The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Mizutani marks ‘50 yrs’ in showbiz
Chieko Mizutani is a legendary singer of enka ballads. Try to ignore that she is actually a fictitious character played by a famous comedian. Mizutani is a hugely popular singer who has performed with such stars as Hiroshi Itsuki and held a successful concert at Tokyo’s NHK Hall. It’s also true that from Feb. 22 she will lead the cast in a show at the Meijiza theater in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, a venue with a history of 145 years.
After years of singing, she released the best-of album “Bakaitteru” in 2016. In 2018, Mizutani was appointed a tourism ambassador for Taiwan and the campaign’s theme song was released online. Until September last year, she was featured in a radio show hosted by comedian Tomochika, her real-life alter ego, on ABC Radio in Osaka.
The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed her recently, ahead of what she claimed were celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of her career. Please enjoy the mix of reality and fantasy.
The Yomiuri Shimbun: Congratulations on leading the cast in your 50th anniversary show!
Chieko Mizutani: Thank you very much — the 50 years have flown by.
YS: I kind of recall you were doing the 40th anniversary tour several years ago.
Mizutani: To be precise, it was like celebrating my 40 years of singing enka. This time, it’s the 50th anniversary of my career in showbiz, ever since my days as a child actor. My master, Shojin Futaba, told me, “Chieko, you must thank your fans at every anniversary.”
YS: Master Shojin is your mentor. He discovered you at a singing competition.
Mizutani: The master was the head judge at the competition. Then, starting from “Banpaku Sasanishiki” (Expo sasanishiki rice), my debut song that you all know, I’ve sung a string of hit songs with lyrics by Shojin, such as “Untoko-dokkoisho tsubaki” (Upsy-daisy camellia) and “Ichiji-ga-banji zake” (Seen-it-once-seen-it-all booze).
YS: What does the Meijiza theater mean to you?
Mizutani: It’s a dream venue for me. It takes a lot to be the leader of the cast there. I think it’s a greater feat than appearing in NHK’s “Kohaku Utagassen” (Red & White Year-end Song Festival). It’s not just for a day. You must entertain the audience for several days. It’s not something you can do just because you say you want to do it.
YS: The forthcoming performance is in two parts, a play and a music show. Shojin Futaba is credited as conceiving the original idea of the play, “Tonchi Amashogun: Ikkyu-neesan” (Witty female shogun: Sister Ikkyu).
Mizutani: Basically, we are working with a script by Morinosuke Futaba and stage direction by Keitaro Futaba, both from the Futaba stage family. So Shojin is barely involved in the production.
YS: The Futaba stage family — What’s it like?
Mizutani: Shall I say we’re not the kind of folks who hang together all the time? We have similar thoughts, and we’re going in similar directions, and we’re like, “Let’s do something interesting together.”
YS: You became independent from the family, right?
Mizutani: Yes, I set up my own management company, Chieko Promotion, in 1993. My master would say, “You can do whatever you want to do,” so I had his understanding.
YS: It’s a tall order to continue singing for 50 years. Many singers retire early, like Namie Amuro recently.
Mizutani: Indeed, many people have been retiring. That girl, the one who sings love songs, she’s taking a break.
YS: Do you mean Kana Nishino? She’s announced she’s taking a step back from activities.
Mizutani: Yes, Kana-chan. It takes courage to take some time off for yourself, but it’s a great thing. Since you can no longer listen to [Namie] Amurochan sing her “Can You Celebrate?” I have taken up the song and sing it at my concerts. I’m ready to become an heir to various people.
YS: Have you ever thought of retirement?
Mizutani: I did in the 1980s. I thought, if I were to continue unchanged, I might not be able to appear on TV or perform in front of everybody ever again.
YS: I heard you were singing at a suburban bar in Fukui under the name Mochiko Oka.
Mizutani: I understood the pop idol boom had already taken over. If you over-resist when the wind is blowing against you, you just waste your energy. So I thought, I’d better restart when the wind is blowing my way.
YS: And you brilliantly turned things around.
Mizutani: If you take songs away from me, I’d be left only with my beauty. Okay, I’m just kidding. You know I worked hard once again because singing is my biggest weapon.
YS: Your repertory includes various songs, from idol pop songs in the 1980s to theme songs of films produced by the Daiei film company. You are a bridge across different genres.
Mizutani: Yeah, I don’t care much about genres, be it enka or pop music. When I want to sing a certain style of song, I just want to sing it.
YS: You’ve sung a song composed for you by Yoshiki Mizuno of pop group Ikimonogakari.
Mizutani: Yes. That boy is capable of receiving information from all directions, so he knows how to compose a good song. That’s why he told me he specifically wanted Takeshi Kura to write the lyrics. He’s a great songwriter, and a talented producer, too.
YS: Do you have a message for the readers?
Mizutani: You know, what I’ve been thinking about over the past 10 years is that you have only one life to live, so if there’s something you want to do, you should go ahead and do it. If you fail, then you can just stop there. Some people may say they don’t have enough courage, but if there’s a situation in which your other self repeatedly whispers to you, “You have only one life to live,” then you may be able to find the resolve to do it. I’m like that and I try to take up any job offered to me as well as achieve all of the things I want to do. I’ll do my best at the Meijiza theater as well.