Katsutaro Kouta

was a Japanese female geisha and singer, who performed in the "New-" style of singing. came to be most well known, alongside another popular geisha singer, , in the " Era".

Career was born on 6 November 1904 in District, Prefecture. During her childhood, she worked as a helper at a relative's restaurant, before becoming a geisha at the age of 15. developed a fondness for , a narrative style of singing intended to accompany the ; around the late period, moved to Tokyo, was accepted into the geisha district and debuted with the performing name of .

Around 1928, a geisha from the same geisha district named recorded a number of hit songs for Victor of Japan. In 1930, recorded some and songs with Odeon Record and Parlophone. A year later, she signed an exclusive contract with Victor of Japan, debuting with the song in 1931. In 1932, her B-side song titled ("Willow Rain") became her first hit. released the song in the same year, with the song becoming a big hit in 1933, selling 350,000 copies in 3 months, with a total of 600,000 copies. However, the song also angered members of the Home Ministry in its description of illicit sexual relations.

In 1933, and released the duet in June or July during Bon Festival. The song was composed by , selling 1.2 million copies and becoming the highest selling single in Japan at that time. Also in 1933, left the geisha world to concentrate on her new profession as a recording artist, dropping the name and becoming simply "", after which released another hit.

In the spring season of 1934, , and released the song , which also became a big hit. In the same year, she received the name in an open exhibition. After the name change, she released more songs and became an even bigger star, with the songwriter dubbing her and rival geisha artist as "Emotional and Intellectual "; the time period of the mid 1930s when both were active and popular recording artists is known as the (lit., Era").

In the late 1930s, she and other singers were called to China to perform for Japanese troops in China. , having fallen ill whilst on the trip, met military physician . The two became a couple and married in 1949. During the wartime, recorded the song (明日はお立ちか, You're Leaving Tomorrow?), which became a hit.

After the war ended, moved to Columbia and in 1948 to . Her song became a hit and was used for a movie of the same name. In 1950, she and were invited to America to perform, and also to Brazil with , where she was received well by Japanese citizens living in Brazil.

In 1961, transferred to Records where she recorded mostly and songs. Around the mid 1960s, went back to Victor of Japan to rerecord some of her older hits. By the mid 1960s, so-called "oldies" (older singers and songs) were booming, with many older singers rerecording stereo versions of their hits. A TV program called (Nostalgic Songs), which debuted in 1968, featured as a regular performer until just before her death. In 1971, received a Purple Ribbon award, followed by a second in 1974.

In June 1974, was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on 21 June 1974 at Hospital in Tokyo, aged 69. On 25 September 2005, a monument to was established in her birthplace.

performances

Throughout her career, performed three times on , a popular New Year's Eve performance competition television special that has aired annually since 1953.

4th (located at )Song performed: 6th (located at Hall)Song performed: 7th (located at Tokyo Theater)Song performed:

Discography , 1932 , 1933 , 1934 , 1934 , 1936 , 1940 , 1948