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Nana Okada (singer, born 1959)

For the AKB48 member born in 1997, see Nana Okada.
Nana Okada
岡田奈々
Born
Hiroko Yai (矢井 弘子, Yai Hiroko)

(1959-02-12) February 12, 1959 (age 65)
Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1974–present
Notable work"Seishun no Sakamichi"
Musical career
Years active1974–1986
WebsiteOfficial website

Hiroko Yai (Japanese: 矢井 弘子, Hepburn: Yai Hiroko, born February 12, 1959), better known by her stage name Nana Okada (岡田 奈々, Okada Nana),[1][2] is a Japanese actress and former idol singer.

Biography

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Nana Okada got her start in show business in the TV Asahi program "Anata o Star Ni!" (You Are a Star!) in 1974.[3] She was signed to NAV Records and released her first single, "Hitorigoto" (Soliloquy), in May 1975.[4]

In the spring of 1976 she released her biggest hit and signature song "Seishun no Sakamichi [ja]" (The Hills of Youth), which reached the Oricon top 30. Other top 40 hits would follow, such as "Wakai Kisetsu" (The Young Season), "Teami no Present" (Hand-knitted Present) and "Soyokaze to Watashi" (The Breeze And I).[5] Her last single was released in 1986.

Nana Okada has also acted in movies[6] and drama series.

In May 1977, a man armed with a knife invaded Okada's apartment and held her captive for five hours before escaping. Okada was injured on both hands, but was otherwise not physically assaulted. The perpetrator was never identified, and Okada suffered a decline in popularity due to the media reporting which damaged her "innocent" image.[7] When author and former yakuza George Abe interviewed Okada for Weekly Asahi Geinō years later, he revealed that he had been her admirer, and that when serving time in the Tokyo Detention House, he had met a fellow inmate who claimed to be the perpetrator of the crime and had beaten him up so severely that he would suffer "lifetime injuries".[8]

Discography

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Singles

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  1. Hitorigoto (10 May 1975)
  2. Jogakusei (25 Aug. 1975)
  3. Kuchizuke (10 Dec. 1975)
  4. Seishun no Sakamichi (10 Mar. 1976)
  5. Wakai Kisetsu (10 Jun. 1976)
  6. Teami no Present (10 Sep. 1976)
  7. Kazaranai Seishun (21 Dec. 1976)
  8. Soyokaze to Watashi (10 Apr. 1977)
  9. Love Step Jump (10 Jul. 1977)
  10. Kyūai Senka (25 Sep. 1977)
  11. Bye-bye Lullaby (10 Feb. 1978)
  12. Dame Desuka (25 Apr. 1978)
  13. Shonan Kaigan Dori (21 Sep. 1978)
  14. Kake (21 Mar. 1979)
  15. Quiet Dance (21 Oct. 1980)
  16. It's For You c/w Nagai Yoru (5 Feb. 1986)

Albums

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  1. Nana no Hitorigoto (25 Jul. 1975)
  2. Akogare (10 Dec. 1975)
  3. Seventeen! Okada Nana Birthday Concert (10 May 1976)
  4. Akushu Shiyou yo (25 Aug. 1976)
  5. Okada Nana Original Best Collection (Nov. 1976)
  6. 77 Atarashii Nikkichou (25 Feb. 1977)
  7. Cream Soda (25 Aug. 1977)
  8. Okada Nana Best 24 (Dec. 1977)
  9. Bye-bye Lullaby / Ai no Finale (25 Mar. 1978)
  10. Mr. Arranger (5 Nov. 1978)

Filmography

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Films

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Television

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ 明星 (Star). 1976.
  2. ^ "岡田奈々 - 映画ならKINENOTE". www.kinenote.com. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  3. ^ 現代女性名鑑. 野田経済データサービス株式会社. 1988. p. 348.
  4. ^ Nenkan Jimbutsu Joho Jiten vol. 3. 1981. p. 113.
  5. ^ 樋口, 尚文 (2009). ロマンポルノと実錄やくざ映画. 平凡社. p. 98.
  6. ^ 映画年鑑. 時事通信社. 1981.
  7. ^ 清純派アイドル・岡田奈々を襲った「監禁事件」とマスコミからの「セカンドレイプ」（抜粋） [Innocent Idol Nana Okada's "Confinement Incident" and the "Second Rape" by the Media (excerpt)]. デイリー新潮 (in Japanese). 23 June 2019. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  8. ^ 岡田奈々を襲った暴漢を塀の中で制裁！安部譲二が遺した怒りと男の純情 [Punishing the thug who attacked Nana Okada behind bars! The anger and pure heart of a man left behind by George Abe]. アサ芸プラス (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-06-24.