generasia:Featured article for 2013 week 15
Fukuyama Masaharu
Fukuyama Masaharu (福山雅治) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, producer, radio personality, actor and photographer. He was under the label BMG JAPAN until 2000, when he transferred to Universal Music Japan. He is also a member of the entertainment company AMUSE. He made his debut as an actor in 1988 with the movie Hon no 5g and two years later made his singing debut with the single "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka". It wasn't until his fifth single "Good Night" in 1996 when he became popular as a singer as it reached #17 on the Oricon and sold 16,490 copies in its first week, it later reached #66 on the yearly Oricon chart for 1996 three years later. His 10th single "HELLO" proved his popularity and success even more as it reached #1 on the Oricon, and sold 1,870,930 copies, becoming the #3 single of 1995.
While he can be seen in Japanese doramas, Fukuyama is best known for his singing career and remains popular in Japan. He took a hiatus in 1996, stopping all his entertainment activities except his radio shows and returned in 1998 with a warm welcome from his fans. Encouraged by his fans, he bagan his Daikanshasai (Thanksgiving) series of concerts in 1999, to show his appreciation from the support he obtained from his fans. He has also won many awards from his success for singing and acting and won the "Best Actor" award at the 55th Television Drama Academy Awards in 2008. He has cemented his status as the best-selling male solo artist in Japan, having sold 21.27 million copies of his releases so far.
Since Fukuyama Masaharu's debut, he has released 30 singles, 10 albums, 5 best albums, and 13 VHS/DVDs. He has also been in 16 dramas and 6 movies. His 30th single "Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove" was released April 10th, 2013.
