| Yukiko Iwai | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | 岩井 由紀子 |
| Also known as | Yuuyu (ゆうゆ Yūyu) |
| Born | May 26, 1968 |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Jpop |
| Occupations | singer, actress |
| Years active | 1987-current |
| Associated acts | Onyanko Club Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi Mamiko Takai |
Yukiko Iwai (岩井 由紀子 Iwai Yukiko), also known by the nickname Yuuyu (ゆうゆ Yūyu), is a Japanese singer and actress born 1968-05-26 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Iwai was a member of the all-girl pop group Onyanko Club (from 1985-06-21 until 1987-08-31), and she was the shortest of all the members at 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in).[1][2][3] She was also half of the pop group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, a spin-off group of Onyanko Club.[1][2] She graduated from Kaetsu Women's Junior High and High School (now Kaetsu Ariake Junior High and High School), but left university before finishing at Kaetsu Women's Junior College (now Kaetsu University Junior College). She is the younger in a set of identical twins.
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Iwai moved to Chiba Prefecture after her parents divorced when she was younger. She made her media debut in 1985 as a gravure model in Model Graphix, a magazine for which her older sister was on the editorial committee.
On 1985-06-21, she became the 19th member of Onyanko Club after auditioning on the TV program Yūyake Nyan Nyan, and she appeared on the cover of their first album, Kick Off. Shortly afterward, she and Mamiko Takai (also a member of Onyanko Club) formed the group Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi. About this time, she acquired the nickname "Yuuyu".
Yukiko Iwai performed the lead vocals for Onyanko Club's fifth single, Osaki ni Shitsurei, released in July 1986. From that point, she became the main vocalist for the majority of their albums, and was considered central to the success of the group.
She made her solo debut with the single Angel Bodyguard (天使のボディーガード Tenshi no Bodīgādo) on 1987-03-25. In April of that same year, Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi was disbanded because Takai (the other member of the group) graduated from Onyanko Club and moved on to other things. Onyanko Club itself disbanded in August later that year, and Iwai began working for Nabe Pro along with fellow Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. She also began doing work under her nickname "Yuuyu", turning it into a stage name.
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