Yukiko Okada

, known professionally as (August 22, 1967 – April 8, 1986), was a Japanese singer and actress, active in the mid-1980s. After winning a nationwide television show at age 15 in 1983, she debuted as an idol in 1984. Her death by suicide two years later led to a number of copycat suicides, a phenomenon that would bear her name.

Early life Yukiko Okada was born as Kayo Satō on August 22, 1967, the second daughter of the Satō family. The family later moved to Nagoya. In elementary school, Okada loved to read, especially manga, and she was a talented artist. In junior high school, Okada wanted to become a singer and applied for every possible audition, anything from major productions to the smallest talent recruitment, hoping to become a star. She was rejected every time until she was finally accepted to a TV talent program, Star Tanjō! on Nippon Television – similar to Star Search, though the final stage was her singing to get interest from talent agents – singing Kitahara Sawako's "MY BOYFRIEND" for the audition, and Akina Nakamori's "Slow Motion" for the final round, which she won in March 1983.

Career Okada made her debut in 1984,

Okada won Rookie of the Year in the year of her debut. and she was awarded the 26th Japan Record Awards Grand Prix Best New Artist Award

Okada played the leading role in her first television drama , in 1985. Her 1986 single "Kuchibiru Network", written by singer Seiko Matsuda, and composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, reached number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart dated February 10, 1986. (It was later covered by idol girl group Sunmyu as its debut song in 2013.)

Death

On April 8, 1986, Okada was found with a slashed wrist in her gas-filled Tokyo apartment, crouching in a closet and crying. Tokio Fukuda recalled that Sun Music founder Hideyoshi Aizawa called him to pick up Okada from the hospital. When he met her, she was crying softly. He then asked her where she wanted to go: to her parents' home in Nagoya, her apartment, or the office. She replied that the office was good, so she was brought to the sixth floor of the Sun Music building. Aizawa then called Fukuda, leading him to step out.

While Fukuda, the management director and the staff were discussing how to avoid a media scandal, Okada ran to the stairs, went to the roof of the seven-story building, took off her shoes, and jumped, resulting in instant death. It was 12:15 PM JST. with an actor described to be "old enough to be her father", a co-star in Kinjirareta Mariko. Minegishi said that "he thought of her more as a younger sister". Japan.

Legacy

In turn, it has been suggested that Okada may have had in mind idol Yasuko Endō, who also committed suicide by falling from a rooftop ten days earlier.

In the July 30, 2017 edition of the Chunichi Sport, it was mentioned that on July 29, 2017, a fan meeting was held at the 9th floor of the Tokai Radio Headquarters in Nagoya to celebrate what would have been the 50th birthday of Yukiko Okada in August 2017. Entitled "Sing again! Yukko!", this was organized by 'Dotore Yamaguchi's Dokidoki Radio', '84/ Dr. Sato Yamaguchi in cooperation with Tokai Radio Magazine House, Pony Canyon, and Sun Music. It was a time to remember the life of Yukiko Okada through pictures presentation and songs and displayed other memorabilia.

Discography During her life, Okada released 4 original albums, 3 compilation albums, 10 physical singles and 2 home-video releases.

Note: All releases after April 1986 are posthumous.

Singles

Albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions

Box set + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positionsJPNOricon Memorial BoxReleased: March 17, 1999 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 30 Okurimono IIIReleased: December 18, 2002 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download, streaming 87 7 Inch Single Complete BoxReleased: 2024 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: LP TBA GIFT/1984-1986 LIVE TOUR BOXReleased: December 25, 2024 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: CD TBA

Notes: Memorial Box (メモリアルBOX) (First compilation and box set to be released since her death. Includes her two Okurimino compilations, her final album "Venus Tanjou", and the previously unreleased single, "Hana no Image" coupled with "Himitsu no Symphony".) (1999) (Box set containing all her four albums plus non-album singles, DVD including promo videos, and other previously unreleased material.) (2002) 7 Inch Single Complete (Box set containing all her 8 singles along with posthumous single "Hana no Image" being released as an inch single for the first time ever) GIFT/1984-1986 LIVE TOUR BOX (Box set containing audio recordings of all four of her concert tours.)

Home-video release + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positionsJPNOricon Yukiko in SwissReleased: February 20, 1985 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: VHS, LD - Memories of SwitzerlandReleased: February 20, 1985 Label: Pony Canyon Formats: VHS, LD, DVD -