is a Japanese singer and actress. She made her debut in the 1985 drama Maido Osawagase Shimasu, where her performance lead to instant stardom. Nakayama released her debut single, "C", shortly after, and finished the year with her film debut in the blockbuster Be-Bop High School. She became one of the most popular idols during its "Golden Age" in the 1980s. Nakayama's early releases as a teen pop artist were moderate sellers, with the singles compilation Collection (1987) becoming her first of three chart-topping studio albums on the Oricon chart. By this point, Nakayama had pivoted towards a dance-oriented sound and achieved five consecutive number one singles. Her best known songs from this period include "Waku Waku Sasete", "50/50", "Catch Me" and "You're My Only Shinin' Star". By the 1990s, her artistry began to mature as she penned lyrics and recorded ballads, resulting in several platinum singles and her biggest sales: "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..." (1991), "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto" (1992) with Wands, and "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" (1994). Nakayama received positive reviews for her lead roles in Love Letter (1995) and Tokyo Weather (1997); the former remains as her most recognizable credit internationally. Since 1985, she is represented by Big Apple Co., Ltd. Nicknamed, Nakayama occasionally uses the pseudonyms or when she writes song lyrics.

Biography

History

Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. After her mother remarried, her family moved to Koganei, Tokyo, where Nakayama attended Koganei Municipal Junior High School.

Idol career

After a talent scout discovered her in Harajuku, Nakayama debuted on 21 June 1985 with her single "C", and with her starring role in the film Be-Bop High School. Throughout her career as a singer and actress, she recorded 22 studio albums and scored eight No. 1 singles on Oricon charts, two of which sold over one million copies each. She also starred in a Famicom Disk System dating sim produced by Nintendo titled Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School, in which she played a high school student who tries to conceal her actual identity.

Acting career

In 1995, director Shunji Iwai cast Nakayama in the starring dual roles of Hiroko Watanabe and Itsuki Fujii in the film Love Letter. The film was a huge box-office success, and Nakayama won Best Actress awards for her role in the film at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards, the 17th Yokohama Film Festival and the 18th Hochi Film Awards. Nakayama was nominated for a Best Actress Japanese Academy Award in 1998 for her role in Tokyo Biyori, and has appeared in numerous TV series including Love Story (2001). On 8 November 2021, Nakayama starred alongside King & Prince member Yuta Jinguji in the stage play at The Globe Tokyo. The play ran until December 5.

Personal life

Nakayama's younger sister is Shinobu Nakayama, also an actress and retired pop singer. She also has a younger brother named Tomoaki. Two years after her friend Yasuko Endō died by suicide, Nakayama wrote the lyrics and composed the music for the song, "Long Distance to Heaven," that she performed during a 1988 concert tour. A requiem for Endō, the song commemorated Endō's cancelled debut single "In the Distance." It was included in her July 1988 album Mind Game, and mentioned in her 1991 essay collection P.S. I Love You. Without specifying Endō's name, Nakayama wrote about her in her 2009 photo essay collection Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara. Nakayama married musician Hitonari Tsuji in 2002 after an eight-month relationship. They moved to Paris, where they had a son a year later. In 2014, Nakayama and Tsuji divorced, and Nakayama moved back to Japan, with Tsuji retaining custody of their son.

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television Movies

Kōhaku Uta Gassen appearances