Kōji Tamaki

Kōji Tamaki (玉置 浩二, Tamaki Kōji, born September 13, 1958) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor. He has been well known as frontman of the rock band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed a successful career, particularly during the 1980s. In the 1990s, he also began his career as a solo artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese vocalists.

Kōji Tamaki
玉置 浩二
Born (1958-09-13) September 13, 1958
Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
GenresPop rock, Folk rock
Occupation(s)Singer, composer, actor, lyricist
Years active1973–2008, 2009–present
LabelsSony Music Entertainment Japan, Kitty Records, BMG Japan, Universal Music Japan
Websitesaltmoderate.com

In 2014, he was ranked first by a panel of 200 experts for the best ever singing voice in Japan.[1] Moreover, in 2021 Koji was voted as the greatest active male Japanese singer, with 190 experts agreeing that he is a "living national treasure of music" and that he portrays an "unparalleled mass of expressiveness and emotion which only seems to get better with age".[2]

Biography

As a vocalist and a songwriter of the band, Tamaki spawned multiple successful compositions which were mostly co-written by lyricists including Gorō Matsui and Yōsui Inoue, by the time that the group suspended their career in 1993.

In 1987, Tamaki released the first solo single "All I Do", and continued his solo career after Anzen Chitai went into hiatus (1993–2001, 2004–2009). Throughout his solo career, he has released 23 singles and over a dozen studio albums. His song "Den-En" released as a single in 1996 became a massive hit, which reached the number-two on the Japanese Oricon charts and sold in excess of 900,000 copies.

Tamaki has also been known as an actor who has appeared in seven feature films and numerous television dramas. He has started acting career for the first time on "Prussian Blue no Shozo", the 1986 motion picture he starred.

He has been married three times; the second wife was actress Hiroko Yakushimaru (divorced in 1998), and the third spouse was keyboardist Satoko Ando, who had formerly worked on his albums and live tours (divorced in 2007). Tamaki also had an affair with actress Mariko Ishihara between 1983 and 1986. In her autobiography published in 2006, Ishihara confirmed her relationship with Tamaki two decades prior.

After Tamaki's retirement announcement due to health issues in 2008, Ishihara contacted Tamaki and the two began dating again. On February 25, 2009, Tamaki and Ishihara submitted their application for marriage in Tokyo. However, the application was not accepted and he split up with Ishihara after all. Anzen Chitai returned from a recess and released their new single "Aoi Bara/Wine Red no Kokoro (2010 version)" on March 3, 2010.

On his 2012 album Offer Music Box, Tamaki — who composed the original song — covered Yuki Saito's song "Kanashimi yo Konnichi wa", which was used as the first theme song for the anime television series Maison Ikkoku.[3]

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album Label Chart positions
JPN
[4]
1987 All I Do Kitty Records 2
1993 Akogare (あこがれ) 4
Karinto Kouba no Entotsu no Ue ni (カリント工場の煙突の上に) Sony Music Entertainment Japan 17
1994 Love Song Blue 18
1996 Cafe Japan 4
1997 Junk Land 9
1998 Grand Love 12
1999 Winered no Kokoro (ワインレッドの心, Wainreddo no Kokoro) BMG Funhouse 11
2000 Nisemono 19
2001 Spade (スペード, Supēdo) 19
2005 Kyou to Iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou (今日というこの日を生きていこう) Sony Music Entertainment Japan 26
2006 Present 25
2007 Wakusei (惑星) 30
2014.3.19 Gold 30
2014.11.19 Great Stars (群像の星) Space Shower Music TBA
2017 All Time Best TBA
2020 Chocolate Cosmo Nippon Columbia TBA

Live albums
Year Album Label Chart positions
JPN
[4]
1995 T Sony Music Entertainment Japan 18
2005 Live!!; "Kyou to Iu Kono Hi wo Ikiteikou" (LIVE!! 『今日というこの日を生きていこう』) 26
2006 "Hassan Da-!!"; '06 Present Tour Live ('06 PRESENT TOUR LIVE "発散だー！！") 56
2008 Koji Tamaki '07; "Wakusei" Tour Live (☆惑星☆TOUR LIVE) 154
2014.11.19 Live Concert Tour 2015 (故郷楽団Concert Tour 2015) Space Shower Music TBA

Singles
  • "All I Do" (1987) – No. 10
  • "Ki Tsu I" (キ・ツ・イ) (1989) – No. 7
  • "Hyouten" (氷点) (1989) – No. 12
  • "I'm Dandy" (1989) – No. 10
  • "Ikanaide" (行かないで) (1989) – No. 16
  • "Call" (1993) – No. 22
  • "Genki na Machi" (元気な町) (1993) – No. 41
  • "Love Song" (1994) – No. 35
  • "Star" (1995) – No. 90
  • "Melody" (1996) – No. 49
  • "Den-En" (田園) (1996) – No. 2
  • "Mr. Lonely" (1997) – No. 14
  • "Rookie" (1998) – No. 49
  • "Happy Birthday" (1998) – No. 69
  • "Nijiiro Datta" (虹色だった) (1999) – No. 26
  • "aibo" (2000) – No. 54
  • "Kono Rhyzhm de" (このリズムで) (2001) – No. 96
  • "Shiawase no Lamp" (しあわせのランプ) (2004) – No. 83
  • "Aisaretai Dakesa" (愛されたいだけさ) (2005) – No. 35
  • "Itsumo Dokoka de" (いつもどこかで) (2005) – No. 48
  • "Present" (今日というこの日を生きていこう) (2005) – No. 13
  • "Lion" (2006) – No. 60
  • "Wakusei" (惑星) (2007) – No. 67

Filmography
Television

References
  1. "Japan's 10 best singing voices as chosen by people in the industry". Sora News. July 13, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. "The 50 best active singers who are really good at singing selected by vocalists [Tell me the true ranking]". Televi Tokyo. April 4, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  3. "ＯＦＦＥＲ ＭＵＳＩＣ ＢＯＸ 玉置浩二のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE" ["Offer Music Box" Kōji Tamaki Profile from the Oricon Entertainer Encyclopedia Oricon Style] (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  4. "List of the Oricon Top 100 Charting Albums by Koji Tamaki". Yamachan Land (Japan's charts archives) – Albums Chart Daijiten. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  5. "第9話 古畑任三郎「雲の中の死」記". The Television. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
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