# Tatsuo Kamon

Tatsuo Kamon (嘉門 達夫, Kamon Tatsuo), real name Tatsuo Torikai (鳥飼 達夫, Torikai Tatsuo), is a Japanese singer-songwriter born 25 March 1959 in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He is represented by the talent management firm Daikan'yama Production, and releases works through Daipro-X, a record company which is a subsidiary of Daikan'yama.
He made his professional singer-songwriter debut in 1983 by winning two major awards and being named the "Rookie of the Year" for his single Yankee no Niichan no Uta (ヤンキーの兄ちゃんのうた, Yankī no Niichan no Uta).

## Biography

Kamon was born as Tatsuo Torikai on 25 March 1959 in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Chūjō Elementary School and Yōsei Junior High, both part of the Ibaraki municipal school system. While attending Osaka Prefectural Kasugaoka High School, he began studying as an apprentice to rakugo master Tsuruko Shōfukutei beginning in 1975. After graduating, he became a regular guest on the MBS Young Town radio program from April 1978 until September 1980. He also co-hosted the show with Naoko Kawai from July 1984 to September 1992.
In 1981, after meeting Keisuke Kuwata of the Southern All Stars, he changed his name to "Kamon" from "Torikai" in honor of Kuwata's pseudonym of Yūzō Kamon. Kamon made his professional debut as a recording artist on 21 July 1983 with the release of his single Yankee no Niichan no Uta. He won both the Yomiuri TV Cable Broadcast First Prize and the TBS Cable Broadcast First Prize and was named Rookie of the Year for this release.
Kaeuta Medley, a single released in 1991, sold over 820,000 copies and was Kamon's first big hit. In 2000, Kamon changed to his current "trademark" look by bleaching his hair.
Kamon married for the first time on 15 January 2009.

## Discography
### Singles

| | Single title | Japanese | Release date | Lyrics | Composition | Arrangement | Notes |
| 1 | "Kekkon Shiyō yo" | 結婚しようよ | 21 September 1989 | Tatsuo Kamon Takuro Yoshida | Takuro Yoshida Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō | VDRS-10004 (CD), VST-10559 (cassette) |
| 2 | "Tarirarirān Rock 'n' Roll" | タリラリラーンロックンロール | 1 February 1990 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10001 (CD), VISL-2 (cassette) |
| 3 | "Futamata" | | 21 March 1990 | Tatsuo Kamon Zenjirō | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10018 (CD), VISL-20 (cassette) |
| 4 | "Katte ni Sinbad" | 勝手にシンドバッド | 4 July 1990 | Keisuke Kuwata Tatsuo Kamon | Keisuke Kuwata Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10041 (CD), VISL-46 (cassette) Reached No. 89 on Oricon chart, on the chart for one week |
| 5 | "Yatte Miso!" | やってミソ！ | 21 October 1990 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Ryō Yonemitsu Mother Goose | VIDL-36 (CD), VISL-74 (cassette) used in a commercial for Calbee Spicy Miso Sauce flavored Potato Chips used in a commercial for JFE Shoji Trade Corporation |
| 6 | "Karaoke No.1" | カラオケNo.1 | 21 February 1991 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10098 (CD), VISL-104 (cassette) with Satomi Harada |
| 7 | "Kaeuta Medley" | 替え唄メドレー | 21 May 1991 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Ichirō Nitta Yukihiro Matsubara | VIDL-10130 (CD), VISL-137 (cassette) Reached No. 9 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 32 weeks |
| 8 | "Kaeuta Medley 2" | 替え唄メドレー2 | 21 September 1991 | Tatsuo Kamon Yukihiro Masuno | Tatsuo Kamon | Ichirō Nitta Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10158 (CD), VISL-165 (cassette) Reached No. 4 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 22 weeks |
| 9 | "Kaeuta Medley 3" | 替え唄メドレー3 | 21 September 1991 | Tatsuo Kamon Radio Comedy Allstars | Tatsuo Kamon Takashi Kudō | Ichirō Nitta Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10197 (CD), VISL-189 (cassette) Reached No. 3 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 13 weeks |
| 10 | "Hana kara Gyūnyū" | 鼻から牛乳 | 21 April 1992 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō Ichirō Nitta | VIDL-10228 (CD), VISL-215 (cassette) Reached No. 8 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 10 weeks |
| 11 | "Hana kara Gyūnyū Dai-2-shō" | 鼻から牛乳－第２章－ | 22 July 1992 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō Ichirō Nitta | VIDL-10264 (CD), VISL-243 (cassette) Reached No. 12 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 9 weeks |
| 12 | "Duet Kaeuta Medley" | デュエット替え唄メドレー | 5 December 1992 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Takashi Kudō Hiroshi Takada | VIDL-10295 (CD), VISL-260 (cassette), with Miyoko Asada Reached No. 28 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 8 weeks |
| 13 | "Go! Go! Schoolmates" | Go! Go! スクールメイツ | 24 March 1993 | Yoshii Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon Ichirō Nitta | Ichirō Nitta Jun'ichi Kanazaki | VIDL-10318 (CD), VISL-264 (cassette) used in commercial for "Shinken Seminar Junior High Course" Reached No. 24 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 4 weeks |
| 14 | "Nippon no Sazae-san" | NIPPONのサザエさん | 21 July 1993 | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon Daimyō Gyōretsu | VIDL-10368 (CD), VISL-10089 (cassette) used in commercial for UHA Mikakutō "Nagai Kajitsu" Reached No. 48 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 5 weeks |
| 15 | "Smokin' Boogie Ladies" | スモーキン・ブギ　レディース | 1 January 1994 | Takeshi Arai Tatsuo Kamon | Ryudo Uzaki | Takashi Kudō | VIDL-10458 (CD) Reached No. 86 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 3 weeks |
| 16 | "Murphy's Law" | マーフィーの法則 | 2 February 1994 | Price Sterm Sloan, In Tatsuo Kamon | Tatsuo Kamon | Hayato Kanbayashi | VIDL-10487 (CD) Reached No. 69 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 3 weeks |
| 17 | "Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu" | 君がいた季節 | 2 March 1994 | Tomoyuki Michiyama | Kazuo Zaitsu | Mitsuo Hagita | VIDL-10489 (CD) Reached No. 64 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 2 weeks |