Miharu Koshi -

Miharu Koshi (越美晴) is a Japanese singer and songwriter who made three city pop albums through 1981 on RCA. In 1983, she reemerged with the Yen release Tutu, her first of multiple art-pop albums, including the 1984–87 titles Parallelisme, Boy Soprano, and Echo de Miharu.

Background

Miharu Koshi was born on January 3, 1960, in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. Her father played bassoon in the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra; her mother was a classical singer. Koshi started piano lessons at age a three and composed from age eight. She also studied solfège and ballet and often harmonized with her mother at home.

Koshi discovered chanson through radio broadcasts as an elementary-school student. She bought chanson scores and played the songs on piano. Her mother took her to concerts by chanson singer Fubuki Koshiji. Koshi later attended Tokyo Metropolitan Musashimurayama High School.

Koshi’s appearance on Fuji TV’s audition program Kimi Koso Star da! led to an RCA contract. She had a minor part in the 1978 Nikkatsu Roman softcore drama Toki ni wa Shōfu no Yō ni, directed by Masaru Konuma. RCA issued her self-written debut single “Love Step” with an arrangement by Makoto Yano. For her first album, Koshi retained Yano and producer Tomoharu Aikawa.

Discography:

おもちゃ箱第一幕 (1979)
On the Street – Miharu II (1980)
Make Up (1981)
Tutu (1983)
Parallelisme (1984)
Boy Soprano (1985)
Echo de Miharu (1987)
Passepied (1989)
心臓の上 (1990)
父とピストル (1991 • コシミハル)

Sources

CINRA — Koshi Miharu interview, 2013. The strongest childhood source. Koshi identifies her father as a bassoonist with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, describes her mother as a singer, recalls piano lessons from age three, and explains how radio chanson led her to buy scores and sing at the piano. She also describes attending Fubuki Koshiji performances with her mother. The same interview identifies a television audition as the route into her 1978 record career. (Cinra)
CINRA — Koshi Miharu interview, 2021. Independently confirms the musical household, piano at three, composition at eight, elementary-school chanson, purchased scores, and the Koshiji concerts. (Cinra)
Japan Columbia — official Koshi Miharu profile. Confirms Tokyo origin, piano from age three, and composition from age eight. (日本コロムビア公式サイト)
Otonano — “YEN Artist Directory: Koshi Miharu,” January 14, 2025. Supplies solfège and ballet training, the Koshiji connection, the Kimi Koso Star da! appearance, the resulting RCA contract, and the October 5, 1978 release of “Love Step.” (Otana Noweb)
CDJournal. Confirms the January 3, 1960 birth date, Tokyo origin, musical parents, and 1978 debut with “Love Step.” (Cdjournal)
Jimbutsu Jiten. Supplies the more specific Koganei birthplace and lists Tokyo Metropolitan Musashimurayama High School among her schools. I used this only for those geographic and school details. (人物名鑑オンライン)
Nikkatsu — official film archive. Confirms Koshi in the cast of Toki ni wa Shōfu no Yō ni, released September 23, 1978, shortly ahead of her RCA single. (Nikkatsu)
Thursday Onion discographical entry. Gives the original RVC/RCA single data for “Love Step”: October 5, 1978, RVS-1151, with lyrics and music by Koshi and arrangement by Makoto Yano. (木曜日のタマネギ)
Kirari Fujimi — Makoto Yano long-form interview. Yano recalls arranging most of Koshi’s first album and identifies Tomoharu Aikawa as the producer associated with these records. This provides the strongest participant testimony for the first-LP recording setup. (富士見市民文化会館キラリ☆ふじみ)
FanFan original-LP listing / MusicBrainz. The surviving LP data confirms Aikawa as producer and identifies Omochabako Dai-Ichi Maku as the 1979 RCA album, catalog RVL-7211. (Fanfan1)