フィンガー5は1970年代を代表するアイドルグループで、デビュー曲「プライベート・レッスン」がヒット。グループのメンバーは沖縄生まれで、玉本正夫は終了後に不動産やレストラン経営に進む。彼らは累計10枚のシングルと5枚のアルバムをリリースし、国民的アイドルに成長。フィンガー5の活動に息づく昭和レトロブームが人々の注目を集める中、家族経営の「いちゃりバー」がファンの聖地として愛される。錦織南は7人家族で米国に移住し、エンターテイメント業界で成功を収めている。
Finger 5 (Five) is an idol group representing the 1970s. The five siblings born in Okinawa were warmly welcomed for their wonderful singing and dancing performances. Their first single “Private Lesson,” released in 1973 (Showa 48), exceeded 1 million copies, followed by “Love Dial 6700” and “School Paradise.” The third son of Finger 5, Masao Tamamoto, says, “Although we debuted by visiting the US military base, sales were not good, and I was thinking of returning to Okinawa.” He continues his music activities and runs a restaurant called “Ichari Bar” in Tokyo. The place is adorned with clothes and records on one wall, becoming a holy place for fans. The Showa Retro Boom has also begun, attracting attention from people in their 20s and 30s. What happened after her idol popularity peaked when she was a child? [Part One] Growing up in occupied Okinawa, moving to Tokyo in 1969, and then debuting. We will introduce her life after becoming an idol.
I earned enough money to buy a building in Roppongi.
Zheng Nan said, “I was so busy since my debut that I don’t remember much.” The entertainment industry at that time was different from now. Despite being a child, I was overwhelmed with work.
“In the morning, I went to school until about the third hour. Then, I got off the car early and went by car to the TV station in the city. I did interviews, live broadcasts, and music recordings. It was very busy, but it was fun to ride in the luxurious bus provided by Philips.”
My parents drove me back and forth between my home in Higashimurayama and the city center. My siblings were always together, creating a family gathering on the bus.
“My siblings fought, talked, and did what they liked… Oh, by the way, my second brother Mitsuon later worked as a hairdresser, but he originally did Yoko’s hair, and he had some talent. That’s where his development began.”
At that time, Finger 5 was an unknown national idol group. Masahiro and his friends continued to bask in the glory of success in the entertainment industry, but they didn’t fully understand what it meant during their childhood.
“I’m far from the world of adult ‘showing off.’ I don’t drink alcohol, and I’m not interested in clothes or jewelry. I don’t understand much about this world, but I’m happy that so many people listen to our music.
Three years after their debut, she, at the peak of her popularity, hardly took a break. She released 10 singles and 5 albums within just three years of her debut. Hits like “Love Dial 6700” (1973) and “School Paradise” (1974), as well as “Love Football,” “Love Prophecy,” “Glorious Rumors,” and others are still vivid in many people’s memories. She also appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, attracting the whole of Japan to Finger 5.
However, amidst the chaos, we maintained our calm. Our parents knew that this madness wouldn’t last long. The most important thing was that we were tired. The eldest son Kazuo left the group to focus on becoming a manager, Akira. When my voice changed, I had to change the voice from the 5th finger of the child to the 5th finger of the adult. A total of seven family members, including the staff, are living in the United States. Another ten are living on the money we earned in the entertainment industry.
The decision was made by the father, who had struggled in post-war Okinawa and succeeded as a businessman. The father’s belief was that money earned in the entertainment industry was just a bargain.
“It was really fun to go to guitar school and learn English. When I came back six months later, another idol had already appeared and become a hot topic again. That’s the flow of time. We… decided to finish guitar school.” During the idol era, they explored various types of music.
The living expenses in America were paid using the money earned in the entertainment industry. “That was enough to buy an entire building in Roppongi,” he said.
Since then, Finger 5 has explored various musical styles but has not been able to make significant progress.
[During my real estate sales days, I was told, “Homes won’t sell to flirtatious idols” … Continues on the next page]