is a female Japanese enka singer and occasional voice actress and voice provider of VOCALOID 4 Sachiko developed by YAMAHA co. She previously worked alongside the Pokémon Company, under the alias "Garura Kobayashi".
Sachiko Kobayashi (小林 幸子, Kobayashi Sachiko; born December 5, 1953) is a female Japanese enka singer and occasional voice actress and voice provider of VOCALOID 4 Sachiko developed by YAMAHA co. She previously worked alongside the Pokémon Company, under the alias "Garura Kobayashi".
Contents
Biography
When Kobayashi was 9 years old in 1963, she became a champion in the TBS-produced "Uta Mane Tokuhon" (歌まね読本) music variety show and was scouted by famous Japanese composer and guitarist Masao Koga. Although Kobayashi was only a grade four student, her voice was said to be exactly like well-known Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora.
One year later, Kobayashi and her family left their hometown, Niigata, Niigata and headed to Tokyo where she released her debut song, "Usotsuki Kamome" (ウソツキ鴎).
In 1968, she acted as the heroine in "Aoi Taiyou" (青い太陽), a TV drama produced by TV Asahi. The drama's ending song was also credited to her. However, after 1968, Kobayashi's level of celebrity dropped, thus causing her to get fewer TV appearances and other opportunities.
In 1979, her song "Omoide Sake" (おもいで酒) reached number 1 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 55 weeks in that chart. The song was number 1 on The Best Ten annual chart for 1979, announced on 27 December 1979. The song became the best seller of the year, winning the 21st Japan Record Awards, and causing her to be popular again. As a result, she was asked to take part in the illustrious annual end-of-year music show "Kōhaku Uta Gassen". After 1979, Kobayashi was considered one of the most famous enka singers in Japan until now. Her more recent activity has intersected with Japanese otaku culture.
Her single "Tomarigi" (とまり木) (1980) reached number 4 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in that chart. Her single "Futari Wa Hitori" (ふたりはひとり) (1980) reached number 11 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 22 weeks in that chart. Her single "Kaze To Issho Ni" (風といっしょに) (1998) reached number 17 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 19 weeks in that chart.
In July 2015, a Vocaloid called "Sachiko" was released by Yamaha based upon her voice for the Vocaloid 4 engine.
In April 2018, coinciding with the launch of her official YouTube channel, Kobayashi debuted her Virtual YouTuber persona, Virtual Grandmother Sachiko Kobayashi. At Nico Nico Chōkaigi, she collaborated with fellow Vtuber Kizuna AI on a cover of Vocaloid Hatsune Miku's song "Senbonzakura". Kobayashi also had a recurring "Virtual Grandmother" segment in 2019 Vtuber sketch comedy show, "VIRTUAL-SAN - LOOKING".
"Poketto ni Fantajī" (Ending for Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 1: Sekiei Rīgu), sung with Juri Ihata)
"Pokémon Ondo" (Ending for Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 1: Sekiei Rīgu) & Pokémon: Original Series Chapter 2: Orenji Shōto Hen) sung with Unshō Ishizuka & Kōichi Sakaguchi)
"Yokoso Arks" (Collaboration song for Phantasy Star Online 2, collaborated with Beat Mario)
"Kaze to issho ni" (Ending for Pokémon Movie 1: Myūtsū no Gyakushū)
"Kaze to issho ni" (Ending for Myūtsū no Gyakushū EVOLUTION, sung with Shoko Nakagawa)
"Suteki na Korekushon" (from the Pokémon: Kaze to issho ni album), sung with Raymond Johnson
"Torikaekko Purīzu" (from the Pokémon: Torikaekko Purīzu album)
Filmography
Movie
Zatoichi's Revenge (座頭市二段斬り with Shintaro Katsu) 1965
A Certain Killer (ある殺し屋 with Ichikawa Raizō VIII) 1967
Kewaishi (化粧師 KEWAISHI with Kippei Shiina) 2002
Devilman (デビルマン) 2004
TV Anime
Pokémon (ポケットモンスター) 1997
Yatterman (ヤッターマン) 2008
Danganronpa: The Animation (ダンガンロンパ) 2013 – "Monokuma Ondo" (モノクマおんど)
