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Iyo Matsumoto (松本伊代, Matsumoto Iyo, born June 21, 1965), married name Iyo Kozono (小園伊代, Kozono Iyo), was a pop idol in the early '80s. She is now a Japanese TV personality, singer and actress, and is currently signed to Production No Title.

Early life

Matsumoto was born in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. She attended Morimura Academy (森村学園, Morimura Gakuen) from kindergarten through middle school and continued to Horikoshi High School a private high school in the Nakano section of Tokyo. She completed her studies at Toita Women's College also in the city.

Career

Matsumoto debuted in the entertainment business in 1981 when she was 15 years old, after being scouted by the agency Bond Kikaku while shopping in Shinjuku. Dubbed "Toshihiko Tahara's little sister", her singing career was launched October the same year with the single "Sentimental Journey" which was an instant hit, making it to no. 9 on the Oricon Chart. The single went on to sell over 300,000 copies, and remain as her biggest hit.

In 1982, she was awarded the Newcomer Prize at the 24th Japan Record Awards., along with many other newcomer awards from various TV stations. On January 1, 1983, Matsumoto became the youngest artist to hold a concert in Nippon Budokan at the age of 17 years and 6 months. The record was broken that September by Sayuri Iwai, at 15 years and 1 month.

From 1984 to 1986, Matsumoto hosted the midnight TV show All Night Fuji, while steadily releasing four singles each year.

After the peak of her pop idol career in the late 80's, she shifted her focus onto becoming a TV presenter as well as doing other work, and was well received. In 1992, she starred in the Tokyo TV drama Kinono Watashi Ni Sayonara (Goodbye to the Old Me) Four years later she participated as a judge on Iron Chef. She teamed up with fellow idols Yū Hayami and Chiemi Hori in 2005 to form the unit Cutie☆Mommy, with whom she released two singles.

In 2009, she released Sweet 16 Box, a box set that compiled all of the albums from her idol career and a bonus CD and DVD. Included was her first new song in 19 years, titled "Watashi no Koe wo Kiite" (私の声を聞いて), written by Ami Ozaki.

As a 30-year commemoration of her debut, in 2012 she held a concert at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel's Stellar Ball and released a best-of album which included a handshake ticket.

On January 13, 2016, while filming a travel programme with Hayami, both of them allegedly trespassed onto the track of the Sanin Main Line near Saga-Arashiyama Station in Kyoto without authorization and were almost prosecuted. Both Matsumoto and Hayami were heavily criticized by the media and held separate press conferences apologising after the incident were made public. After the situation was assessed, and both were acknowledged as unaware of the regulations, the charge was dropped.

In 2017, the unit Cutie☆Mommy was renewed, this time with Hiroko Moriguchi replacing Chiemi Hori, and was renamed Cutie☆MoriMori. In February 2024, the unit released a new single, entitled "Soro Soro Fuyu desu nee" (It's almost winter, isn't it?), produced by Noritake Kinashi and written by George Tokoro. The single was billed under each singer's individual discography, particularly on RecoChoku and Apple Music.

Personal life

In 1993, she married Japanese comedian Hiromi. She is the mother of two sons: the eldest is actor Ryo Kozono.

Discography

Singles

Digital singles

Albums

Cover albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Box sets

Other appearances

References

1. ^ "Idol pair from '80s in hot water for walk along Kyoto railroad tracks". Japan Times. February 10, 2017.
2. ^ "About 松本伊代". YouTube.
3. Be Company Iyo Matsumoto, archived from the original on April 17, 2008, retrieved October 23, 2015
4. Clements, Jonathan, and Tamamuro, Motoko, The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953, Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2003, p. 103
5. "Iyo Matsumoto - Iron Chef Battle Database".
6. "早見優、森口博子＆松本伊代との「キューティーモリモリ」で熱唱報告 ３ショットに「素晴しい」". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
7. "松本伊代・早見優・森口博子、アイドルユニット活動で「若返っている」 "生涯アイドル"宣言も". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). November 17, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
8. "松本伊代,早見優,森口博子 「そろそろ冬ですネェ」". recochoku.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved April 16, 2024.
9. ^ Sorosoro Fuyudesunee - Single by Iyo Matsumoto, Yu Hayami & Hiroko Moriguchi on Apple Music, February 6, 2024, retrieved April 16, 2024
10. "ヒロミ＆伊代の息子・小園凌央、連ドラ初挑戦 役者になって両親を見返す？". ORICON NEWS. July 31, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
11. ^ "松本伊代のCD・DVDリリース一覧". Oricon. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
12. ^ "松本伊代の作品" (in Japanese). Mora. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
13. 松本伊代の「ちょっと素敵なジャーニー - Single」をApple Musicで (in Japanese), February 6, 2024, retrieved April 16, 2024
14. As part of the unit Cutie☆MoriMori, billed individually

External links

• Official website
• Profile at Production No Title's website deadlink (in Japanese)

• 1965 births
• Horikoshi High School alumni
• Japanese women singers
• Japanese idols
• Japanese television actresses
• Japanese women television personalities
• Living people
• People from Ōta, Tokyo
• Singers from Tokyo
• 20th-century Japanese singers
• 21st-century Japanese singers
• 20th-century Japanese women singers
• 21st-century Japanese women singers