Junko Ohashi

Junko Ohashi (大橋 純子) was a Japanese singer best known for her songs "Silhouette Romance" (1981) and "Tasogare My Love" (1978). She was known for her "overwhelming singing ability" and was mainly successful between late 1970s and early 1980s. Her discography consists of more than 20 albums. After a brief hiatus due to battling esophageal and breast cancers, she returned to music in 2019. Unfortunately, on November 9 2023, Ohashi died at the hospital in Tokyo at the age of 73.

Early life and education
Ohashi was born in Yūbari, Hokkaido, Japan on April 26, 1950, the oldest of four children from a family that ran a restaurant. She graduated from Hokkaido Yubari High School, later attending and graduating from Fuji Women's Junior College. While at college, she joined a band.

Career
Ohashi made her debut as a singer with the album Feeling Now (1974). She had her breakout in 1978, with the hit "Tasogare My Love", the theme song of the TBS drama series Shishi no Gotoku. During her initial stages of her career, she was known to sing hard rock, but switched to soul after being inspired by artists Sérgio Mendes and Janis Joplin. She accompanied Kiyohiko Ozaki on a live tour, and later served as a supporting act.

In 1976, she released the song "Paper Moon", which became a hit. With the success of the album of the same name, she formed the band Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station. In 1978, she released the song "Tasogare My Love", which won her a Gold Award during the 20th Japan Record Awards. In 1981, she released the song "Silhouette Romance", which ranked at number 7 on the Oricon Singles Chart, was awarded best song at the 24th Japan Record Awards and sold over 500,000 copies. She also participated in several editions of the Kōhaku Uta Gassen competition, starting from 1979.

In 2018, Ohashi announced that she would be on hiatus after her esophageal cancer diagnosis, returning to recording and touring in March 2019.

Personal life
Ohashi met composer Ken Sato while he was working at Yamaha, marrying him in 1979.

Health problems and death
In 2018, Ohashi revealed that she was diagnosed with early-stage esophageal cancer, cancelling tour dates in order to focus on her treatment, but was able to resume touring afterwards. However, in March 2019, Ohashi revealed that she was also suffering from breast cancer.

On March 22, 2023, it was reported that Ohashi had relapsed and stopped touring again due to focusing on treating her esophageal cancer. Unfortunately, eight months later, on November 9, Ohashi died at the hospital in Tokyo at the age of 73. Her funeral was held at Zōjō-ji temple on November 15 after she was cremated.