Okada Yukiko

Not to be confused with Okamura Yukiko.

Okada Yukiko (岡田 有希子) (August 22, 1967 - April 8, 1986) was a Japanese pop singer, actress and winner of the talent show Star Tanjo! in Tokyo, Japan.

Early life
Okada was born as Sato Kayo (佐藤 佳代) on August 22, 1967, the second daughter of the Satō family. The family later moved to Nagoya. In elementary school, Okada loved to read, especially comic books, and she was a talented artist. In junior high school, Okada wanted to become a singer and applied for every possible audition. She was rejected every time until she was finally accepted to a TV talent program, Star Tanjō! on Nippon Television, singing Kitahara Sawako's MY BOYFRIEND for the audition, and Nakamori Akina'a Slow Motion motion for the final round, which she won in March 1983.

Career
On April 21, 1984, Okada released her first single, "First Date". She was known as "Yukko", after nervously mispronouncing her name when she first appeared on the TV music program, The Best Ten.

That year, Okada won Rookie of the Year, and was awarded the 26th Japan Record Awards Grand Prix Best New Artist Award for her third single, "-Dreaming Girl- Koi, Hajimemashite".

Okada played the leading role in her first television drama Kinjirareta Mariko (The Forbidden Mariko), in 1985. Her 1986 single "Kuchibiru Network", written by Matsuda Seiko and composed by Sakamoto Ryuichi, reached number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart dated February 10, 1986.

Death
Around 10 o'clock in the morning on April 8, 1986, the manager of the Sun Music building went to check on Okada after she did not answer a phone call. Residents of Okada's building were complaining of a gas smell, the manager then found that the gas was coming from a unattended stove from Okada's apartment, he soon found Okada in her closet, crouching and sobbing with her wrists slashed, along with notes; which talked about Okada wanting a relationship with actor Toru Minegishi (died 2008), but he rejected her. The notes ended with the words "I wanted to see him again. I'm sorry for being so selfish. My heart has nowhere else to go."; Okada's manager then took her to a nearby hospital, her injuries were soon treated and she was soon released to the Sun Music building, while the staff was discussing how to avoid a media scandal, Okada ran up the stairs and jumped off the seventh floor of the front side of the building, resulting in her instant death.

Her death resulted in many copycat suicides in Japan, soon christened with the "Yukiko Syndrome".

Studio Albums

 * [1984.09.05] Cinderella (シンデレラ)
 * [1985.03.21] FAIRY
 * [1985.09.18] Jyuugatsu no Ningyo (十月の人魚)
 * [1986.03.21] Venus Tanjou (ヴィーナス誕生)

Best Hits Albums

 * [1984.11.28] Okurimono (贈りもの)
 * [1985.12.05] Okurimono II (贈りものII)
 * [1999.03.17] Memorial BOX (メモリアルBOX)
 * [2002.05.15] YUKIKO OKADA * ALL SONGS REQUEST
 * [2002.12.18] 84-86 Bokura no Best SP YUKIKO OKADA CD/DVD-BOX (Okurimono III) (84-86 ぼくらのベスト SP　岡田有希子 CD/DVD-BOX 「贈りものＩＩＩ」)
 * [2012.11.21] The Premium Best Okada Yukiko (ザ・プレミアムベスト 岡田有希子)
 * [2014.07.30] GOLDEN☆IDOL OKADA YUKIKO (ゴールデン☆アイドル 岡田有希子)

Hi-Res Albums

 * [2015.09.16] Present Okada Yukiko (プレゼント 岡田有希子)
 * [2015.09.16] Hi-Res Gentei Joukyuushamuke Rare Ongen Okada Yukiko (ハイレゾ限定 上級者向けレア音源 岡田有希子)

Singles

 * [1984.04.21] First Date (ファースト・デイト)
 * [1984.07.18] Little Princess (リトル プリンセス)
 * [1984.09.21] -Dreaming Girl- Koi, Hajimemashite (-Dreaming Girl- 恋、はじめまして)
 * [1985.01.16] Futari Dake no Ceremony (二人だけのセレモニー)
 * [1985.04.17] Summer Beach
 * [1985.07.17] Kanashii Yokan (哀しい予感)
 * [1985.10.05] Love Fair
 * [1986.01.29] Kuchibiru Network (くちびるNetwork)
 * [1986.05.14] Hana no Image (花のイマージュ)
 * [2002.12.04] Believe In You (2002 Strings Version)

Video

 * [2002.12.18] Memories in Swiss

Trivia

 * She went to high school with Honda Minako, Minamino Yoko, and Morina Miharu.