Planned as the final showNippon Budokan
Momoe Yamaguchi's farewell concert at the Nippon Budokan, October 5, 1980
In March 1980, at the height of her popularity, Momoe Yamaguchi announced her engagement to the actor Tomokazu Miura and her retirement from show business. On October 5 she gave her final concert at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The last song was “Sayonara no Mukōgawa” (“the other side of goodbye”); when it was over, she set her white microphone down on the stage.
Performance data
| Date | [11][5][7] |
|---|---|
| Venue | Nippon Budokan (Tokyo) |
| Event | Nippon Budokan Sayonara Concert (日本武道館さよならコンサート) [11][16] |
| Tour | UnverifiedFor reference only: the fan-run site LiveFans gives this show the title “山口百恵 全国縦断ファイナルコンサート MOMOE FINAL「THIS IS MY TRIAL」” (roughly, a nationwide final concert). Whether it closed a nationwide tour is not confirmed by official or press sources.[24] |
| Category | Planned as the final show |
| Why it ended | Retirement [5][11][7] |
| Lineup | Momoe Yamaguchi [11][5] |
| Attendance | UnverifiedNo official or press figure for the attendance was found. |
| Last song performed | さよならの向う側 “Sayonara no Mukōgawa” (the other side of goodbye) [5][6][8][11] |
| Songs performed | 31 songs |
| Video release | Yes [11][12][17] |
About the artist
Momoe Yamaguchi, a native of Tokyo, was born on January 17, 1959[1]. She was one of the singers launched by Sutā Tanjō! (roughly, "a star is born!"), a TV talent show that began on Nippon Television in October 1971[2]. After becoming a champion on the show in 1972, she made her debut the following year with "Toshigoro" ("that age")[1]. Her fifth single, "Hito Natsu no Keiken" ("one summer's experience," 1974), was a hit that took her to that year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, where, on her first appearance, she opened for the women's team[3].
From "Yokosuka Sutōrī" ("Yokosuka story") in 1976, many of her singles were written by the husband-and-wife team of lyricist Yoko Aki and composer Ryudo Uzaki, among them "Pureibakku Part 2" ("playback, part 2," 1978)[3]. Uzaki says he was told that Yamaguchi herself had asked her manager for the pair, and that they went on to write a single every three months for four and a half years[4]. She also sang Masashi Sada's "Kosumosu" ("cosmos," 1977) and Shinji Tanimura's "Ii Hi Tabidachi" ("a good day to set out," 1978)[3], and starred in films such as Izu no Odoriko and Shunkinshō[1].
Why this was the last show
In October 1979, at a concert in Osaka, Yamaguchi declared her love for the actor Tomokazu Miura, her co-star on screen[5][1]. The words reported from the stage were simply, "The person I love is Tomokazu Miura"[6].
On March 7, 1980, she announced their engagement and, at the same time, her retirement from show business[5]. Coming at the peak of her popularity, the news was met with regret[7]. According to a 2018 profile by the entertainment publisher Pia, fans at first pleaded with her not to quit, but as the wedding approached, nearly all of them came round to wishing her well[5].
That August her 31st single, "Sayonara no Mukōgawa" ("the other side of goodbye"), came out, written once again by Aki and Uzaki[8][3][6]. Uzaki recalls that the news of her retirement first surprised him and then left him relieved: the pressure of turning out a new single every three months was finally over[4].
The Budokan concert on October 5 was her final concert before retiring[6][7], though not quite her last time singing in public. The next day she appeared on the TV music show Yoru no Hit Studio for the last time, and singers including Akiko Wada and Masako Mori sang her songs as a send-off[9]. On October 15 she sang "Ii Hi Tabidachi" at a ceremony for the 20th anniversary of her agency, Horipro, closing a career of seven and a half years[7]. She married Miura on November 19[7].
What is known about the day
The concert was broadcast live by TBS and drew a 27 percent rating[10]. According to the weekly Josei Jishin, the show's director recalls that it ran so smoothly it ended 30 minutes early, leaving the TV host, Hiroshi Kume, scrambling to fill the time[10].
The track list of the video release follows the evening from an overture into "This is my trial (Watashi no Shiren)," then on through "Pureibakku Part 2" and "Yokosuka Sutōrī." After an instrumental intermission comes a medley that runs back through "Hito Natsu no Keiken" to her debut single, "Toshigoro." The second half moves through "Ii Hi Tabidachi" and "Kosumosu" to the final song, "Sayonara no Mukōgawa"[11][12]. She sang 28 songs in all[13].
According to Bunshun Online, she came back for the encore in a white dress to sing "Sayonara no Mukōgawa"[6]; Josei Jishin describes a pure white outfit that recalled a wedding dress, with a matching white hair ornament[13]. The writer Tomonori Shiba notes that she sang it in tears[14]. At the end she thanked the audience and told them she would be happy[11]. When the song was over, she set her white microphone down at the center of the stage and walked away[5][13].
Fellow singers were in the hall. Goro Noguchi, who was watching next to Hideki Saijo, recalls that when she put the microphone down, everyone in the artists' seats stood to applaud, even before the fans did[13]. The video closes with an instrumental reprise of "This is my trial"[11].
What the show left behind
The footage has been reissued many times. It came out on DVD in 1999 under the title Densetsu kara Shinwa e (roughly, "from legend to myth")[15], in a new DVD edition in 2003[16], and in August 2009 as a complete edition that added the song "Shanikusai" ("carnival")[17]. In 2012 Sony Music announced a Blu-ray with the first 5.1-channel mix from the original multitrack tapes, and a three-CD set of the same show[11]. A renewed Blu-ray followed in December 2018[12].
When about 700 of her recordings went on sale as downloads on January 14, 2015, the live album of this concert was among them, remastered in high resolution[18]. On May 29, 2020, more than 600 of her songs arrived on streaming services. According to the web magazine Gendai Business, young listeners posted that they loved her music even though it was before their time, and as of July 20, six of her songs, led by "Pureibakku Part 2," were in LINE MUSIC's top 100 for kayōkyoku and enka, the older styles of Japanese song[19].
In October 2020, NHK's satellite channel BS Premium aired the concert. According to NHK, more than 200 viewers of all ages, including people in their twenties and younger, asked for a rerun[10]. On January 30, 2021, NHK showed the program on its main terrestrial channel, where it drew an 8.6 percent rating in the Kanto region. The 2009 DVD then jumped from 183rd to 8th on Oricon's weekly DVD chart, her first top-ten entry in ten years and seven months[20].
Her exit has become a reference point for later farewells. As Namie Amuro's retirement approached in 2017, a J-CAST column recalled how Yamaguchi had left the microphone at the Budokan and vanished[21]. Shiba sets Yamaguchi's tearful goodbye beside Amuro's smiling one and suggests that comparing the two can show how Japanese society, and women's lives, changed between the Showa and Heisei eras[14]. The weekly Shukan Josei called the white microphone a sign of her resolve never to return, and notes that, true to her word, she never came back to the stage[22].
On the video, the white microphone still sits at the center of the stage.
Context for readers
*Idols and Sutā Tanjō!** Young pop singers in Japan are known as idols. Sutā Tanjō!*, an audition show on Nippon Television that ran from 1971 to 1983, launched Yamaguchi as well as singers such as Masako Mori and Akina Nakamori[2].
Kohaku Uta Gassen. NHK's New Year's Eve music show, with a women's (red) team and a men's (white) team. Yamaguchi first appeared in 1974[3].
The Nippon Budokan. Built in central Tokyo for judo at the 1964 Olympics, the first Games to include the sport. It held its first concert in 1965, and after the Beatles played there in 1966 it became a regular concert venue[23].
Names. Japanese names in this article are given in Western order (given name first).
- Active years (1973 – October 5, 1980)
- At a concert in Osaka, she tells the audience that Tomokazu Miura is the man she loves.
- She announces her engagement to Tomokazu Miura and her retirement from show business.
- Her 31st single, “Sayonara no Mukōgawa,” is released.
- Final show
- Her last appearance on the TV music show Yoru no Hit Studio.
- She sings “Ii Hi Tabidachi” at Horipro's 20th-anniversary ceremony, her last performance in show business.
- She marries Tomokazu Miura.
- The concert is released on DVD as Densetsu kara Shinwa e (complete remix edition).19 years later
- A new DVD edition is released.23 years later
- A complete-edition DVD adds the song “Shanikusai.”29 years later
- Sony Music announces a Blu-ray with a new 5.1-channel mix from the original multitrack tapes, and a three-CD set of the same show.32 years later
- About 700 of her recordings go on sale as downloads, including the live album of this concert, remastered in high resolution.35 years later
- A renewed Blu-ray edition is released.38 years later
- More than 600 of her songs become available on streaming services.40 years later
- NHK's satellite channel BS Premium airs the concert.40 years later
- NHK shows the BS program on its main terrestrial channel (8.6 percent rating in the Kanto region).41 years later
- The 2009 DVD jumps from 183rd to 8th on Oricon's weekly DVD chart.41 years later
Main set Encore Last song
- OVERTURE
- This is my trial（私の試練） “This is my trial (Watashi no Shiren)” (my trial)
- 横須賀サンセット・サンライズ “Yokosuka Sansetto Sanraizu” (Yokosuka sunset, sunrise)
- I CAME FROM 横須賀 “I CAME FROM Yokosuka”
- プレイバック Part 1 “Pureibakku Part 1” (playback, part 1)
- プレイバック Part 2 “Pureibakku Part 2” (playback, part 2)
- 絶体絶命 “Zettai Zetsumei” (in a desperate situation)
- イミテイション・ゴールド “Imiteishon Gōrudo” (imitation gold)
- 愛の嵐 “Ai no Arashi” (storm of love)
- 夢先案内人 “Yumesaki Annainin” (a guide into dreams)
- 謝肉祭 “Shanikusai” (carnival)
- 横須賀ストーリー “Yokosuka Sutōrī” (Yokosuka story)
- 「スター誕生」AGAIN “Sutā Tanjō AGAIN” ('a star is born' again, after the TV talent show)
- INTERMISSION
- ひと夏の経験 “Hito Natsu no Keiken” (one summer's experience)
- 禁じられた遊び “Kinjirareta Asobi” (forbidden games)
- 冬の色 “Fuyu no Iro” (the color of winter)
- 湖の決心 “Mizuumi no Kesshin” (a decision at the lake)
- 春風のいたずら “Harukaze no Itazura” (the spring breeze's mischief)
- 青い果実 “Aoi Kajitsu” (unripe fruit)
- としごろ “Toshigoro” (that age)
- ロックンロール・ウィドウ “Rokkunrōru Widō” (rock 'n' roll widow)
- いい日 旅立ち “Ii Hi Tabidachi” (a good day to set out)
- 一恵 “Ichie”
- 曼珠沙華 “Manjūshaka” (red spider lily)
- 秋桜（コスモス） “Kosumosu” (cosmos, the flower)
- イントロダクション・春 “Intorodakushon Haru” (introduction: spring)
- 不死鳥伝説 “Fushichō Densetsu” (legend of the phoenix)
- 歌い継がれてゆく歌のように “Utaitsugarete Yuku Uta no Yō ni” (like a song handed down)
- さよならの向う側 “Sayonara no Mukōgawa” (the other side of goodbye)
- This is my trial (Instrumental)
Watch / buyPR
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Details
伝説から神話へ BUDOKAN…AT LAST 1980.10.5. リニューアル版
31 tracks: the 28 songs she sang plus three instrumentals.
伝説から神話へ BUDOKAN…AT LAST 1980.10.5.
Billed as the complete edition, adding “Shanikusai” to the 2003 DVD; Daily Sports (2021) gives its title with the subtitle 完全オリジナル版 (complete original edition). The track list leaves out the INTERMISSION instrumental.
Sources
- 山口百恵 — コトバンク（デジタル版 日本人名大辞典+Plus、百科事典マイペディア）
- 山口百恵、森昌子、中森明菜をなぜ発掘できた？ 「日本の独特すぎるアイドル文化」を生み出した伝説の番組『スター誕生！』の画期的すぎた“発明” — 文春オンライン（太田省一）, November 5, 2025
- 「山口百恵」のシングル曲で好きな曲はなに？【人気投票実施中】 — ねとらぼ, June 26, 2021
- 宇崎竜童、“伝説のアイドル”山口百恵さんのヒット曲を妻・阿木燿子と量産、引退を聞いたときは「やっとプレッシャーから解放されるという感覚だった」 — 週刊女性PRIME, March 19, 2023
- 音楽偉人伝 第4回 山口百恵（後編） — ぴあ, September 18, 2018
- 「私が好きな人は三浦友和さんです」トップアイドル山口百恵が7歳上俳優との交際告白→芸能界引退…日本の歌謡界が揺れた“1980年の出来事” — 文春オンライン, April 18, 2025
- 山口百恵と松田聖子の結婚で決定的に違ったものとは？ アイドルと“結婚”というタブーの歴史 — 文春オンライン（近藤正高）, November 19, 2020
- 「山口百恵」シングル曲人気ランキングTOP33！ 1位は「さよならの向う側」に決定【2021年最新投票結果】 — ねとらぼ, July 15, 2021
- 秘蔵映像も満載！永遠のアイドル山口百恵がよみがえる — MOVIE WALKER PRESS, June 28, 2010
- 30分早く終了で大変！今だから語る百恵引退コンサートの裏側 — 琉球新報デジタル（女性自身）, February 3, 2021
- 「伝説から神話へ 日本武道館さよならコンサート・ライブ」Blu-ray Disc化決定！ — Sony Music, September 3, 2012
- 伝説から神話へ ＢＵＤＯＫＡＮ…ＡＴ ＬＡＳＴ １９８０．１０．５． リニューアル版 — Billboard JAPAN（商品ページ）
- 「百恵は泣いていた」小柳ルミ子語る引退コンサートの裏側 — 琉球新報デジタル（女性自身）, March 18, 2021
- 「他人事みたいな部分がありました」安室奈美恵が抱えていた歌手活動の意外な悩み…苦心の果てに辿り着いた“転機”とは — 文春オンライン（柴那典『平成のヒット曲』より）, December 6, 2021
- 伝説から神話へ～－完全リミックス版－ — Billboard JAPAN（商品ページ）
- 日本武道館さよならコンサート・ライブ 山口百恵─伝説から神話へ─ — Billboard JAPAN（商品ページ）
- 山口百恵 伝説から神話へ ＢＵＤＯＫＡＮ…ＡＴ ＬＡＳＴ １９８０．１０．５． — Billboard JAPAN（商品ページ）
- 山口百恵 引退から35年の時を越え 700の楽曲が一斉配信 — Billboard JAPAN, January 7, 2015
- 山口百恵に“沼落ち”する若者続出のワケ…令和世代も虜にする「３つの魔力」 — 現代ビジネス（濱口英樹）, July 23, 2020
- 山口百恵さんの引退コンサートＤＶＤ急上昇 ＮＨＫ特番きっかけに８位へジャンプＵＰ — デイリースポーツ, February 11, 2021
- 安室奈美恵、「延命」拒否の気迫ステージ 史上最大の引退劇が始まる — J-CAST（タケ×モリ）, October 3, 2017
- 安室奈美恵、堀北真希、山口百恵など人気芸能人引退の「去り方と逃げ方」 — 週刊女性PRIME, October 5, 2017
- 日本武道館（スポット紹介） — 千代田区観光協会
- 横須賀ストーリー/山口百恵の演奏されたライブ・コンサート | LiveFans(ライブファンズ) — LiveFans（ファン投稿型のライブ情報サイト）
- Nippon Budōkan — NGA GEOnet Names Server
Revision history
- Page created