Hanako Oku

Hanako Oku
Background information
Birth name	奥華子 Oku Hanako
Born	March 20, 1978 (1978-03-20) (age 33)
Origin	Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter
Instruments	Singing, piano
Years active	2004–present (solo)
Labels	Pony Canyon
Website	http://www.okuhanako.com/
Notable instruments
Piano

In this Japanese name, the family name is "Oku".

Hanako Oku (奥 華子, Oku Hanako^?, born March 20, 1978 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan) is a pop singer famous in her native Japan for her piano ballads. She rose to fame after performing the end-title track for the Madhouse film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in 2006. She was signed to a major record label the preceding year.

Biography

Oku's musical training began at age 5 with piano lessons, but by age 9 she was also learning the trumpet and was a member of her school's brass band.

In 2004, Oku began to perform on the streets of Tokyo, mainly in Shibuya ward, but once sold 402 CDs in four hours outside Kashiwa railway station. Later that same year she released her first mainstream single Fireworks and performed her debut one-woman show to an audience of 135. Approached by Chiba TV, she made an appearance on the show Chiba Fighting Spirit.

Over the next year she toured western Japan and self produced two more CD singles before releasing an album in April 2005. Soon afterwards she was signed up by record company Pony Canyon.

In April 2006, the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was released, with the theme song Garnet sung by Oku.

Come spring 2007, Oku performed to a sell-out crowd at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, and with the release of her album Time Note, she once again performed sold-out concerts there over three nights in July 2007.^[1]

Oku still occasionally busks in Tokyo railway stations, drawing a crowd, and selling her CDs there.^[2]

Since June 2005, Hanako Oku has hosted her KameKameHouse radio show on bayfm78 every Sunday night from 22:30 to 23:00.^[3] At the end of 2009, the show was re-named Lagan de Talk!.^[4] In 2010, Oku began hosting a new radio show E-Tracks Selection once a fortnight on FM OSAKA. Starting January 12, the show airs from 21:00 to 21:30.^[5]

Discography

Albums

Release Date:	Title:
April 20, 2005	Vol. Best (Indies Best)
March 1, 2006	Yasashii Hana no Saku Basho (やさしい花の咲く場所?) "The Place Where the Gentle Flowers Bloom"
March 21, 2007	Time Note
March 5, 2008	Koi Tegami (恋手紙?) "Love Letter"
July 15, 2009	Birthday[6]
August 18, 2010	Utakata (うたかた?) "Bubble"

Singles

Release Date:	Title:	Notes:
August 26, 2004	Hanabi (花火?) "Fireworks"	Independently released single
July 27, 2005	Yasashii Hana (やさしい花?) "Gentle Flowers"
January 18, 2006	Mahou no Hito (魔法の人?) "Magic Person"
February 15, 2006	Koi Tsubomi (恋つぼみ?) "Love Bud"
July 12, 2006	Garnet (ガーネット?) "Garnet"	End-title track for the Madhouse film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
November 29, 2006	Chiisa na Hoshi (小さな星?) "Little Star"
January 23, 2008	Tegami (手紙?) "Letter"
July 23, 2008	Ashita Saku Hana (明日咲く花?) "The Flower that Blooms Tomorrow"	Theme song to NHK's Sekai isshuu! Chikyuu ni fureru. Eko dai kikou (世界一周! 地球に触れる・エコ大紀行?) "Around the World! Touch the Earth Eco-Travelogue"
November 19, 2008	Anata ni suki to iware tai (あなたに好きと言われたい?) "I Want To Say 'I Love You'"
June 3, 2009	Waratte Waratte (笑って笑って?) "Smiling and Laughing"
August 7, 2009	Hanabi (花火?) "Fireworks"	Re-mastered and re-released
March 17, 2010	Hatsukoi (初恋?) "First Love"[7]
August 5, 2010	Garasu No Hana (ガラスの花?) "Glass Flower"[8]	Used as the theme song for the video game Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X.[8]

DVD

Release Date:	Title:
July 18, 2007	Hanako Oku: 2007 Spring Concert: Time Note at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall
March 18, 2009	Hanako Oku Live Tour 08: Hajimete Band de Utaimasu!
March 18, 2009	Hanako Oku Live Tour 08: Mochiron Hitori de Hikigatari!

References

1. ^ Oku, Hanako; Pony Canyon staff. "Biography" (in Japanese). http://www.okuhanako.com/biography.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
2. ^ Lau, Stephen (2007-06-11). "hanako oku". That's Whacked. http://whacked.net/2007/06/11/hanako-oku/. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
3. ^ Oku, Hanako; bayfm78 staff. "KameKameHouse Blog" (in Japanese). http://blog.livedoor.jp/kamekmaehouse/. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
4. ^ Oku, Hanako (2009-12-30). "Thank you 2009!" (in Japanese). Hanako Oku's Personal Blog. http://blog.excite.co.jp/oku-hanako/10611854/. Retrieved 2010-01-10. 
5. ^ Oku, Hanako (2010-01-07). "CM to the mast!" (in Japanese). Hanako Oku's Personal Blog. http://blog.excite.co.jp/oku-hanako/10638340/. Retrieved 2010-01-10. 
6. ^ Oku, Hanako (2009-05-04). "Birthday" (in Japanese). Hanako Oku's Personal Blog. http://blog.excite.co.jp/oku-hanako/9682267/. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
7. ^ Oku, Hanako (2009-12-26). "Merry Christmas?!" (in Japanese). Hanako Oku's Personal Blog. http://blog.excite.co.jp/oku-hanako/10596578/. Retrieved 2010-02-16. "10th single First Love is sale schedule on 2010 March 17th!" 
8. ^ ^{a b} Famitsu Staff (2010-04-22). (in Japanese)Weekly Famitsu (Enterbrain): 316. 

External links

• Hanako Oku's official website (In Japanese)
• Hanako Oku's profile on Pony Canyon's website (In Japanese)
• Hanako Oku's personal blog (24 February 2010 to present) (In Japanese)
• Hanako Oku's personal blog (21 January 2008 to 24 February 2010) (In Japanese)
• Hanako Oku's personal blog (4 October 2004 to 22 January 2008) (In Japanese)
• KameKameHouse radio show blog (In Japanese)
• Hanako Oku on Myspace

Persondata
Name	Oku, Hanako
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 20, 1978
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death