Yuki Saito ~ LDS Japanese pop singer (Latter-Day Saints, gospel, dress code, missionaries)

[FFH]

Haven't thought about this singer for years, but she suddenly came to mind, when doing various searches on U-tube on various parts of Japan.

She's LDS and appeared on a weekly TV show, did numerous commercials and has done 15 albums, she would be 41 today, same age as myself.

Here's one of her songs

Yuki Saito


Saito

She was born in September 10, 1966, same year as myself, and was a popular Japanese pop singer in the mid 80's, when I was living just outside Tokyo, Japan on an LDS mission.

I was in Japan from July '85 to June '87 and she was a great influence and example to the Japanese LDS community, which was also helpful in breaking the ice with cold contacts, those we would approach on the street and ask "Have you heard of the LDS/Mormon church?" and most everyone would say yes, because there was also an LDS return missionary who became a famous comedian/game show personality in Japan and everyone knew who he was, and that he was also Mormon, then all we had to say is Yuki Saito's name, and they all knew who she was, and then we would mention that she was also LDS/Mormon. It helped tremendously in calming people's fears of who we were. God really worked in mysterious ways, in Japan, in the 80's, and as a result of these two LDS celebrities, there was a slow and steady growth of LDS members, in one of the most unlikely parts of the world... Kent Gilbert was also another return missionary, who was a lawyer, who also became and actor in Japan, so we also mentioned his name and most recognized it...
.
Yuki was in one of the stakes I was in for a while. Her father was also the stake president at the time. The current quorum of the 70's member Yoshihiko Kikuchi, was also one of the former stake presidents of that same stake, before being called to serve in Salt Lake in 1977.

Saito Yuki

Yuki Saito ~ LDS Japanese actress, pop singer and writer

Yuki Saito ~ Wiki

Yoshihiko Kikuchi, General Authority

Yoshihiko Kikuchi ~ Wiki

Christians make up less than one percent of the total population in Japan and if you break it down, a much much smaller portion of the pupulation is LDS, of course, in a country in which most consider themselves Buddhist or Shinto. Most housholds have small Shinto shrines in them, In which pictures of ancestors are placed, and prayers are offered on their behalf.

[nutshell]

That's the sid of Yuki Saito I've never heard. My wife, who is Japanese, thinks she's a horrible example for the church and, if the tabloids and papers are to be believed, she doesn't live church standards.

[FFH]

Yuki　


Yuki


Yuki 　1985


Yuki Saito - Kanashimiyo Konnichiwa　 (April 10,1986)

[FFH]

Saito Yuki at the peak of her popularity. This video shows her at number two on the charts with this song "Kanashimiyo Konnichiwa".


May 1, 1986

This is probably a more recent video of hers singing her most popular song from the 80's. She would be 40 today.


Yuki Saito ~ Kanashimiyo Konnichiwa!

[FFH]

Originally Posted by nutshell

That's the side of Yuki Saito I've never heard.My wife, who is Japanese, thinks she's a horrible example for the church and, if the tabloids and papers are to be believed, she doesn't live church standards.

Okay finished my small montage of some of her songs and appearances.

Don't believe what the tabloids say. Haven't we figured that out yet, here in the states? The same thing applies to Japanese tabloids; anything they can do to smear her clean image and name.

I was in the same stake as her, in the mid 80's, and her father was the stake president, at the time of her peak success. She was and is still active in the church, as far as I know. We can do our own research and find out for sure.

All of the every day normal LDS Japanese members I knew were very strict.. We as missionaries were told, by our mission president, to not drink Coke, so we would not offend the members there, who believed Coke was against the Word of Wisdom. I never liked coke at the time anyway.

Yuki was, and is probably still, a great example and inspiration to LDS members in Japan. She was always looked up to, when I was on my mission, as a clean wholesome actress, pop singer and writer...

I mean c'mon look at the videos. While Madonna was on the top of the charts here in the states, Yuki was on the top of the charts in Japan. There is obviously a vast dress code difference between Yuki and Madonna. We are the more corrupt messed up society in my opinion..

[FFH]

This is hardly comparable to what was being aired on MTV during this same time period in history.


More Yuki

She also did commercials for NEC (Nippon Electronics Corporation) and AXIA (a cassette tape manufacturer) in the 80's.

Let me see if I can find some of her commercials.

[FFH]

Don't believe the tabloids.

Top 10 Non-American Latter-day Saint Film Legends

Yuki Saito - Japan

Yuki Saito (her name is also transliterated frequently as "Saitou Yuki") is one of Japan's most popular actresses, and one of the nation's best known Latter-day Saints. Saito's own life has had its own rather "dramatic" ups and downs, but her Christian commitment is well known. She was even featured in a Church-produced video used by missionaries to introduce people to the Church. In it she discusses her life and simply invites people to listen to the gospel message, to see if it is something that can help them as it helped her.

One of Saito's most memorable acting roles was in "Sukeban Deka", a 1985 live-action television series featuring her in the title role. (In English, the title translates as "High School Superheroine".) With her high-tech yo-yo, Saito went up against mobsters and various villains for 25 episodes. There have been two other series (featuring other stars) and an animated film in the franchise, which was based on a popular manga (comic book) series.

Saito went on to star in other television series including "Dousoukai", "Matta nashi!" and "Tachibana Keiko: Onna jiken kisha."

Saito is also a popular singer. She sang "Shiroi Honno", the theme song to "Sukeban Deka." She also had a top 10 hit with her version of "Yume no Naka e". Saito also sang "Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa" ("Hello Sadness"), the theme song for "Maison Ikkoku Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa", which became one of the most popular anime theme songs ever. Between 1985 and 1995 she released at least fifteen albums.

A recent role in an adult role was in the critically acclaimed "Ah Haru" (English title: "Wait and See"), about a businessman and his neurotic wife (Saito), and what happens when an elderly stranger claims to be the husband's long-lost father. The film was an Official Selection at the 1998 Tokyo International Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI Award for best film in the Panorama Section, at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival. [More.]

For a period of time she made about three movies a year and appeared constantly on various Japanese television shows, gaining a repuation as one of the hardest working Japanese actresses of the 1980s.

As an author, essayist and poet, Saito is the author of many books, including Neko no te mo karitai; Unmei no onna; Shiawase no biburion; Ima dake no hontou; Toumei na mizu; Yuki-teki sekai kanjou ryokou and Soutou no tsuki. She is also the co-author, along with Torey Hayden, of a book for the Japanese market about parenting issues.

[FFH]

Yuki is found among the top 100 ranking of most influencial Latter-day Saints.

Look for her name In alphabetical order..

The Mormon 100: A Ranking of the 100 Most Influential Latter-day Saints in History


Saito Yuki


Saito Yuki chan