Noriko Katō

Noriko Katō
Noriko Katō
加藤紀子
Born	Noriko Katō; January 30, 1973 (age 51); Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Occupations	Actress; singer-songwriter;
Agent	Up-Front Create
Height	164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Spouses	; Yoshio Wakatsuki (m. 2005; div. 2010) ; Hiroshi Kawabe (m. 2013)
	Musical career
Genres	J-pop; dance-pop;
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Chichūkai Label; zetima; One Up Music; Warner Music Japan; ;
Japanese name
Kanji	加藤紀子
Hiragana	かとうのりこ
Katakana	カトウノリコ
Romanization
Transcriptions
Romanization	Katō Noriko
Website	www.up-front-create.com/noriko_katou/

Noriko Katō (加藤紀子, Katō Noriko) (born January 30, 1973) is a Japanese actress and singer-songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.^[1]^[2]

Biography

Born in Suzuka, Mie, Japan, Noriko Katō graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Yoyogi High School.^[1]

Katō's career began in 1991 as a member of Sakurakko Club, together with Anza Oyama, Miki Nakatani, Miho Kanno, and Hiroko Kurumizawa. On July 25, 1992, she released her first single, a cover of Chisato Moritaka's "Kondo Watashi Doko ka Tsurete itte Kudasai yo". The single peaked at No. 69 on Oricon's singles chart and earned her a New Artist Award nomination at the 34th Japan Record Awards.^[1]^[2]

In 2000, Katō moved to France to study the French language. She resumed her entertainment career when she returned to Japan two years later.^[1]

In January 2023, Katō switched her talent agency from J.P. Room to Up-Front Create.

Personal life

Katō married creative director Yoshio Wakatsuki (若槻善雄, Wakatsuki Yoshio) on December 27, 2005. They divorced on April 15, 2010. On March 3, 2013, Katō married Tokyo No. 1 Soul Set member Hiroshi Kawabe (川辺ヒロシ, Kawabe Hiroshi).^[1]^[3]

Filmography

TV drama

Shampoo Time (シャンプータイム, Shanpū Taimu) (NTV, 1993)
Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari (東京大学物語, Tokyo University Story) (TV Asahi, 1994)
Saikō no Koibito (最高の恋人, The Best Lover) (TV Asahi, 1995)
Glass no Kutsu (ガラスの靴, Garasu no Kutsu, The Glass Slipper) (NTV, 1997)
Seizetsu! Yome Shūto Sensō Rasetsu no Ie (凄絶!嫁姑戦争羅刹の家, Awesome! Wife-in-Law War) (TV Asahi, 1998)
Dokushin Seikatsu (独身生活, Single Life) (TBS, 1999)
Virtual Girl (バーチャルガール, Bācharu Gāru) (NTV, 2000)
Shōnan Kawara Yane Monogatari (湘南瓦屋根物語, Shōnan Tile Roof Story) (TV Tokyo, 2002)
Little Hospital (リトルホスピタル, Ritoru Hosupitaru) (TV Tokyo, 2003)
Kētai Keiji Zenigata Yui (ケータイ刑事銭形結, Mobile Phone Criminal) (TBS, 2010)
461-Ko no Arigatō. 〜 Aijō Bentō ga Hagukunda Chantoko no Kizuna 〜 (461個のありがとう。〜愛情弁当が育んだ父と子の絆〜, Thank you 461. ~ The Bond Between Father and Child That Love Bento Brought Up ~) (NHK, 2015)

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title	Date	Peak chart positions	Sales (JPN)	RIAJ certification^[4]	Album
Title	Date	Oricon Singles Charts ^[2]	Sales (JPN)	RIAJ certification^[4]	Album
"Kondo Watashi Doko ka Tsurete itte Kudasai yo"	July 25, 1992	69		N/A	De Beaux
"Omoikiri Naite ii"	August 25, 1993	96		N/A
"Kono Michi wo Aruiteku"	January 25, 1994	95		N/A
"Densha no Hito"	April 1, 1994	—		N/A	Non-album single
"Truth"	October 10, 1995	33		N/A	Flower Diamond
"Genki de Iru yo"	February 26, 1996	40		N/A
"Tsumetaku Shite Kudasai"	May 10, 1996	42		N/A
"Chiisana Shiawase"	October 10, 1996	35		N/A	Souvenir
"Invitation"	June 25, 1997	59		N/A
"Fuyu ga Kita"	January 15, 1998	59		N/A
"Hanareba Nare ni?"	January 13, 1999	77		N/A	La Fraise
"Ichigo"	May 12, 1999	—		N/A	La Fraise
"Itsuka Ōjisama ga"	February 19, 2000	—		N/A	Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Studio albums

Year	Information	Oricon weekly peak position^[2]
1994	De Beaux Released: March 10, 1994 Label: Warner Music Japan Formats: CD, cassette	—
1996	Flower Diamond Released: May 25, 1996 Label: One Up Music Formats: CD, cassette	42
1998	Souvenir Released: February 5, 1998 Label: One Up Music Formats: CD	40
1999	La Fraise Released: May 21, 1999 Label: zetima Formats: CD	—

Cover albums

Year	Information	Oricon weekly peak position^[2]	Sales	RIAJ certification^[4]
2005	Les Oiseaux Bleu Released: May 11, 2005 Label: zetima Formats: CD	—

Video albums

Year	Information	Oricon weekly peak position^[2]	Sales	RIAJ certification^[4]
1992	Kondo Watashi Doko ka Tsurete itte Kudasai yo Released: September 25, 1992 Label: Warner Music Japan Formats: VHS	—
1996	Chiisana Shiawase Released: November 11, 1996 Label: One Up Music Formats: VHS	—

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "加藤紀子". Idol.ne.jp. August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "加藤紀子". Oricon. December 29, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
^ "川辺ヒロシと加藤紀子が入籍、保証人は明石家さんま＆卓球". Natalie.mu. March 4, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "ゴールドディスク認定" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

External links

[Idol.ne.jp-1] "加藤紀子". Idol.ne.jp. August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.

[Oricon-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "加藤紀子". Oricon. December 29, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

[3] "川辺ヒロシと加藤紀子が入籍、保証人は明石家さんま＆卓球". Natalie.mu. March 4, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2020.

[RIAJ-4] "ゴールドディスク認定" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]