Showa Era Icon Yukio Hashi Dies at 82
Yukio Hashi, a leading singer who epitomized the Showa era's music scene, passed away on the 5th at the age of 82. The sudden news of his death has deeply saddened many fans and associates. Hashi made his debut in 1960 while in his second year of high school, releasing the song 'Itako-Gasa.' He quickly gained immense popularity and, alongside Kazuo Funaki and Teruhiko Saigo, formed the 'Go-san-ke' (The Big Three), defining an era of Japanese music. In 1962, his duet with Sayuri Yoshinaga, 'Itsudemo Yume o' (Always Dream), became a massive hit, earning him the 4th Japan Record Award. He also established himself as a national singer, appearing in NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen for 17 consecutive years from his debut, and a total of 19 times. Among his many other hit songs are 'Zekken No. 1 Start Da,' 'Tsutenkaku no Hi,' and 'Ano Ko to Boku.' In recent years, despite battling Alzheimer's disease, he once retracted his retirement to cont...