Sachiko Kobayashi

is a female Japanese enka singer and occasional voice actress and voice provider of VOCALOID 4 Sachiko developed by YAMAHA co. She previously worked alongside the Pokémon Company, under the alias "Garura Kobayashi".

Biography When Kobayashi was 9 years old in 1963, she became a champion in the TBS-produced music variety show and was scouted by famous Japanese composer and guitarist Masao Koga. Although Kobayashi was only a grade four student, her voice was said to be exactly like well-known Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora.

One year later, Kobayashi and her family left their hometown, Niigata, Niigata and headed to Tokyo where she released her debut song.

In 1968, she acted as the heroine in , a TV drama produced by TV Asahi. The drama's ending song was also credited to her. However, after 1968, Kobayashi's level of celebrity dropped, thus causing her to get fewer TV appearances and other opportunities.

In 1979, her song reached number 1 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 55 weeks in that chart. The song was number 1 on The Best Ten annual chart for 1979, announced on 27 December 1979. The song became the best seller of the year, winning the 21st Japan Record Awards, and causing her to be popular again. As a result, she was asked to take part in the illustrious annual end-of-year music show "Kōhaku Uta Gassen". After 1979, Kobayashi was considered one of the most famous enka singers in Japan until now. Her more recent activity has intersected with Japanese otaku culture.

Her single "Tomarigi" (とまり木) (1980) reached number 4 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in that chart. Her single "Futari Wa Hitori" (ふたりはひとり) (1980) reached number 11 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 22 weeks in that chart. Her single "Kaze To Issho Ni" (風といっしょに) (1998) reached number 17 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 19 weeks in that chart.

In April 2018, coinciding with the launch of her official YouTube channel, Kobayashi debuted her Virtual YouTuber persona, Virtual Grandmother Sachiko Kobayashi. At Nico Nico Chōkaigi, she collaborated with fellow Vtuber Kizuna AI on a cover of Vocaloid Hatsune Miku's song "Senbonzakura". Kobayashi also had a recurring "Virtual Grandmother" segment in 2019 Vtuber sketch comedy show, "VIRTUAL-SAN - LOOKING".

Discography

Singles (1964.06.05) (1964.09) (1964.11) (1965.01) (1965.03) (1965.05) (1965.07) (1965.09) (1965.11) (1966.02) (1966.06) (1966.11) (1967.01) (1967.08) (1968.04) (1969.11) (1970.02) (1970.08) (1971.04) (1971.09) (1972.07) (1973.06) (1976.08) (1977.08) (1977.10.25) (1978.01.25) (1978.06.21) (1979.01.25) (1979.01.25) (1980.01.01) (Unknown) (1980.06.01) (1980.09.25) (1981.02.10) (1981.06.11) (1982.01.01) (1982.06.25) (1983.01.25) (1984.01.25) (1984.07.10) (1984.09.25) (1985.02.25) (1986.02.25) (1986.09.10) (1987.06.25) (1988.02.25) (1989.06.25) (1989.02.25) (1989.09.25) (1990.04.10) (1990.11.15) (1991.08.25) (1992.06.21) (1992.07.10) (1993.02.22) (1993.04.10) (1993.04.10) (1993.10.10) (1994.03l.25) (1995.06.25) (1996.08.30) (1997.08.30) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1998.02.10) (1998.02.21) (1998.09.03) (1999.01.01) (1999.09.10) (1999.09.22) (2000.01.01) (2000.04.21) (2001.01.01) (2001.01.01) (2001.04.21) (2001.09.01) (2002.01.01) (2002.06.21) (2002.12.05) Ribbon(2003.01.01) (2003.01.01) (2003.08.20) (2004.03.03) (2006.06.21) (2007.06.21) (2008.02.20) (2008.08.20) (2009) (2010.01.27) (2010.10.17) (2011.06.01) (2013.06.05) (2014.06.04) (2015.06.03) (2015.10.28) (2016.07.06) (2016.07.13) (2016.08.18) (2017.12.06) (2019.02.06)

Album (1964.11) (1978.06) (1979.07.25) (1979.11.28) (1980.04.25) (1980.07.25) (1980.08.10) (Unknown 1980) (1980.12.23) (1981.04.25) (Unknown 1981) (Unknown 1981) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1983) (Unknown 1983) (1984.04.25) (1984.11.28) (1985.04.25) (1985.11.28) (1986.04.25) (1986.12.10) (1987.11.10) (1988.09.10) (1989.09.10) (1990.06.25) (1990.12.21) (1991.06.25) (1991.12.10) (1992.10.25) (1992.12.05) (1993.06.25) (1993.10.21) (1994.06.25) (1995.12.21) (1996.10.19) (1996.10.25) (1997.05.21) (1997.10.04) (1998.04.21) (1998.06.05) (1998.08.01) (1998.11.21) (1999.02.20) (1999.05.01) (1999.08.21) (2000.02.19) (2000.09.01) (2001.01.20) (2001.04.21) (2001.11.21) (2002.04.20) (2002.10.19) (2002.12.04) (2003.06.05) (2003.10.22) (2004.05.19) (2004.10.20) (2005.07.20) (2005.10.19) (2006.06.21) (2006.10.18) (2007.07.04) (2007.10.17) (2008.06.18) (2008.10.01) (2008.11.19) (2009.05.20) (2009.10.21) (2010.06.23) (2010.10.20) (2011.03.23) (2011.03.23) (2011.10.19) (2012.05.23) S (2013.09.04) K (2013.12.04) (2014.08.17) (2015.08.17) SACHIKO THE BEST (2016.12.26) PINSPOT ～Sachiko's Night Club～ (2018.07.04)

Other songs "Poketto ni Fantajī" (Ending for Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 1: Sekiei Rīgu), sung with Juri Ihata) "Pokémon Ondo" (Ending for Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 1: Sekiei Rīgu) & Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 2: Orenji Shōto Hen) sung with Unshō Ishizuka & Kōichi Sakaguchi) "Yokoso Arks" (Collaboration song for Phantasy Star Online 2, collaborated with Beat Mario) "Kaze to issho ni" (Ending for Pokémon Movie 1: Myūtsū no Gyakushū) "Kaze to issho ni" (Ending for Myūtsū no Gyakushū EVOLUTION, sung with Shoko Nakagawa) "Suteki na Korekushon" (from the Pokémon: Kaze to issho ni album), sung with Raymond Johnson "Torikaekko Purīzu" (from the Pokémon: Torikaekko Purīzu album)

Filmography

Movie Zatoichi's Revenge (座頭市二段斬り with Shintaro Katsu) 1965 A Certain Killer (ある殺し屋 with Ichikawa Raizō VIII) 1967 Kewaishi (化粧師 KEWAISHI with Kippei Shiina) 2002 Devilman (デビルマン) 2004

TV Anime Pokémon (ポケットモンスター) 1997 Yatterman (ヤッターマン) 2008 Danganronpa: The Animation (ダンガンロンパ) 2013 – "Monokuma Ondo" (モノクマおんど) VIRTUAL-SAN - LOOKING (バーチャルさんはみている) 2019 - as Virtual Grandmother Sachiko Kobayashi

TV commercials

Pippu Erekiban (ピップエレキバン) Honda Airwave (ホンダ・エアウェイブ), 2007 Toyo Suisan (東洋水産), 2010 Nyanko Daisensou (にゃんこ大戦争) 2014 Niigata-gen; Niigata-gen policeman Tokushu Sagi Higai Boushi Keihatsu "Kiken Sacchi" (新潟県・新潟県警察 特殊詐欺被害防止啓発)「危険さっち」), 2016 Kirin: Hyoketsu (キリン「氷結」), 2016 Cup Noodles (日清食品 カップヌードル), 2016–present

TV Dramas DCU 2022 - as Aki Negishi (ep. 7)

Kōhaku Uta Gassen Appearances

Dubbing Live-action Haunted Mansion (Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis))

Animation Meet the Robinsons (Mildred)