Tokyo Alumni Podcast: Episode 58- Yu Hayami (Former ASIJ) インター卒業生ポッドキャスト - Singer/Actress

Yu Hayami 早見優 (ASIJ 1984)
Singer and TV Actress

Hayami is a J-pop singer and TV actress in Japan. In 2011, the Japanese music television program Music Station listed her as the 50th all-time best-selling idol in Japan, with 2,850,000 records sold.

Yu Hayami was born in Atami, Shizuoka, and was raised in Guam and Hawaii from the age of 3 to 14 years old. She was scouted by an agent at the age of 14 and soon moved back to Japan to start her career as a singer. She attended ASIJ from 1981 to 1982. She entered Sophia University and graduated, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Comparative Culture.

In 1982, Hayami gained her J-pop singer's debut with the single "Isoide Hatsukoi" (ASAP, my first love!) after being scouted by a talent agent in a shopping mall’s elevator in Hawaii in 1980 when she was only 14 years old. Named “Bilingual girl back from Hawaii” due to her ability to speak very fluent English because of her background, Hayami was instantly recognized and touted as one of the best newcomers to watch out for. She proceeded to win most of the major newcomers’ awards by end of 1982. In 1983, her fifth single, "Natsu Iro no Nancy" (Summer Coloured Nancy), was selected as a campaign song for a Coca-Cola commercial, and she became a cover girl of that. The single became Hayami’s first Big Hit, making it to the top 10 of the Oricon Chart, winning countless awards. As a result of the success of the song, Hayami made her 1st appearance at the 34th edition of the year end NHK Kouhaku Red and White Song Festival. Hayami participated consecutively 3 years in the prestigious show. (1983 - 1985)
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Hayami shifted her focus to become an actress and TV & Radio presenter in the 1990s. Being able to speak fluent English, Hayami’s host programmes were all catered to English speaking education materials and were all very popular. Hayami continued her successful presenter’s work till current, and can still be regularly seen on entertainment varieties programme singing her signature songs from the early stage of her idol career.

TIMESTAMP
1:02 - Introduction
2:57 - Getting scouted - entering the Japanese "geinoukai" show business as a teenager
5:26 - Entering ASIJ and identity
7:46 - The challenges of being a "kikokushijo" (a Japanese returnee)
9:22 - Finding other "geinoujin"/celebrities that can relate (Ann Lewis and
Teresa Teng)
11:04 - 2016 theme song for the UN SDGs
14:00 - Attending the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the "Earth Summit" in 1992
20:32 - Being part of the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1983, 1984, 1985
Letter from Suizenji Kiyoko
25:17 - Expanding from "pop idol" to radio, theater, and TV
29:09 - Balancing television with theater
31:00 - Career after marriage and two children
32:50 - Being an ASIJ parent - returning to ASIJ
38:35 - What is to come in future