Enka Singer Shoji Koganezawa Dies at 65

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:15 JST, January 15, 2024

Enka singer Shoji Koganezawa, fondly known as “Singer Koganezawa-kun,” died of respiratory failure on Thursday. He was 65.

He was born in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture. He made his debut as a singer in 1988 after working as an attendant for Enka singer Saburo Kitajima, and became well known in 1992 when he was introduced as “Singer Koganezawa-kun” in a TV commercial for a throat spray.

The song “Omaedake (Only You),” released in that year, became a hit.