Tokiko Kato in Shinjuku

Tokiko Kato is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actress, born in Harbin in 1943, who sings chanson, kayōkyoku and folk-rooted pop. She made her recording debut in 1965 and is known for songs including “Shiretoko Ryojo,” “Hyakumanbon no Bara” and “Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi o.” She also voiced Madame Gina in Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso and performed the film’s closing song. Tokiko Kato began the annual Horoyoi Concert series in 1971, creating a year-end tradition in which she drinks sake onstage while singing and talking to the audience. Her 50th-anniversary concert took place at Tokyo’s NHK Hall in 2015.