Saori Minami

Saori Minami (南 沙織 Minami Saori; Real Name: Akemi Uchima (内間明美); Christian Name: Cynthia) was born in Okinawa on July 2, 1954 to Japanese parents. In the 1970s she was active as an idol.

She is married to photographer Kishin Shinoyama, and has a son, Akinobu Shinoyama.

Saori Minami debuted with the single "Jyunanasai" (Seventeen Years Old) in the summer of '71. The song reached the #2 position on the Oricon chart list, was the 11th best selling single of 1971 in Japan and catapulted her into stardom. The song came about after composer Kyohei Tsutsumi asked Minami what her favourite song was, Minami replied with "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson and so Tsutsumi based "Jyunanasai" on "Rose Garden".

Together with fellow Japanese female entertainers Rumiko Koyanagi and Mari Amachi, Minami laid the foundations of the modern Japanese idol. Minami, Koyanagi and Amachi were dubbed the "San-Nin Musume" (Three young girls). Before them, Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri and Izumi Yukimura were promoted in the same fashion. In 1973, Amachi, Koyanagi and Minami were followed by Momoe Yamaguchi, Junko Sakurada and Masako Mori, who were known as "Hana No Chu 3 Trio" (The Trio of Third-Year Junior High School Students).

Following the success of "Jyunanasai", Minami was nominated for Best Newcomer of the Year at the 13th Japan Record Awards, but lost the title to Rumiko Koyanagi. She was invited to perform "Jyunanasai" on the 22nd edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen and eventually made 8 appearances on the show.

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