Junko Abe, known primarily by the stage name Keiko Fuji was a Japanese enka singer and actress. She had success in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s with her ballad-type songs. She was married on-and-off with Utada Teruzane, and was the mother of Japanese pop singerUtada Hikaru.
Life and career
Fuji was born in Iwate Prefecture, where her father was a rōkyoku singer. Her mother was a rōkyoku shamisen player. As a child, Fuji sometimes accompanied her parents and sang with them when they were on tour. Her song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" won the Mass Popularity Award at the Japan Record Awards in 1970. She also performed this song in the 21st Kōhaku Uta GassenNew Years Eve TV special. Fuji lent her voice in the anime television series Wandering Sun, acting as main character Nozomi who is also a singer in the show. This allowed her to gain higher exposure in the Japanese music world. Her debut album, Shinjuku no Onna/Enka no Hoshi Fuji Keiko no Subete, released 5 March 1970, topped the Oricon album chart for 20 consecutive weeks, and her next album Onna no Blues, released 5 July 1970, continued topping that chart for 17 consecutive weeks. She topped the Oricon album chart for a 37 consecutive weeks, an incredible record in Japan's music history. Her debut album's number-one record of 20 consecutive weeks remains the longest consecutive number-one record in Oricon history. She married the enka singer Kiyoshi Maekawa and retired from singing in 1979, announcing her retirement during a TV show on 30 December of that year. The marriage ended in divorce, after which she emigrated to the United States, where she became active in music again by 1981. There, she married to Teruzane Utada, a record producer. Their only child, Hikaru Utada, was born in 1983 in New York City. The couple married and divorced seven times.
On 3 March 2006, U.S. DEA officials confiscated more than $420,000 in American, Canadian, and Australian currencies from Keiko Fuji's carry-on luggage at JFK Airport, New York, as she waited to board a flight to Las Vegas. Keiko denied any wrongdoing, and was not charged with any crime. However, the government initiated forfeiture proceedings, seeking to seize the money, which it alleged represented proceeds of drug sales or was intended to be used to buy drugs. Keiko disputed the government's claim. In August 2008, the matter remained pending in Federal District Court in New York. On 27 January 2009, the Federal District Court in New York ordered the confiscated money returned to her, citing lack of evidence.
Death
Keiko Fuji died on 22 August 2013, by jumping from the thirteenth floor of a condominium building in Shinjuku, Tokyo. No foul play was suspected. Her body was found in the grounds of her apartment building. Police said that her slippers were found at the end of her balcony, with no suicide note found. However, her daughter Utada Hikaru, claims there was a suicide note.
