Miyuki Kawanaka

is a Japanese enka singer. Her singing career spanned over four decades. She married Katsuo Yamada in 1991.

Early life Kawanaka was born Kimiko Kawanaka in Yonago, Tottori. At a young age, she moved to Suita, Osaka where she grew up.

In 1973, at age 18, she debuted as Kasuga Harumi and tried to become a pop idol with the release of the songs "Shinjuku Tenshin" and "Kantsubaki no Shima Kara". Both singles failed and she returned to Osaka to work at her mother's okonomiyaki restaurant.

In 1976, she won a contest singing "Anatani Inochi Gake". She adopted stage name Miyuki Kawanaka and launched her second debut as an enka singer. In 1980 Kawanaka's single Futarizake (ふたり酒) hit, with sales over a million copies.

Her second biggest hit, "Niren-sou" (二輪草) in 1998, which sold more than a million copies in Japan alone, spending 80 weeks in the top 100 of the oricon chart.

Kawanaka was invited to perform at the annual NHK Red and White Song Festival for 24 non-consecutive years, the 7th most on the all-time list for a female artist. Her last appearance at the prestigious programme was 2011, the 62nd edition of the show.

Discography

Original works charting in the top 100.

Album name Year Risking My Life For You 1977Two Drinks1980 About Two 1981 Anata Hitosuji 1981 Hanasakiminato 1982 Echizenmisaki 1982 Intoxicated 1982 You and Me 1983 Ferryboat Resort 1983 The Rain That Keeps Us In 1983 Two People's Spring 1984 Hidden River 1984 Aren't You a Man? 1985 Snow Dividing Oshoro Coast 1985 Two People's Bonds 1986 Naniwa Glow 1986 Love Song's Channel 1987 Bungosuidou 1988 Woman Crying Sea of Japan's Tears 1988 It's a Moonlit Night, Right? 1989 Takoyaki Life 1990 Gulping Down Sake 1990 Your Spring 1991 Blazing Love Song 1991 Dream Chasing Woman 1992 Wishing for a Port Town Long Ago 1993 Kitayama Drizzle 1995 Paper Lantern Flower 1996 Once More, a Love Song 1996 Beautiful Woman Reika 1997 Soft Windflower 1998 Eisou ~Lily of the Valley~ 1999 Naniwa Woman 2000 Business Trip Story 2000 Two People's Spring 2001 River's Flow 2001 Evening Showers 2002 Kifune's Inn 2002 Your Whole Life 2003 Interesting Woman 2004 Mother Weather 2004 Light Snow on the Grass 2005 One Straight Song 2006 Tourounagashi 2006 Kanazawa Rain 2006 Fuufuchyanrin 2007 Kiso River Drizzle 2008 Glazed Over Feeling 2009 Two People's Flowers 2010 Nagasaki Rain 2011 Hanabouro ~Hoarfrost Inn~ 2012 Famous Scene 2012 Poet 2012 Pair of Sakura 2013 I Love Osaka 2013 Gion Woman 2014