The 'Legendary Idol' Who Convinced Her Civil Servant Dad... Mom Seiko Who Disappeared from TV After Sending Her Daughter First [Japanese Side]

"Legendary Idol" Sparks Sensation of the Era
'Seiko Cut' Trend Follows Style
Media Buzz Amidst Consecutive Scandals
No Broadcast Appearances After Daughter's Death
NewJeans Hani 'Recalls Memories'

"Ah~ Watashi no Koi wa~ (あ?私の?は)" This song is truly going viral these days. It is Seiko Matsuda's "Blue Coral Reef." NewJeans member Hanni sang this song at Tokyo Dome, and it is gaining sensational popularity in Japan as well.

Jacket photo of Seiko Matsuda's album 'Squall' featuring 'Blue Coral Reef'. (Photo by Seiko Matsuda official website)

In fact, Seiko Matsuda is remembered as an eternal idol because of her songs, but she is also known as a celebrity who went through many hardships. Today, we will focus on her life, which was overshadowed by the revived "Seiko craze."

In the original article, it would be correct to refer to Seiko Matsuda by her family name, Matsuda, but since "Seiko" is so familiar among fans in both Japan and Korea, this article will use "Seiko" instead of Matsuda.

Seiko’s Difficult Path to Becoming a Singer… Faced Opposition from Her Father

Seiko Matsuda was born in 1962 in Fukuoka, and her original name is Noriko Kamachi. Her father was a public official, and her family was quite traditional and well-off in the region, so she had a comfortable childhood. Before entering high school, she began seriously dreaming of becoming a singer by applying for a rookie singer audition held in Fukuoka. In 1978, her second year of high school, she applied for the Kyushu regional audition of the "Miss Seventeen Contest," hosted by Japan CBS Sony and the magazine publisher Shueisha. She won first place in the Kyushu competition. Next, she was supposed to participate in the national competition, but the problem was that she had applied without her parents' knowledge, which became a stumbling block. Her father was strongly opposed to her becoming a singer, and as a result, she was not allowed to participate in the national competition.

Profile photo of Matsuda Seiko during her activities in the 1980s. (Photo by Sony Music)

Meanwhile, producer Muneo Wakamatsu was traveling around to discover new talent for the national competition. Not finding anyone he liked, he brought demo tapes from participants in various regions to listen to. When he heard Seiko’s song from the Kyushu competition, he was shocked. Wakamatsu later recalled that moment as "the shock of seeing a clear sky after a typhoon at the end of summer."

However, her father wanted Seiko to graduate from high school and go to college like others, opposing her becoming a singer. Producer Wakamatsu even went from Tokyo to Fukuoka to persuade him personally but was repeatedly rejected. Nevertheless, Seiko did not give up on her dream. She got permission to stay out overnight, saying she was visiting relatives in Tokyo, but instead, she went to meet Wakamatsu again and talked with him.

After persistent efforts like this, her father finally gave in. He called Wakamatsu to Fukuoka and said, "My daughter won’t listen. She even threatens to run away from home. As a parent, I have no choice but to let her pursue her dream. I entrust her to you, so please take responsibility. I trust you," thus handing over responsibility to Wakamatsu.

Various Stories About Her Stage Name

How did her stage name, which became more famous than her real name, come about? There are several analyses, but no definitive explanation can be found. Multiple origins are mixed in articles, so here are all the analyses so far. The first is that before debuting as a singer, she acted in a drama called "Odaijini," playing a character named Seiko Matsuda. The name felt just right and familiar, so it was used as her stage name.

Another interesting origin is the "naming theory." A famous spiritual medium named Hiroko Oki from Nagoya, known for her spiritual abilities like a Korean shaman, supposedly gave her the name. A 2015 article in the Japanese Weekly Post introduced this story. This medium was famous for naming celebrities. Hideyoshi Aizawa, the agency president, gave her a photo of Seiko, her real name, and birthdate, asking for a name that could surpass the then-popular singer Momoe Yamaguchi. After sensing Aizawa’s energy, the medium connected it and chose kanji characters with the right stroke count to create the name.

Other interpretations include that the name was inspired by the popular watch brand Seiko, hoping she would become a famous singer like the brand.

Sensational Popularity… Ascending to the Legend of the 'Eternal Idol'

Seiko debuted as a singer in 1980 with "Season of Barefoot." The agency president had asked the medium for a name around the time Momoe Yamaguchi retired.

With her refreshing voice and cute appearance, Seiko began gaining popularity. The big hit "Blue Coral Reef" was her second song after "Season of Barefoot" was released.

Her uniquely soft, swaying bob hairstyle became a sensational trend called the "Seiko-chan cut." When she appeared with a bob cut in 1981, short hair became fashionable. Perhaps this is why many Japanese felt nostalgic when NewJeans’ Hanni sang this song with a short bob.

In 1983, Seiko Matsuda singing "Blue Coral Reef" at Nippon Budokan in Japan. (Photo by Sony Music Japan YouTube channel)

Along with producer Wakamatsu, famous lyricist Takashi Matsumoto joined to form the so-called "Seiko Project." Matsumoto wrote lyrics that honestly expressed women’s feelings, such as "I like you" and "I don’t like you," which were different from traditional Japanese enka. This helped build Seiko’s bright and positive image even more.

Seiko has won over 40 music awards since her debut and holds the record of 24 consecutive number-one singles on the charts. She also ventured into the U.S. market, appearing on the Billboard charts, and in 2005, her album released in Taiwan debuted at number one. In 2013, she set a record for the most performances by a female artist at Nippon Budokan with 100 shows. In short, she became a legendary idol in Japan.

Scandals That Even the 'Legendary Idol' Could Not Stop

Success always comes with anti-fans. At that time, there were pros and cons. She was nicknamed "burikko (ぶりっ子)," meaning "pretending to be cute" in Japanese, for acting overly cute.

Seiko was involved in many scandals. Korean media also reported on her scandals around the same time, calling her "Japan’s Madonna," but details will not be introduced here. After debuting, she publicly dated Hiromi Ko, whom she had liked as a fan, but they broke up after three years. One month after the breakup, rumors of a relationship with actor Masaki Kanda surfaced, and two months later, they announced their marriage and had a daughter, Sayaka Kanda. They were married for 12 years before divorcing, but even during their marriage, several scandals broke out. She was seen with a man known as an official couple in the entertainment industry, causing controversy. This scandal even led to her being excluded from the Kouhaku Uta Gassen candidates.

Her children also attracted media attention. Sayaka Kanda, the daughter of one of the most popular singers of the time, received a lot of media interest from birth. She continued her entertainment career, including voicing Anna in the Japanese version of Disney’s "Frozen" in 2014. However, in 2021, she suddenly took her own life. It was revealed that she had suffered verbal abuse and dating violence from her partner, causing an uproar in the Japanese entertainment industry. The perpetrator was identified as Takahisa Maeyama, a famous actor who had appeared in Kamen Rider, intensifying the controversy. Public criticism also followed, saying "Seiko’s various scandals made her daughter depressed."

Profile photo of Seiko Matsuda currently featured on Seiko's official website. (Photo by Seiko Matsuda official website)

The Syndrome Created by NewJeans… Rekindling Memories and Reappraisal

After her daughter’s death, Seiko has not appeared on TV programs. At the time, she was scheduled to appear at the year-end Japanese music festival Kouhaku Uta Gassen but canceled and has not appeared since. It is said that it is difficult for her to decide to appear again since she once performed at Kouhaku with her daughter. However, she is still holding concerts, which some say might be because she can only sing in front of fans who can empathize with her grief.

Since she has not appeared in the media, whenever Seiko was spotted on the street, many speculations arose. Last year, there was a report that she was seen wearing a mask and talking with company officials at a cafe, looking very thin and mentally struggling.

Then suddenly, NewJeans member Hanni sang "Blue Coral Reef," causing a huge reaction in both Korea and Japan. Many articles analyzed this craze in Japan. Since the song was sung during Japan’s economic boom in the 1980s, it is analyzed that it gave middle-aged and older generations, who have faced economic difficulties during the lost 30 years, a chance to reminisce about that time.

Japan liberalized overseas travel from the mid-1960s, and by the 1980s, even the younger 20s and 30s generation could travel abroad actively. Due to the strong yen at the time, there was a "boom in overseas travel" in Japan. The lyrics of "Blue Coral Reef," such as "Love rides the southern wind," and the exotic atmosphere of the music video with yachts fully represent the sensibility of Japan in 1980.

NewJeans member Hanni singing "Blue Coral" at Tokyo Dome on the 26th of last month. (Photo by Adore)

At the time this song was popular, Korea was undergoing military dictatorship and democratization movements. Daily Shincho explained that because of this background, 1980s Japanese city pop was seen as free and open by Korea’s middle-aged and older generations, but at the same time, the song reminded them of Korea’s dark times, evoking mixed emotions. Also, in Korea, the song appeared in the 1995 hit movie "Love Letter," famous for the line "Ogenki desu ka," which probably gave people a nostalgic feeling of having heard the song somewhere before.

In Japan, a man in his 60s commented on a video of Hanni singing "Blue Coral Reef," saying, "I am battling cancer, but listening to this song gave me courage. I will overcome cancer." Koreans responded with comments like "Let’s stay strong and overcome this," and "Wishing for a full recovery," which was also reported in the media.

A song that flowed from Japan to Korea in the 1980s is now crossing back from Korea to Japan in 2024, creating new memories. It is fascinating and heartwarming to see the craze between the two countries started by a single song.