Tomoko Ogawa, born 小川 知子 on January 26, 1949, in Hiroshima, Japan, is a singer and actress. At age three, her family moved to Tokyo. By the time she was eleven, Ogawa began taking ballet classes and joined the Tōhō film company's youth acting school. Her television debut came with the NTV series Mama, chotto kite. In 1965, at sixteen, Ogawa made her film debut in Akuma no you na suteki na yatsu, directed by Michio Konishi. Ogawa's music career began in 1968 with the release of her debut single "Yūbe no himitsu" ("The Secret of Last Night"), which sold over 529,000 copies and reached Number 1 on the Oricon Single Chart. This success led to her appearances at the NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1968, 1969, and 1970. Her subsequent albums include Yūbe no himitsu (1968), Hatsukoi no hito ("First Love") (1969), and Wakarete yokatta ("It's Good We Broke Up") (1972). Notable singles from this period include "Koi no tokimeki" ("The Thrill of Love") and "Anata to ikiru" ("Living with You") (1969). Ogawa also released compilation albums such as Best 30 (2001) and Essential Best (2007), which highlighted her extensive discography.
