Saburo Kitajima

Japanese folk singer Saburo Kitajima was born Minoru Ono in the small fishing town of Shiniuchi, in Hokkaido. His working class roots as a fisherman have endeared him to lovers of traditional music throughout Japan. Kitajima has capitalised on this image by singing about a type of rural life almost forgotten in Japan which presents a nostalgic view of old Japan appreciated by his mature audience. During a long career spanning more than six decades he has released a number of songs which are now considered standards within the enka genre. These include 'Namida Bune' released in 1962 and 'Yosaku' in 1978. His popularity has endured throughout his professional singing life and with the release of 'Fufu Issho' in 2010 he became the first septuagenarian to have a top ten hit in the history of Japan's Oricon chart.

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