Natsue Washizu

, professionally also known as , is a Japanese academic, translator, singer, actress, television personality and voice actress.

Having debuted as a child singer and actress at the age of four in 1952, she subsequently signed with Victor Entertainment and acted in Japan's first television drama Ponpoko Monogatari. From 1964 to 1972, she was the "Onē-san" on Captain Doremifa and its successor Nakayoshi Rhythm. As a voice actress, she portrayed Kozue Ayuhara in the anime Attack No. 1 and Snow White in the Japanese dub of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Washizu later became a professor of British and American literature at Mejiro University and professor of linguistic and cultural studies at Mejiro University Graduate School. In 2004, she returned on television in Yōkoso! Mother Goose no sekai he to talk about her research.

Early life Washizu was born on January 20, 1948, in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture. Her family ran a private school of Confucian and Chinese studies in Ichinomiya that her family had established in the Edo period. Her great-grandfather Washizu Yōshō was the granduncle of writer Kafū Nagai. Scholar Washizu Kidō was her great-granduncle.

At the age of three, Washizu participated in the NHK Nagoya's singing contest Koe-Kurabe Ude-Kurabe Kodomo Ongakkai and was the only one selected out of 47 contestants.

Entertainment career In October 1952, at the age of four, Washizu debuted as a singer under the name Kurumi Kobato at Nihon Gekijō's Aki no Odori, as the youngest singer in the history of Nihon Gekijō. From December of the same year, she appeared on Chienowa Club on Radio Tokyo as a children's singer, and when this program was transferred to Radio Tokyo TV with the establishment of the TV station, she became the host, appearing regularly for 16 years until March 1968, when the program was terminated. She was also the host of the talk and variety show Afternoon Show on TV Asahi.

From 1976 to 1986, she appeared on Otassha desuka, and for ten years served as the host of Otassha Club, the first TV program for the elderly in Japan, aired on NHK Educational. Washizu became interested in children's education during her time on Nakayoshi Rhythm, and moved to the Faculty of Education from the Department of British and American Literature.

Digital albums Kobato Kurumi Best Collection - Attack NO.1 no uta～Kodomo no uta (2019) Kobato Kurumi Best Collection - Ōkina kuri no ki no shitade～Sekai no kodomo no uta (2019) Kobato Kurumi Best Collection - Yūyake koyake～Dōyō Meiykokushū (2019) Aishiki uta (2019) Kokoro no uta (2019) Attack No. 1 Namida no Phoenix (1971) as Kozue Ayuhara The Three Musketeers in Boots (1972) as Annie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1980) as Snow White Sofia the First (2013) as Snow White Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) as Snow White

Film Kono yo no hana - Kanketsuhen (1956) as Kyōko

Video games CR Pachinko Attack No. 1 (2007) as Kozue Ayuhara KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep (2010) as Snow White Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (2011) as Snow White

Television Captain Doremifa (1964-1966) as Onē-san Nakayoshi Rhythm (1966-1972) as Onē-san Eikaiwa Shokyū (1968) as hostess of Kiyotada Tazaki Seikai nai Quiz (1979-1980) as regular panelist Otassha Club (1980-1988) as host NHK Ningen Kōza: Yōkoso! Mother Goose no sekai he (2004-2005) as lecturer

Radio Doyōbi desu Ohayō Ōzawa Yūri desu (1973-1979) as assistant Ōzawa Yūri no nonbiri waido (1979-1983) as partner Eigo monoshiri club (2008) as August guest lecturer