Momoko Kikuchi

Momoko Kikuchi was born in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan,[1] scouted in 1982, and started to make TV appearances in 1983. She officially made her debut as an idol in 1984, releasing her first single just before her 16th birthday, and instantly shot to fame. She produced seven consecutive no. 1 songs on the Oricon Chart from 1985 to 1987.

In the late 80s, Kikuchi tried to shed the "idol" label and formed RA-MU a band featuring more original material and rock music, but the band failed to be recognised. Unwilling to return to perform as an idol singing mainstream bubblegum pop, Kikuchi shifted her focus to acting from there on, and has been successful as an actress.

In 2011, Japanese music program Music Station held a special report counting down the Top 50 Idols of All-Time based on their singles' total sales. The list spans several decades, and Kikuchi was in the 42nd place, with a sales record of 4,110,000 copies.

In April 2014, Kikuchi celebrated her 30th anniversary in the show business by releasing her seventh album, the first since 1991, which is a re-recording of all her hit songs during her idol period.

In November 2019, Kikuchi married technocrat Hiroaki Niihara.