasting, Ryūkyū Hōsō
- "Chura-Sunday" / Radio Fukushima
- "Kaori no Let's Night" / Radio Fukushima
- "Kenji to Kaori no Friend Radio" / Radio Fukushima
References edit
- ^ Bandai plateau (Ura-Bandai) An official blog article reporting on a visit to the then governor of Fukushima prefecture by Futenma and the village chief of Kita-Shiobara village Archived 26 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine(in Japanese), www.urabandai-inf.com, 5 August 2010, Retrieved on 21 January 2016.
- ^ Futenma interviewing the governor, Yūhei Satō Archived 26 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 21 January 2016.
- ^ An interview about her childhood and Okinawa(in Japanese), www.barks.jp, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ Podcasts(in Japanese), Radio Fukushima, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ Futenma live on radio when the earthquake hit(in Japanese), www.youtube.com, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ A newspaper article(in Japanese), Mainichi Shimbun, 31 August 2011.
- ^ 「スマイル文庫の報告」 12 October 2012 on 普天間かおりの真南風便り(in Japanese), Radio Fukushima podcasts, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ Futenma reading a book to children, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ An online newspaper article announcing her switch from an anime song singer to a singer-songwriter(in Japanese), Ryūkyū Shimpo, 27 February 1998, Retrieved on 21 January 2016.
- ^ ORICON STYLE(in Japanese), Oricon, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
- ^ A report on the Yorunomori cherry blossom conservation foundation handover ceremony on 5 December 2014(in Japanese), Radio Fukushima, Retrieved on 20 January 2016.
