Miho Nakayama

Miho Nakayama
中山 美穂
Born (1970-03-01) 1 March 1970 (age 54)
Other namesMiporin (ミポリン)
Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂)
Issaque (一咲)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • lyricist
  • actress
Years active1985–present
AgentBig Apple
Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Spouse
(m. 2002; div. 2014)
Children1[2]
RelativesShinobu Nakayama (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
LabelsKing Records
Japanese name
Kanji中山 美穂
Hiraganaなかやま みほ
Katakanaナカヤマ ミホ
Transcriptions
RomanizationNakayama Miho
Websitenakayamamiho.com

Miho Nakayama (中山 美穂, Nakayama Miho, born 1 March 1970) 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.[3][4] Nicknamed Miporin (ミポリン), Nakayama occasionally uses the pseudonyms Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂, Kitayama Mizuho) or Issaque (一咲, Issaku) when she writes song lyrics.[5][6]

  1. ^ "中山美穂の知られざる素顔、そして家族、年の離れた弟の存在". Entertainment Topics. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Japan Today was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "中山 美穂". Narrow. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  4. ^ "中山美穂". Talent Dictionary. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Miho Nakayama | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  6. ^ "TV Stars: Nakayama Miho". Japan-Zone. Retrieved 8 August 2021.