Mina Aoe

Shizuko Ihara (井原 静子), professionally known as Mina Aoe (青江 三奈), was a Japanese female enka singer who had a series of popular hits in the late 1960s and continued charting late into her career.

With her distinctive husky voice, she acquired the nickname "Queen of the Blues". She appeared 18 times on the annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen show. After her death, a memorial to Aoe was established in the Isezakichō shopping area in Yokohama.

Selected discography

 * "Isezakicho Blues" (伊勢佐木町ブルース), 1968, one million sold
 * "Ikebukuro no Yoru" (池袋の夜) 1969, 1.5 million sold