“Tomi Fujiyama” is Japan’s first lady of Country music.

In 1951, a young Tomi switched from performing traditional Japanese songs for small Japanese audiences, to performing Country for the American soldiers on Army and Navy bases across Japan. After recording 21 singles and 5 albums for Columbia Records she was brought to Las Vegas to play a backbreaking 7-days- a-week, 4-shows-a-night contract at the Mint Hotel.

On November 9th 1964 Tomi fulfilled the dream of every aspiring Country singer by performing on America’s number one Country music institution, “The Grand Ole Opry”. She was on right after Johnny Cash and got the only standing ovation of the 5-hour show. After write ups in all the papers, a single recorded in Nashville with Bill Anderson and performances on American television, she returned home to Japan in 1965, where she continued to play the military circuit through the 70’s. This would take her on a U.S.O tour of Vietnam during the War.

After a 10 year hiatus in the 80’s, she started singing again in the early 90’s  eventually returning to Nashville in 1995 to record her first album in over 30 years “Lonely Together”. 2003 would see her return again to record her latest album, “Gold’’.

Today, Tomi lives and works in Tokyo Japan where she continues to spread Country music to the greater Japanese audience.                       

www.youtube.com/user/tomifujiyama