1. Overview
Shirō Miya (宮 史郎Miya ShirōJapanese, 1943-2012) was a prominent Japanese enka singer, lyricist, and composer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the group Pinkara Trio, whose 1972 debut song, "Onna no Michi" (女のみちOnna no MichiJapanese, "Woman's Path"), became a historic best-selling single in Japan. "Onna no Michi" sold over 4.2 million copies, making it one of the highest-selling singles in Oricon chart history and significantly contributing to the popularity of kayōkyoku and enka music in the 1970s. Miya later continued his career as a successful solo artist, further cementing his legacy in Japanese popular music.
2. Life and Career
2.1. Birth and Early Life
Shirō Miya was born Miyazaki Yoshirō (宮崎芳郎Miyazaki YoshirōJapanese) on January 17, 1943, in Hirohara-cho, Kasai, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. His blood type was A. In 1959, he began his career working in a cabaret in Himeji, where he independently produced and released his first song, "Otoko no Hanami" (男の花道Otoko no HanamiJapanese, "Man's Flower Path").
2.2. Career Beginnings
In 1961, Miya relocated his activities to Osaka and formed a musical comedy group called Suparō Boys (スパローボーイズSuparō BōizuJapanese, "Sparrow Boys"), a popular entertainment format at the time where members performed with musical instruments, often incorporating parodies of popular songs. Two years later, in 1963, he co-founded another musical comedy group, Pinkara Trio (ぴんからトリオPinkara TorioJapanese), with his elder brother, Gorō Miya (宮五郎Miya GorōJapanese), and Hiroshi Namiki (並木ひろしNamiki HiroshiJapanese). The group's name, derived from the Japanese phrase "ピンからトリをPin kara tori woJapanese", symbolized their ambition to rise from being the "first performer" (pin, a term for a rookie or opening act, from Portuguese 'pinta' meaning 'one') to the "last performer" (tori, the headliner).
2.3. Pinkara Trio and Pinkara Kyōdai
2.3.1. Formation and Members
The Pinkara Trio was officially formed in 1963, consisting of Shirō Miya, his elder brother Gorō Miya, and Hiroshi Namiki. The group initially performed as a musical comedy act. In 1973, Hiroshi Namiki departed from the Pinkara Trio. Following his departure, the group was renamed Pinkara Kyōdai (ぴんから兄弟Pinkara KyōdaiJapanese, "Pinkara Brothers"). Although there was a brief, unofficial announcement of the group operating as "Pinkara Combi" on NTV's Kōhaku Uta no Best Ten immediately after Namiki's exit, the official name of "Pinkara Kyōdai" was confirmed shortly thereafter.
2.3.2. Major Hits and Achievements
In 1972, while performing at the Top Hot Theater in Umeda, Osaka, owned by Toho Geino, Pinkara Trio independently produced and released their debut single, "Onna no Michi" (女のみちOnna no MichiJapanese). The song gained immense popularity through cable radio and persistent promotional efforts, selling an astonishing 4.2 million copies. "Onna no Michi" became the second best-selling single in Oricon chart history at the time and remains one of the highest-selling singles in Japan. The success of "Onna no Michi" was followed by two more major hits: "Onna no Negai" (女のねがいOnna no NegaiJapanese, "Woman's Wish"), which sold 1.7 million copies, and "Onna no Yume" (女のゆめOnna no YumeJapanese, "Woman's Dream"), which sold 800,000 copies. These successes led the group to transition from musical comedy to a more focused vocal chorus group, influencing a boom in similar "Boys" and "musical comedy/rōkyoku" hybrid enka groups in the early Shōwa 50s.
2.3.3. Group Evolution and Disbandment
Following the departure of Hiroshi Namiki in 1973 and the renaming to Pinkara Kyōdai, the group continued its success. In the same year, Nippon Columbia, their record label, received the Public Hit Award at the 15th Japan Record Awards in recognition of "Onna no Negai". Pinkara Kyōdai also made their first appearance on NHK's prestigious year-end music program, Kōhaku Uta Gassen, performing "Onna no Michi" at the 24th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. In 1979, the Pinkara Trio briefly reunited for a one-time performance of "Onna no Michi" on NHK's Watashi no Aishōka Big Hit Kono 10 Kyoku, with Hiroshi Namiki rejoining and Gorō Miya playing guitar. The Pinkara Kyōdai officially disbanded in 1983.
2.4. Solo Career
After the dissolution of Pinkara Kyōdai in 1983, Shirō Miya embarked on a solo career. His solo efforts quickly found success, with the song "Katakoizake" (片恋酒KatakoizakeJapanese, "Unrequited Love Sake") becoming a major hit in 1984. Miya remained a popular and active artist, frequently appearing on various enka and nostalgic music television programs and undertaking numerous local tours. On March 18, 2009, he released the single "Onna no Michi: Part 2" (女のみちパート2Onna no Michi Pāto TsūJapanese), which peaked at No. 106 on the Oricon charts and remained charted for two weeks.
3. Musical Activities
3.1. Representative Songs
Shirō Miya's career is defined by several highly successful and influential songs:
- From Pinkara Trio:**
- "Onna no Michi" (女のみちOnna no MichiJapanese, May 10, 1972)
- "Onna no Negai" (女のねがいOnna no NegaiJapanese, December 25, 1972)
- "Onna no Yume" (女のゆめOnna no YumeJapanese, May 25, 1973)
- From Pinkara Kyōdai:**
- "Onna no Kizu" (女のきずOnna no KizuJapanese, August 10, 1973)
- "Hitorizake" (ひとり酒HitorizakeJapanese, December 10, 1973)
- "Yume wo Daku Onna" (夢を抱く女Yume wo Daku OnnaJapanese, May 1, 1974)
- "Anata ga Hoshii" (あなたが欲しいAnata ga HoshiiJapanese, September 1, 1974)
- "Onna no Chikai" (女のちかいOnna no ChikaiJapanese, January 1, 1975)
- "Omae" (おまえOmaeJapanese, June 1, 1975)
- "Kuyashi Namida mo Deyashinai" (くやし涙もでやしないKuyashi Namida mo DeyashinaiJapanese, December 1975)
- "Anata no Subete" (あなたのすべてAnata no SubeteJapanese, September 1, 1980)
- Note: For songs where Gorō Miya served as the lead vocalist, typically on B-sides, the credit was given under the name "Gorō Miya and His Group" (宮五郎とその一味Miya Gorō to Sono IchimiJapanese).
- From Solo Career:**
- "Katakoizake" (片恋酒KatakoizakeJapanese, 1984)
3.2. Discography
Shirō Miya released numerous singles throughout his solo career, all under Nippon Columbia.
| # | Release Date | A/B-side | Title | Lyrics | Composition | Arrangement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1983 May | A-side | Yume Ichiwa (夢一輪Yume IchiwaJapanese) | Eiji Takino | Hiroaki Sono | |
| B-side | Shiawase Akari (しあわせ灯りShiawase AkariJapanese) | |||||
| 2 | 1984 May 1 | A-side | Katakoizake (片恋酒KatakoizakeJapanese) | Michio Ogawa | Minoru Sakata | |
| B-side | Fūfuji (夫婦路FūfujiJapanese) | Shirō Miya | Minoru Miyasaka | Rokuo Yanagida | ||
| 3 | 1985 April 21 | A-side | Anata no Senaka (あなたの背中Anata no SenakaJapanese) | Minoru Torii | Minoru Sakata | Takaharu Ikeda |
| B-side | Kyō Kara Hitori (今日からひとりKyō Kara HitoriJapanese) | Yukio Kuribayashi | Tadashi Takada | Hiroaki Sono | ||
| 4 | 1986 April 21 | A-side | Yoizame Mirenzake (酔いざめ未練酒Yoizame MirenzakeJapanese) | Masato Oba | Takashi Nango | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Katakoizakaba (片恋酒場KatakoizakabaJapanese) | Yasuteru Miura | Akira Fukaya | |||
| 5 | 1987 July 21 | A-side | Namida no Glass (涙のグラスNamida no GlassJapanese) | Miyuki Ishimoto | Kaoru Hanagasa | Kensuke Kyō |
| B-side | Inochi Kasanete (命かさねてInochi KasaneteJapanese) | Minoru Sakata | Takaharu Ikeda | |||
| 6 | 1988 June 21 | A-side | Inochigawa (いのち川InochigawaJapanese) | Yasuhiko Watanabe | ||
| B-side | Otoko no Machi (男の街Otoko no MachiJapanese) | Kiroku Saijō | Kiroku Saijō | |||
| 7 | 1989 November 21 | A-side | Meoto Manzai (めおと漫才Meoto ManzaiJapanese) | Shōhei Mozu | Gendai Kano | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Jōshū Gokoro (上州ごころJōshū GokoroJapanese) | Toshio Arakawa | Toshiaki Maeda | |||
| 8 | 1991 June 21 | A-side | Kōkō wo Shitai Toki Ni wa... (孝行をしたいときには...Kōkō wo Shitai Toki Ni wa...Japanese) | Yurio Matsui | Yū Kōgawa | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Wakare Yuki (別れ雪Wakare YukiJapanese) | Miyuki Ishimoto | Minoru Sakata | Kensuke Kyō | ||
| 9 | 1992 May 21 | A-side | Onna no Michi! OLE! (女のみち!OLE!Onna no Michi! OLE!Japanese) | Shirō Miya | Hiroshi Namiki | Shinji Miyazaki |
| B-side | Onna no Tsume (女の爪Onna no TsumeJapanese) | Yurio Matsui | Yū Kōgawa | Takaharu Ikeda | ||
| 10 | 1992 September 21 | A-side | Nure Onna (濡れおんなNure OnnaJapanese) | Ryō Saeki | ||
| B-side | Namida no Kusari (涙のくさりNamida no KusariJapanese) | |||||
| 11 | 1993 August 21 | A-side | Onna Keshō Hana (おんな化粧花Onna Keshō HanaJapanese) | Hikaru Kasuga | Akira Fukaya | Takaharu Ikeda |
| B-side | Horori Zake (ほろり酒Horori ZakeJapanese) | Shun Asagi | Hiroshi Tokuhisa | |||
| 12 | 1995 February 21 | A-side | Koi no Kawa (恋の川Koi no KawaJapanese) | Kōji Hara | Chiaki Oka | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Onna no Sakamichi (女の坂みちOnna no SakamichiJapanese) | |||||
| 13 | 1995 November 21 | A-side | Inochi no Kagiri (命のかぎりInochi no KagiriJapanese) | Hiroyuki Tomita | Minoru Sakata | Tatsuya Nango |
| B-side | Onna no Yokaze (女の夜風Onna no YokazeJapanese) | |||||
| 14 | 1996 October 19 | A-side | Nigai Sake (にがい酒Nigai SakeJapanese) | Yasuhiko Watanabe | Yōsuke Saiki | |
| B-side | Oyako Zake (父娘酒Oyako ZakeJapanese) | Yutaka Shijō | Shūya Kōsai | |||
| 15 | 1998 January 21 | A-side | Yoimachi Jōwa (酔町情話Yoimachi JōwaJapanese) | Toshiya Niitani | Hiroshi Tokuhisa | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Onna Hitori De (女ひとりでOnna Hitori DeJapanese) | Kōji Hara | Shirō Miya | Shinji Miyazaki | ||
| 16 | 1998 September 19 | A-side | Okami-san (女将さんOkami-sanJapanese) | Toshiya Niitani | Akito Yomokata | |
| B-side | Akan (あかんAkanJapanese) | Koyomi Asa | Minoru Sakata | Toshiaki Yamada | ||
| 17 | 1999 April 21 | A-side | Sake Shunju (酒春秋Sake ShunjuJapanese) | Toshiya Niitani | Kenji Miyashita | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Wagamama Keshō (わがまま化粧Wagamama KeshōJapanese) | |||||
| 18 | 2000 February 19 | A-side | Kyō Kagiri (今日かぎりKyō KagiriJapanese) | Koyomi Asa | Tatsuya Nango | |
| B-side | Fukajō Nake (深情けFukajō NakeJapanese) | |||||
| 19 | 2000 June 21 | A-side | Sakaba Sasurai (酒場さすらいSakaba SasuraiJapanese) | Mitsuo Ikeda | Kiroku Saijō | Masakane Tsuta |
| B-side | Tōkyō Jōwa (とうきょう情話Tōkyō JōwaJapanese) | |||||
| 20 | 2000 November 18 | A-side | Onna no Honō (女の劫火(ほのお)Onna no HonōJapanese) | Ryūji Shinagawa | Mitsunori Hashida | Tatsuya Nango |
| B-side | Otoko no Dokushū (男の独酒(さけ)Otoko no DokushūJapanese) | |||||
| 21 | 2001 June 21 | A-side | Kiri no Yufuin (霧の湯布院Kiri no YufuinJapanese) | Toshiya Niitani | Tokinori Kageyama | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Oyako Iwai Uta (父娘祝い唄Oyako Iwai UtaJapanese) | Katsumi Shirai | Hachirō Ōno | |||
| 22 | 2002 June 21 | A-side | Naniwa Futari Michi (浪花ふたり道Naniwa Futari MichiJapanese) | Kōji Hara | Masataka Katō | |
| B-side | Onna no Tabiji (女の旅路Onna no TabijiJapanese) | Shirō Miya | Minoru Miyasaka | |||
| 23 | 2003 November 19 | A-side | Ame no Shuzenji (雨の修善寺Ame no ShuzenjiJapanese) | Toshiya Niitani | Tokinori Kageyama | |
| B-side | Aori Zake (あおり酒Aori ZakeJapanese) | Hisako Miura | Masataka Katō | |||
| 24 | 2004 August 25 | A-side | Kanashii Iji (悲しい意地Kanashii IjiJapanese) | Miyuki Ishimoto | Kiroku Saijō | Ryō Saeki |
| B-side | Ame Nasake (雨なさけAme NasakeJapanese) | Koyomi Asa | Hiroshi Tokuhisa | Norio Ido | ||
| 25 | 2009 March 18 | A-side | Onna no Michi Part 2 (女のみちパート2Onna no Michi Pāto TsūJapanese) | Masataka Katō | Masataka Katō | |
| B-side | Tsumujikaze (つむじ風TsumujikazeJapanese) | Wakō Kakehashi | Kumi Kōsai | |||
4. Other Activities
4.1. Film Appearances
Shirō Miya appeared in several films throughout his career:
- Yoru no Kayō Series Onna no Michi (夜の歌謡シリーズ 女のみちYoru no Kayō Shirīzu Onna no MichiJapanese, 1973, Toei) - He appeared as part of the Pinkara Trio.
- Kayōkyoku dayo, Jinsei wa (歌謡曲だよ、人生はKayōkyoku dayo, Jinsei waJapanese, "It's Kayōkyoku, Life Is...", 2007, Xanadeux) - Miya appeared in the fifth story, titled "Onna no Michi," playing the role of Miyata Jirō and performing his hit song.
4.2. Commercial Appearances
Shirō Miya was featured in various television commercials:
- IIJ "IIJ4U" (April 2, 2000) - Appeared in the "Men breaking through walls" segment.
- Pip "Skin Locker 8" (August 21, 2000) - Featured in the "Palmistry: Terrible, too terrible, it's too late after skin roughness" segment.
- Japan Kentucky Fried Chicken "Chicken Sauce is Side" (September 28, 2000) - Appeared in the "Do you like me, Worcestershire flavor" segment.
- Staff Service "Company" (February 17, 2001) - Featured in the "Mispronouncing names, Director Miya playing and singing" segment.
- Dainihon Jochugiku (Kinchō):
- "Mushi-yoke Green" (April 1, 2004) - He appeared dressed as an insect, singing "Mushi Gokoro" (虫ごころMushi GokoroJapanese, "Insect Heart").
- "Odekake Catoris" (June 16, 2005) - He sang "Odekake Bojō" (おでかけ慕情Odekake BojōJapanese, "Going Out Affection").
- SoftBank Mobile (October 12, 2010) - A three-part series titled "Nagashi no Ayu," "Namida Ame," and "Shizuka na Yoru da," where he co-starred with Ayumi Hamasaki and Yuzuki Muroi as a street musician.
5. Personal Life
Shirō Miya's personal life was closely intertwined with his musical career, particularly through his family connections. His elder brother, Gorō Miya (宮五郎Miya GorōJapanese, April 29, 1936 - August 12, 1994), was a co-founder of Pinkara Trio and Pinkara Kyōdai. After Pinkara Kyōdai disbanded, Gorō Miya retired from performing and served as Shirō Miya's manager for three years before falling ill and spending many years in recuperation. Hiroshi Namiki (並木ひろしNamiki HiroshiJapanese, February 14, 1942 - November 13, 1998), another co-founder of Pinkara Trio, had also been a singer at the same cabaret as Shirō Miya before their group's formation. After leaving Pinkara Trio, Namiki formed his own group, "Namiki Hiroshi and Tag Match."
Throughout his career, Shirō Miya was affiliated with several talent agencies, including Yoshimoto Kogyo during his comic band era, Shochiku Geino during the Suparō Boys period, and Daiichi Production (initially its Osaka branch, then its Tokyo headquarters) from the Suparō Boys era through his time with Pinkara Trio, Pinkara Kyōdai, and into his solo career. Later, he established his personal office, Miya Project (みやプロジェクトMiya PurojekutoJapanese). In 2018, Shirō Miya's apprentice, Fujimoto Kentarō (藤本健太郎Fujimoto KentarōJapanese, born July 1, 1960), officially inherited the stage name "Shirō Miya" as the "2nd Generation Shirō Miya," continuing his master's legacy.
6. Death and Legacy
6.1. Death
Shirō Miya died on November 19, 2012, at the age of 69. The cause of his death was multiple organ failure.
6.2. Posthumous Recognition
Following his death, Shirō Miya was posthumously honored for his lifelong contributions to music. He received the Special Achievement Award at the 54th Japan Record Awards.