Yukiko Okada biography: 10 things about singer born in Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan

Who was Yukiko Okada?

Kayo Satō (佐藤 佳代) was a Japanese singer and actor born in Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan. She was a second child.

Satō’s ninth single “Hana no Image” was supposed to be released on April 14, 1986. Her 40th anniversary concert release was released in a mail-order limited edition box and a regular edition on December 12, 2024.

Satō was professionally known as Yukiko Okada (岡田 有希子). Here are 10 more things about her:

1. In grade school, she loved to read manga.
2. In junior high school, she applied for every possible singing audition but she was repeatedly rejected.
3. When she auditioned for the Nippon Television talent competition show “Star Tanjō!,” she sang Kitahara Sawako‘s 1982 song “My Boyfriend” and was accepted.
4. In March 1983, she won “Star Tanjō!” She sang “Slow Motion” by Akina Nakamori in the final round.
5. In April 1984, she released her first single titled “First Date,” which was written by Mariya Takeuchi. It was followed by her second single “Little Princess.”
6. Takeuchi also wrote her third single “Dreaming Girl-Koi, Hajimemashite,” which earned her the Grand Prix Best New Artist Award from the 26th Japan Record Awards on December 31, 1984.
7. She made her acting debut by playing the lead character in the television drama “Kinjirareta Mariko“, which aired from 1985 to 1986.
8. On August 22, 1985, she turned 18.
9. On February 10, 1986, her single “Kuchibiru Network” reached number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart. The song was written by Seiko Matsuda and composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
10. On April 8, 1986, a rescue team found her crying with a slashed wrist and crouching in a closet in her gas-filled apartment in Tokyo, Japan. Her manager arrived and took her to the hospital where her injuries were treated. After being released from the hospital later that day, she chose to be brought to the sixth floor of the Sun Music building in Shinjuku, Tokyo instead of going back to her apartment or going to her parents’ home in Nagoya, Japan. At 12:15 p.m. that day, she ran to the stairs, took off her shoes and jumped from the building, resulting in instant death.