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".
Biography When Kobayashi was 9 years old in 1963, she became a champion in the TBS-produced 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, .
In 1968, she acted as the heroine in , 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 Omoidezake. Provided by Warner Music Japan. reached number 1 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and spent 55 weeks in that chart.シングル売上TOP15作品. Oricon News. The song was number 1 on The Best Ten annual chart for 1979, announced on 27 December 1979.ザ・ベストテン(1979年12月27日放送). TBS. 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.link
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".
Discography
Singles (1964.06.05) (1964.09) (1964.11) (1965.01) (1965.03) (1965.05) (1965.07) (1965.09) (1965.11) (1966.02) (1966.06) (1966.11) (1967.01) (1967.08) (1968.04) (1969.11) (1970.02) (1970.08) (1971.04) (1971.09) (1972.07) (1973.06) (1976.08) (1977.08) (1977.10.25) (1978.01.25) (1978.06.21) (1979.01.25) (1979.01.25) (1980.01.01) (Unknown) (1980.06.01) (1980.09.25) (1981.02.10) (1981.06.11) (1982.01.01) (1982.06.25) (1983.01.25) (1984.01.25) (1984.07.10) (1984.09.25) (1985.02.25) (1986.02.25) (1986.09.10) (1987.06.25) (1988.02.25) (1989.06.25) (1989.02.25) (1989.09.25) (1990.04.10) (1990.11.15) (1991.08.25) (1992.06.21) (1992.07.10) (1993.02.22) (1993.04.10) (1993.04.10) (1993.10.10) (1994.03l.25) (1995.06.25) (1996.08.30) (1997.08.30) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1997.12.10) (1998.02.10) (1998.02.21) (1998.09.03) (1999.01.01) (1999.09.10) (1999.09.22) (2000.01.01) (2000.04.21) (2001.01.01) (2001.01.01) (2001.04.21) (2001.09.01) (2002.01.01) (2002.06.21) (2002.12.05) Ribbon(2003.01.01) (2003.01.01) (2003.08.20) (2004.03.03) (2006.06.21) (2007.06.21) (2008.02.20) (2008.08.20) (2009) (2010.01.27) (2010.10.17) (2011.06.01) (2013.06.05) (2014.06.04) (2015.06.03) (2015.10.28) (2016.07.06) (2016.07.13) (2016.08.18) (2017.12.06) (2019.02.06)
Album (1964.11) (1978.06) (1979.07.25) (1979.11.28) (1980.04.25) (1980.07.25) (1980.08.10) (Unknown 1980) (1980.12.23) (1981.04.25) (Unknown 1981) (Unknown 1981) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1982) (Unknown 1983) (Unknown 1983) (1984.04.25) (1984.11.28) (1985.04.25) (1985.11.28) (1986.04.25) (1986.12.10) (1987.11.10) (1988.09.10) (1989.09.10) (1990.06.25) (1990.12.21) (1991.06.25) (1991.12.10) (1992.10.25) (1992.12.05) (1993.06.25) (1993.10.21) (1994.06.25) (1995.12.21) (1996.10.19) (1996.10.25) (1997.05.21) (1997.10.04) (1998.04.21) (1998.06.05) (1998.08.01) (1998.11.21) (1999.02.20) (1999.05.01) (1999.08.21) (2000.02.19) (2000.09.01) (2001.01.20) (2001.04.21) (2001.11.21) (2002.04.20) (2002.10.19) (2002.12.04) (2003.06.05) (2003.10.22) (2004.05.19) (2004.10.20) (2005.07.20) (2005.10.19) (2006.06.21) (2006.10.18) (2007.07.04) (2007.10.17) (2008.06.18) (2008.10.01) (2008.11.19) (2009.05.20) (2009.10.21) (2010.06.23) (2010.10.20) (2011.03.23) (2011.03.23) (2011.10.19) (2012.05.23) S (2013.09.04) K (2013.12.04) (2014.08.17) (2015.08.17) SACHIKO THE BEST (2016.12.26) PINSPOT ～Sachiko's Night Club～ (2018.07.04)
Other songs "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) VIRTUAL-SAN - LOOKING (バーチャルさんはみている) 2019 - as Virtual Grandmother Sachiko Kobayashi
TV commercials
Pippu Erekiban (ピップエレキバン) Honda Airwave (ホンダ・エアウェイブ), 2007 Toyo Suisan (東洋水産), 2010 Nyanko Daisensou (にゃんこ大戦争) 2014 Niigata-gen; Niigata-gen policeman Tokushu Sagi Higai Boushi Keihatsu "Kiken Sacchi" (新潟県・新潟県警察 特殊詐欺被害防止啓発)「危険さっち」), 2016 Kirin: Hyoketsu (キリン「氷結」), 2016 Cup Noodles (日清食品 カップヌードル), 2016–present
TV Dramas DCU 2022 - as Aki Negishi (ep. 7)
Kōhaku Uta Gassen Appearances Year#SongNo.VSRemarks1979 (Showa 54)/30th1Omoide Sake (おもいで酒)18/23Masao Sen1980 (Showa 55)/31st2Tomarigi (とまり木)22/23Shinichi MoriSecond Finale1981 (Showa 56)/32nd3Mayoidori (迷い鳥)19/22Hiroshi Uchiyamada and Cool Five1982 (Showa 57)/33rd4Omoide Sake (2)20/22Saburō Kitajima1983 (Showa 58)/34th5Futatabino (ふたたびの)20/21Shinichi Mori (2)Second Finale (2)1984 (Showa 59)/35th6Moshikashite (もしかして)19/20Hiroshi ItsukiSecond Finale (3)1985 (Showa 60)/36th7Meoto Shigure (夫婦しぐれ)19/20Hiroshi Itsuki (2)Second Finale (4)1986 (Showa 61)/37th8Wakare (別離)19/20Hiroshi Itsuki (3)Second Finale (5)1987 (Showa 62)/38th9Yuki Tsubaki (雪椿)17/20Niinuma Kenji1988 (Showa 63)/39th10Yuki Tsubaki (2)21/21Saburō Kitajima (2)Finale1989 (Heisei 1)/40th11Fukushu Kusa (福寿草)18/20Shinichi Mori (3)1990 (Heisei 2)/41st12Inochi Moyu (天命燃ゆ)19/29Masashi Sada1991 (Heisei 3)/42nd13Fuyu Keshou (冬化粧)22/28Noriyuki Makihara1992 (Heisei 4)/43rd14Koi Botaru (恋螢)22/28Kome Kome Club1993 (Heisei 5)/44th15Yakusoku (約束)21/26Akira Kobayashi1994 (Heisei 6)/45th16Ame No Yataizake (雨の屋台酒)20/25Kenichi Mikawa1995 (Heisei 7)/46th17Haha Hitori (母ひとり)18/25Kenichi Mikawa (2)1996 (Heisei 8)/47th18Echigo Jouwa (越後情話)18/25Sharam Q1997 (Heisei 9)/48th19Shiawase (幸せ)17/25X Japan1998 (Heisei 10)/49th20Kazetoishoni (風といっしょに)18/25T.M.Revolution1999 (Heisei 11)/50th21Yancha Sake (やんちゃ酒)23/27Masashi Sada (2)2000 (Heisei 12)/51st22Nakase Ame (泣かせ雨)23/28Hiromi Go2001 (Heisei 13)/52nd23Yume no Gai~Jigosen no Yume (夢の涯て～子午線の夢～)15/27Gackt2002 (Heisei 14)/53rd24Setsunaiyo (雪泣夜)19/27Mikawa Kenichi (3)2003 (Heisei 15)/54th25Kujyaku (孔雀)21/30Mikawa Kenichi (4)2004 (Heisei 16)/55th26Yuki Tsubaki (3)15/27Itsuki Hiroshi (4)Finale (2)2005 (Heisei 17)/56th27Echigo Jeshou (越後絶唱)19/29T.M.Revolution (2)2006 (Heisei 18)/57th28Daiedo Kenka Hana (大江戸喧嘩花)19/27DJ Ozma2007 (Heisei 19)/58th29Koi Zakura (恋桜)16/27Gackt (2)2008 (Heisei 20)/59th30Rouran (楼蘭)21/26EXILE2009 (Heisei 21)/60th31Manyukoeta Aa Kimimatsuto (万葉恋歌 ああ君待っと)20/25Masaharu Fukuyama2010 (Heisei 22)/61st32Kaachan no Hitori (母ちゃんのひとり言)17/22Masaharu Fukuyama (2)2011 (Heisei 23)/62nd33Onna no Sakaba (おんなの酒場)17/25Toshiyuki Nishida2015 (Heisei 27)/66thSpecialSenbonzakura (千本桜)Returned after 4 years
Dubbing Live-action Haunted Mansion (Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis))
Animation Meet the Robinsons (Mildred)
References
External links Official website