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Chisato Moritaka | |||||
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森高千里 | |||||
| Born | (1969-04-11)11 April 1969 (age 55) | ||||
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter | ||||
| Agent | Up-Front Create | ||||
| Height | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Children | 2 | ||||
| Musical career | |||||
| Genres | |||||
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| Years active |
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Musical artist | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 森高 千里 | ||||
| Hiragana | もりたか ちさと | ||||
| Katakana | モリタカ チサト | ||||
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| Website | moritaka-chisato | ||||
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Chisato Moritaka (森高千里,Moritaka Chisato) (born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of theUp-Front Group.[1][2][3][4]
Moritaka's singing career as the unrivaled "Dance Queen" began in May 1987 with the release of her debut albumNew Season. She differed from many other femaleidol singers in Japan in that she wrote her own lyrics for majority of her albums. More than 60 of her songs were composed byHideo Saitō. Moritaka also played drums on many of the tracks, as well as piano, guitar, recorder, clarinet, and other instruments. Her musical style was influenced byPink Lady,Janet Jackson,Roger Taylor, andThe Beatles. From 1987 to 1999, Moritaka sold over 6.4 million singles and 5.2 million albums.[5][6] Moritaka's advertising jingles were hits into the mid-1990s in television commercials for goods and services such as consumer electronics, chocolate, beer, gin, and travel packages. She has also made numerous appearances on Japanese game and talent shows and is still a household name. In twelve years after her debut, she released 13 studio albums and created a strong following of devoted fans.[2]
Born inIbaraki, Osaka, Japan, Chisato Moritaka was raised inKumamoto,Kyushu. Her father, Shigekazu Moritaka (森高 茂一,Moritaka Shigekazu), was a member of arockabilly band called Orange Hill (オレンジ・ヒル,Orenji Hiru). Her mother, Chizuko Moritaka (森高 千鶴子,Moritaka Chizuko), is a former actress.[7] While studying at Kyushu Girls' School (九州女学院,Kyūshū Jogakuin) (nowKyūshū Lutheran College), Moritaka played drums in a band that mainly coveredRebecca songs.[6]
Moritaka's big break into show business came when she won the Grand Prix of the firstPocari Sweat Image Girl Contest in 1986.[8][3] She appeared in a series of Pocari Sweat commercials withShigesato Itoi, who was one of the judges of the contest. While pursuing her new career, Moritaka transferred toHorikoshi High School in Tokyo.[9][2]
In 1987, Moritaka starred in theToho filmAitsu ni Koishite, which premiered on 30 May. She also made her music debut with her first single "New Season" on 25 May. Following her first concert at Shibuya Live Inn on 7 September, Moritaka focused on her music career. In 1988, she wrote the lyrics for her first song, "The Mi-ha" which was composed byHideo Saitō. During a rehearsal in the middle of her first tour, Moritaka suffered abdominal pain and was hospitalized for a week. Her experience at the hospital inspired her to write the lyrics for "The Stress".[9]
On 25 May 1989, Moritaka released "17-sai", a cover ofSaori Minami's 1971 song. The single peaked at No. 8 onOricon's singles chart, making it her first top-10 hit. The song's catchyEurobeat arrangement, combined with Moritaka's dance choreography and colorful costumes with flashy miniskirts that display her slender legs, defined her musical style and image throughout the first half of her career and made her a hit with male fans.[1] Her fifth albumKokon Tozai in 1990 became her first and only album to hit No. 1 on Oricon's albums chart.[2] Moritaka's 11th single "Ame" peaked at No. 2 on Oricon's singles chart and became her first single to be certified Gold by theRIAJ.[10]
On 25 June 1992, Moritaka released the single "Watashi ga Obasan ni Natte mo". Composed by Saitō, Moritaka wrote the lyrics when she was 20 after being told by male staff of her management that women reach their prime at age 19. The song peaked at No. 15, but has since become a popular hit among women, especially after actressHikari Ishida announced it as "A song that gave all women the courage!" (すべての女性に勇気を与えた歌です！,Subete no josei ni yūki wo ataeta uta desu!) during the 43rdKōhaku Uta Gassen onNHK.[11][12][13][6][4] HerRock Alive tour featured female musicians as members of her band. Starting with her albumPepperland, Moritaka started recording drums, guitar, bass, piano, and other instruments on most of her songs. In addition, she began playing instruments on her concerts more frequently. This also marked a change in her image from her vibrant outfits to a more contemporary look.[2]
In 1993, Moritaka scored her first No. 1 hit with the single "Kaze ni Fukarete". However, she was forced to cancel her national tour in 1994 after suffering atemporomandibular joint dysfunction, and she was unable to tour for two years.[4] While recovering, Moritaka played drums inShigeru Izumiya's band at a fundraising concert at theNippon Budokan to aid victims of theGreat Hanshin earthquake.[14] Also in the band was actor and bassistYōsuke Eguchi, whom Moritaka would eventually marry four years later. Moritaka resumed touring in April 1996 with theDo the Best tour, starting at theYokohama Arena.[15][9][2] During the later half of the 1990s, she fulfilled some lifetime goals through two albums. Her 10th anniversary albumPeachberry saw her recording her tracks at the famousAbbey Road Studios and take a pilgrimage toLiverpool as a Beatles fan. Moritaka worked with veteran producerHaruomi Hosono on her 1998 albumKotoshi no Natsu wa More Better. However, at the time of the release of her 13th and final studio albumSava Sava, 1998 saw a decline in sales, with her singles no longer making the top-10.
Moritaka retired at the end of 1999 after her marriage to focus on raising her children.[5] During her retirement, she made a few commercial appearances with Eguchi forHouse Foods Java Curry. After an eight-year hiatus from public life, Moritaka recorded a song for aNissan Lafesta commercial in early 2007.[16] In 2008, she made a guest appearance atSharam Q's 20th anniversary concert at the Nippon Budokan, performing "Watarasebashi" and "Kibun Sōkai". A year later, Moritaka made her first TV appearance in over 10 years onBokura no Ongaku.[2] From 2010 to 2018, she served as a host ofTokyo Broadcasting System Television's travel showChikyū Zekkei Kikō (地球絶景紀行,Voyage to Earth's Superb Views).[17][18][19] On 9 April 2011, Moritaka joined other members of the Up-Front Group roster in the charity event "Ganbarō NipponAi wa Katsu ~From Yokohama with love~" (がんばろうニッポン 愛は勝つ 〜From Yokohama with love〜,"You Can Do It Japan – Love Will Win ~From Yokohama with love~") atYamashita Park to support the victims of theTōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[20][21]
On 25 May 2012, Moritaka celebrated her 25th anniversary by renewing her official website and opening new accounts on YouTube, Facebook, andGoogle+.[3] As part of her anniversary celebration, she challenged herself to cover 200 of her songs on her YouTube channel, which she accomplished in 2017 with "Oshare Fū".[5][15] Moritaka andWarner Music Japan also released the three-disc compilation albumThe Singles on 8 August; it reached No. 5 on Oricon's Albums Chart, making it her first top-five album sincePeachberry.[22] In 2013, Moritaka and DJtofubeats collaborated on a single titled "Don't Stop the Music."[23] She also recorded the song "Kumamonmon" to celebrateKumamon's third birthday.[24]
In 2018, Moritaka and dance choreographerMikiko were inducted into the Fourth Women of Excellence Awards.[4] On 27 and 28 May, Moritaka hosted a two-day concert at theHitomi Memorial Hall, performingThe Singles in its entirety. The concert was released onBlu-ray on 22 May 2019 as30th Anniversary Final Project "The Singles" Day 1・Day 2 Live 2018 Complete Version.[22] In 2019, Moritaka hosted theKono Machi Tour 2019 (この街ツアー2019), her first national concert tour in 21 years. The tour was well received, prompting her to announce a second national tour for the next year.[25]
In 2020, Moritaka became the brand ambassador forDHC's Queen of Serum anti-aging skin cream.[26][27] On 21 March, she performed "La La Sunshine" onFuji TV's music specialKinkyu Namahoso! FNS Ongaku Tokubetsu Bangumi Haru wa Kanarazu Kuru (緊急生放送！！FNS音楽特別番組 春は必ず来る,Emergency Live Broadcast! ! FNS Music Special Program Spring Always Comes), which was broadcast to cheer up the public during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[28][29][30] On 4 May, Moritaka was among the 121 members of Up-Front Group to participate in a YouTube telework to support the frontline workers during the pandemic.[31][32][33] On 25 July, Moritaka hosted an online concert, performing her 10 most popular songs as voted by her fans. In addition, Warner Music Japan announced the release of Moritaka'sKono Machi Tour 2019 Blu-ray and DVD on 26 August. The video covers her concert at Kumamoto Castle Hall on 20 December 2019, which was her first show in her hometown in over 26 years.[34][35][36] On 15 October, she performed a special concert at Zepp Diver City in Tokyo, titled "Chisato Moritaka Live 2020 ～Selected by Nobuaki Onuki～ The Profound Top 20 Best Songs (森高千里ライブ ２０２０〜音楽評論家・小貫信昭が選ぶ“深淵なる名曲”ベスト２０,Moritaka Chisato Raibu 2020 〜 Ongaku Hyōron-ka Onuki Nobuaki ga Erabu "Shin'en'naru Meikyoku" Besuto 20). The concert featured live performances of 20 of Moritaka's songs selected by music critic Nobuaki Onuki, plus her covers ofShonen Knife's "Banana Chips" andNegoto's "Sharp".[37][38] On 8 December, Moritaka performed her third and final online concert of 2020 at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo, titled "Chisato Moritaka Live 2020 Final: My Favorites, My Songs which Chisato Moritaka Didn't Pick on the First Two Live Streaming Shows" (今度は森高千里が選ぶ1回目2回目のライブ配信では歌わなかったマイフェイバリット・マイソングス～森高千里ライブ2020 FINAL,Kondo wa Moritaka Chisato ga Erabu 1-kai-me 2-kai-me no Raibu Haishinde wa Utawanakatta Mai Feibaritto Mai Songusu ~ Moritaka Chisato Raibu 2020 Fainaru). The concert featured a personal selection of Moritaka's 16 songs, plus her cover ofCapsule's "More More More".[39][40][41][42]
In May 2021, Moritaka announced the release of the three-disc live videoChisato Moritaka Live 2020, which compiles her three online concerts from the past year.[43]
On 11 March 2022, Moritaka participated in theShuichi "Ponta" Murakami tribute concert "One Last Live", performing "Zaru de Mizu kumu Koigokoro" and "La La Sunshine". She also joinedMie in performing thePink Lady hit single "UFO".[44] In November, Moritaka became the brand ambassador forYakult Honsha's Lactdew beauty product line.[45][46]
In July 2023, Moritaka and Warner Music Japan announced the release of the live videoKono Machi Tour 2020–22 on 18 October.[47][48]
Moritaka currently hostsNippon Broadcasting System'sAll Night Nippon Music 10 every second Wednesday of the month.[49] She also hosted the Fuji TV programLove Music until its final episode on 17 September 2023.[50][51]
Moritaka married actorYōsuke Eguchi on 3 June 1999 after discovering she was pregnant with their first child. She gave birth to a daughter in February 2000 and a son in May 2002.[5][3]
Moritaka's father runs a coffee shop inAso, Kumamoto called "Orange Hill", named after his old band.[52]
In an interview withAndGirl magazine, Moritaka revealed that her secret to retaining her youthful looks and toned legs was regular skin moisturizing and exercise, including an hour of swimming.[53] In an interview withVogue Japan, she said she has also been doinghot yoga.[54]
| Year / Broadcast | Appearance | Song | Appearance order | Opponent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 (Heisei 4) / 43rd | Debut | "Watashi ga Obasan ni Natte mo" | 12/28 | Kenichi Mikawa | Also performed a cover of "Candy Candy" withHikaru Nishida andMiho Nakayama. |
| 1993 (Heisei 5) / 44th | 2 | "Watashi no Natsu" | 12/26 | Masaharu Fukuyama | |
| 1994 (Heisei 6) / 45th | 3 | "Suteki na Tanjōbi" | 14/25 | Hideki Saijo | |
| 1995 (Heisei 7) / 46th | 4 | "Futari wa Koibito" | 8/25 | SMAP | |
| 1996 (Heisei 8) / 47th | 5 | "La La Sunshine" | 8/25 | Hiromi Go | |
| 1997 (Heisei 9) / 48th | 6 | "Sweet Candy" | 9/25 | Kiyoshi Maekawa |
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