**"Genki no Utahime - Kiyoko Suizenji and Showa Yell" - Focusing on the 1960s**.

**"Genki no Utahime - Kiyoko Suizenji and Showa Yell" - Focusing on the 1960s**.

Kiyoko Suizenji (real name: Tamiko Hayashida) was born in Kumamoto City in 1945. Born in the midst of the chaos of defeat, she is a symbol of the postwar reconstruction generation that rode the wave of rapid economic growth to the top of the entertainment world. Her father was a judoist and she grew up in a strict family. She initially aspired to attend Takarazuka Music School, but that dream did not come true and she decided to enter the entertainment world as a singer.

After moving to Tokyo, she went through an apprenticeship that was like a sink, and in 1964, she made her record debut with "Tears for Migratory Bird". This was the year of the Tokyo Olympics, and the whole country was in a mood of "hope" and "progress. Suizenji's clear and lively voice and resolute stance matched the mood of the times.

Ippondoko no Uta" was released in 1965, the year after her debut, and was highly acclaimed as a representative work of her early years. The lyrics were written by Tetsuro Hoshino and the music by Toru Funamura. The song, which sings about the spirit of a man who goes through life with just his fist, overlaps with the heroism of the common Showa era, and transcends the enka genre to become a song that embodies the "justice of the Showa era. Although she is a female singer, her powerful rendition of "Otoko-bushi" has resonated beyond the boundaries of gender.

The decisive turning point came in 1968 with the song "March of 365 Steps. This song was like a cheering song for "Ganbare Nippon" for working people and housewives living in the high-growth period of Japan's history. As symbolized by the lyrics, "Happiness never comes walking," the song's message that with hard work and a positive attitude, a way will open up for you struck a chord with many people. The military-style marching rhythm, combined with her crisp vocalization, made the song widely used in schools, athletic meets, and TV programs. Critics have described it as "a rare example of a song that sublimates the sound ideals of postwar democracy into song.

Her energetic character also made her popular on television, and in 1970 she played the lead role in the TBS drama "Arigato (Thank You)," transforming her into a nationally known actress. The drama was a human drama series set in a hospital, a supermarket, and a fire station, in which Suizenji played a nurse, a cashier, and the wife of a fireman, and became a social phenomenon with viewer ratings exceeding 40%.

During this period, Japan was experiencing pollution problems, student unrest, and oil shocks, but many people still held the belief that "tomorrow will be better than today. Kiyoko Suizenji's bright and straightforward voice was the "spiritual anchor" of this era of hope.

She continued to be a regular participant in the Kohaku Uta Gassen, maintaining her strong popularity as both a singer and an actress. It has become synonymous with "cheering songs" that transcend the boundaries of enka, and has remained popular with many people since the Heisei era.

Kiyoko Suizenji is more than just an enka singer. She was a "standard-bearer of songs" who was cheerful and honest, and faced the times head-on. As a "companion" to those living in the Showa era and a "sister who cheers us up," her name is deeply engraved in Japanese popular culture.