Mamiko Takai
Mamiko Takai (高井麻巳子, Takai Mamiko, born December 28, 1966 in Obama, Fukui, Japan) is a Japanese idol from the eighties, who debuted in 1985 with the J-pop girl band Onyanko Club, and its first sub-group, duo Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi with her co-worker Yukiko Iwai. She quit those two bands in 1987, becoming a solo artist, and released four albums before marrying producer Yasushi Akimoto and subsequently retiring. Her older sister Masayo made her record debut in July 1986 as a part of a 20-member dance group named . biography. Takai's family owned a local bike  shop. She played softball at . After entering , she became popular among the students and was dubbed "Miss Jakkō" (short for Wakasa High School). After graduating from high school, she moved to Tokyo to attend an art college. In April 1985, she was approached by , a reporter for the variety show , while she was shopping in Harajuku. This led to an audition for that show, which was accepted, and she became a member of Onyanko Club. In October 1985, she teamed up with Yukiko Iwai and made their record debut as Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi. In June 1986, she made her solo debut  with "Message to Cinderellas". On July 6, 1986, a large-scale handshake event was held at Osaka-jō Hall. She shook hands with 16,000 fans who gathered there. In March 1987, she graduated from Onyanko Club and became a solo singer and actress. When she was a member of Onyanko Club, there were no members she was particularly close to, and she was frequently alone. On May 23, 1988, just three weeks after the official fan club was formed, she married Yasushi Akimoto and retired from the entertainment industry.