Keiko Fuji: The Era of Masao Ishizaka and Shinei Production

When did Junko Abe (later Keiko Fuji) and Ryuji Sawanoi (later Masao Ishizaka) first meet? Keiko came to Tokyo in 1967, shortly after graduating from junior high school. While taking lessons from the famous composer Hideaki Yashima, known for songs like "Azami no Uta," Keiko worked as a street singer in Kinshicho from the age of 16 to 17. She first met Ryuji Sawanoi at the home of another composer, Takeshi Kamijo. It was during the winter in Asakusa that Ryuji Sawanoi made his proposal—not of marriage, but of forming a duo. Guided by his words, "I want to bet on you," she moved into his home to become his apprentice. At that time, Ryuji Sawanoi was 27 years old and an unsuccessful contract lyricist for Toshiba.

At that time, Junko Abe held a faint romantic interest in a man called "Mammy," who was part of a group called Olive. Later, Ryuji Sawanoi also became friends with the members of Olive and was invited to the Sawanoi residence, but for some reason, he never invited Mammy. It seems Ryuji Sawanoi intentionally did not invite him. One cannot help but feel that Ryuji Sawanoi had feelings for Junko Abe that he could not deny.
On September 25, 1969, Junko Abe made her singing debut under the name "Keiko Fuji" with the song "Shinjuku no Onna" from RCA Records. She was 18 years old. At that time, Ryuji Sawanoi also began calling himself "Masao Ishizaka." Then, on November 10, 1969, she gained popularity through the "Shinjuku 25-Hour Campaign," and in February 1970, "Onna no Blues" was released, followed by "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" on April 25 of the same year. The latter became a massive hit, topping the Oricon single chart for 10 consecutive weeks, and the "Keiko Fuji Boom" suddenly arrived.

"Once, Junko (Keiko Fuji's real name) and I were 'comrades-in-arms' who fought through the same era. After meeting in the autumn of 1968, Junko Abe became the singer 'Keiko Fuji,' and I changed my name from Ryuji Sawanoi to 'Masao Ishizaka' to raise Keiko Fuji." Despite being raised in a harsh environment, Junko Abe remained honest and straightforward as she became "Keiko Fuji," but the struggle with Masao Ishizaka was quite interesting. Masao Ishizaka testified, "From the time I took her under my wing until her debut, I trained her quite strictly. I have a tendency to look down on women a bit, so when we clashed over songs, I would end up hitting her." Keiko Fuji also stated, "Sawanoi-sensei trained me as if he had gone mad. We clashed frequently and fought often. Since we were both short-tempered, we would immediately trade insults. We would often end up in near-brawls, shouting things like 'Get outside!' and 'I will!'"

In this way, although Masao Ishizaka and Junko Abe (Keiko Fuji) wrote that they were "comrades-in-arms," they proceeded to build "Keiko Fuji" as if they were "lovers" or a "married couple." However, when Kiyoko Hanai, who would later become Masao Ishizaka's wife, appeared, Junko Abe's position began to change subtly. Keiko, who continued to sing desperately, lost her voice due to illness. This was reported in the June 1970 issue of Weekly Heibon: "'I will sing until I die!' On May 24, while performing a one-man show at Kawasaki Toei, Keiko Fuji collapsed in the dressing room with a tragic, raspy voice. She had been struggling for two months while suffering from 'vocal cord nodules' (hypertrophic laryngitis), a disease unique to singers, but she could not overcome the accumulated fatigue. However, despite strong advice from those around her to be hospitalized, she showed her grit by performing three stages that day after receiving only emergency treatment in the dressing room. Around the same time, Ryuji Sawanoi (Masao Ishizaka) married Kiyoko Hanai. Naturally, while Junko Abe (Keiko Fuji) longed for her mentor Masao Ishizaka, she also positioned Kiyoko Hanai as an "older sister" and tried to make her the bride of her mentor, a "maiden's heart" that is heartbreaking. The scene where she greets them and hands over a bouquet, saying, "Sensei, sister, congratulations. I was picked up by Sensei and raised to this point. Thanks to you, I was able to join the ranks of singers..." is like a scene from "Koi Jingi" (May 1971). (From Masao Ishizaka's "Kizuna" (1999, Bungeishunju)) ♪ Loving you while stepping aside, that is a woman's, that is a woman's, love's honor ♪

Shortly after Keiko Fuji began to sell, she revealed that her parents came to ask her for money. As if to escape her parents, Keiko Fuji married singer Kiyoshi Maekawa in 1971, at the height of her popularity. The circumstances behind this are interesting.
Let's quote from "Ryusei Hitotsu" by Kotaro Sawaki: "But why were you in such a hurry to get married (to Kiyoshi Maekawa)? You were only nineteen at the time." "I wasn't in a hurry..." "Did you want to get married? With Mr. Maekawa, quickly?" "That's not it. Mr. Maekawa seemed to want to get married... but I didn't really." "I don't quite understand the circumstances. It couldn't have been a marriage for publicity..." "Do you think I would do that? Me, do something like that?" "I don't think so. But why..." "That's because I was sold." "What? Sold? You?" "My story was sold to a weekly magazine. The story about the relationship between me and Mr. Maekawa, by Mr. Sawanoi." "Mr. Sawanoi sold it?" "That's right, Mr. Sawanoi sold it to create a buzz." ... "That's why I became stubborn. If he was going to do that, I decided I would definitely get married..."
Thus, the marriage between Keiko Fuji and Kiyoshi Maekawa was born out of a situation that could be described as a lovers' quarrel between Keiko and Mr. Sawanoi, and the result is as you know. They divorced in 1972; it was a marriage of about a year, but it seems it did not reach a substantial marriage.

In December 1973, in the 85th track of an 8-disc enka collection containing 100 songs, Keiko's throat was already damaged. Then, in 1974, when Keiko was 23, she underwent surgery for vocal cord nodules (hypertrophic laryngitis).
"It ended up cutting away even the life of my singing," Keiko Fuji declared. "Everyone said it was strange, it was strange, and I tried again, but it was the same. The high notes had become clear, shrill high notes. My singing up until then, it might be surprising, but the high notes were the most important part. I would slowly squeeze out the low notes... pull them up to the high notes... and then explode. That was the highlight. But those high notes were too high. I think there was a certain quality to my singing where the voice would catch in my throat once before finally coming out... But now, it doesn't catch anywhere and just slips out..." "...Once my voice stopped catching in my throat, it stopped catching in people's hearts..." By undergoing surgery to remove the vocal cord nodules, her low, husky voice quality changed. "When I cut my throat, Keiko Fuji died. The person here now is someone else. I have become a different singer with a different voice..." (Kotaro Sawaki, "Ryusei Hitotsu"). In 1974, she was not selected for Kohaku Uta Gassen, and on January 15, 1975, she left the Sawanoi Music Office. It had been about six years.

She transferred to Shinei Production around January 1975.
After that, for three years from 1975 to 1978, Keiko lived with the vocalist of the rock group "Jet'aime" in an apartment she shared with her mother. Let's quote from Kotaro Sawaki's "Ryusei Hitotsu" again. "If you say you were together for three years... does that mean you were living together?"
"There were times when we were apart, but later we lived together." "Where?" "At my..." "Apartment? Was your mother there too?" "Yeah, that's right." "Huh. What did that guy do?" "He was a singer. He was unknown, but he was very good. He was in a group and did vocals." "How did you meet?" "I think I went to a shop where he was singing..."
Also, the November 27, 1975 issue of Weekly Heibon reported: "Appearing as Fuji's lover is Yoshimi Miyamoto, the lead vocalist of the rock group 'Jet'aime,' a young man of only 19. The two met in June of this year. It is said that Fuji, who went to play at the Roppongi supper club 'Barbaras,' happened to see Miyamoto performing, called him to her seat, and treated him to drinks."

Furthermore, in September 1977, there was Suguru Egawa, a monster among monsters. The "blank day of the draft" that sent a massive shockwave through the professional baseball world. The incident in September 1997 has already been talked about to death. I was still a fledgling desk reporter. A draft meeting that shook the baseball world, no, that disturbed society. I didn't know there was a love story behind it. When I was pulling out old materials, it caught my eye. Egawa was the ace of Saku Shin Gakuin in Tochigi. It is said that this was when his ball speed was at its fastest. Two perfect games, nine no-hitters. No, that doesn't matter here. The chairman was Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Ataru Funada. The Egawa family, who were die-hard Giants fans, entrusted him to Funada.
Secretary Minoru Hasumi made a move. The later blank day, the subsequent tragedy of the strong request for a trade with Hanshin. The lightning-fast trade with Shigeru Kobayashi (deceased) to the Giants. Everyone knows the developments. After thinking for several hours, pitcher Shigeru Kobayashi agreed to the trade to Hanshin and held a press conference at the team office at midnight on February 1, 1979.
But behind the scenes, there was this romance with Keiko. Hasumi says, "The Giants were suffering from Kobayashi's womanizing. Just after it was announced to the press, I received a phone call at my house from a woman. 'Mr. Hasumi, please don't trade Mr. Kobayashi to Hanshin.' 'Mr. Kobayashi is my friend,' she said. When I asked, 'Is Kobayashi your lover?' she replied, 'He's a friend,' so when I asked, 'Then is he an important person to you?' she said, 'Yes.' I realized that the two of them might be involved... The caller was Keiko Fuji."

And then... on October 17, 1979, the year Kobayashi moved to Hanshin, Keiko suddenly announced her retirement.