Yoko Yamaguchi

Yoko Yamaguchi (May 10, 1937 – September 6, 2014) was a Japanese lyricist and novelist. In 1985, Yamaguchi won the Naoki Prize for her novels, Enka no Mushi ("Japanese Ballad Lover") and Robai ("Old Japanese Plum").

Yamaguchi was a native of Nagoya. She began her career by opening an upscale bar in the Ginza district of Tokyo. Yamaguchi wrote song lyrics during the slow times while managing her bar, leading to a series of successful songs during the 1970s. In 1971, Yamaguchi's song "Yokohama Tasogare" ("Yokohama Twilight Time"), performed by Hiroshi Itsuki, became a major hit within the enka genre. Yamaguchi penned another hit with "Brandy Glass," performed by actor and singer, Yujiro Ishihara. She began writing novels during the 1980s.

Yamaguchi died from respiratory failure on September 6, 2014, at the age of 77.

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