Yukiko Iwai (Onyanko Club)
| Yukiko Iwai | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | 岩井 由紀子 |
| Also known as | Yuuyu (ゆうゆ Yūyu?) |
| Born | May 26, 1968 |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Jpop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1987-current |
| Associated acts |
Onyanko Club Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi Mamiko Takai |
Yukiko Iwai (岩井 由紀子 Iwai Yukiko?), also known by the nickname Yuuyu (ゆうゆ Yūyu?), is a Japanese singer and actress born May 26, 1968 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Iwai was a member of the all-girl pop group Onyanko Club (from June 21, 1985 until August 31, 1987), and she was the shortest of all the members at 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in). She was also half of the pop group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, a spin-off group of Onyanko Club. She graduated from Kaetsu Women's Junior High and High School (now Kaetsu Ariake Junior High and High School), but left Kaetsu Women's Junior College (now Kaetsu University Junior College) before she finished. She is the younger in a set of identical twins.
Iwai moved to Chiba Prefecture after her parents divorced when she was younger. She made her media debut in 1985 as a gravure model in Model Graphix, a magazine for which her older sister was on the editorial committee.
On June 21, 1985, she became the 19th member of Onyanko Club after auditioning on the TV program Yūyake Nyan Nyan, and she appeared on the cover of their first album, Kick Off. Shortly afterward, she and Mamiko Takai, also a member of Onyanko Club, formed the group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi. About this time, she acquired the nickname "Yuuyu". Yukiko Iwai performed the lead vocals for Onyanko Club's fifth single, Osaki ni Shitsurei, released in July 1986. From that point, she became the main vocalist for the majority of their albums, and was considered central to the success of the group.
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