Harumi Naitō

Harumi Naitō
内藤 はるみ
Born
Harumi Naitō[1]

(1955-07-26) July 26, 1955[1]
Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan[1]
Other nameAi Asatsuki[1]
OccupationSinger
Years active1960s–present[1]
Known forTheme song vocals for Doraemon[1]
LabelNippon Columbia[1]

Harumi Naitō (内藤 はるみ, Naitō Harumi) (born July 26, 1955[1]) also known as Ai Asatsuki[1] (朝月 愛, Asatsuki Ai) is a Japanese singer from Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.[1] She graduated from Horikoshi High School.[1]

She is best known for performing the opening theme song "Doraemon" and the ending theme song "Doraemon Rumba" for the Doraemon anime series.[1]

Biography

Naitō was born in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan on July 26, 1955.[1]

Starting when she was two years old, Naitō would often imitate Hibari Misora at events like neighborhood gatherings.[1] According to Naitō herself, she had already been a die-hard music lover since around that time.[2]

In 1967, during her sixth grade school year, she competed in the Nissin Children's Amateur Singing Contest and won, causing Nippon Columbia to scout her.[1]

After making her debut on the show, Naitō then performed as a child singer alongside Mitsuko Horie, Kumiko Kaori, and Yuri Shimazaki, providing backing vocals and releasing several singles as part of their "little ones" series of songs.[1]

Once Naitō had graduated from middle school, she moved to Tokyo with her mother in order to start attending Horikoshi High School.[1]

In 1973, Naitō sang both the opening theme and ending theme songs for the Doraemon anime series that aired on Nippon Television.[1]

Once Naitō finished high school, she decided to pursue an adult-oriented singing career, so changed her name to Ai Asatsuki and performed "Woman of the Wind", the theme song for the 1975 television drama Shadow Doshin.[1] In an interview from the time, she commented on recording the song, saying, "Since this isn't a children's song, I had a hard time setting the right mood. I also sang each line with my own personal emotion." Naitō mentioned in the same interview that, regarding future plans, since she felt the style of enka singing suited her, she would start focusing on performing it.[1]

In 2020, Naitō appeared as a café owner in an episode of the NHK General TV program Tsurube's Salute To Families, which broadcast on February 10.[3] During her appearance on the show, she sang a portion of the Doraemon opening theme song, "Doraemon", on cappella.[4][5]

In 2022, Naitō formed the duo "chum" with a childhood friend of hers and has resumed her career in singing.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Discography

Harumi Naitō

  • "Doraemon" / "Doraemon Rumba" (Theme Song for the TV Anime "Doraemon")
  • In a City Bathed in Light / Embraced by Sorrow (Theme Song for the CBC Daytime Drama Series "A Mother's Song")

"Little Clumsy Kids" series

  • Little Alien
  • Sunset Jizo

"Kids' Pop" series

  • The Young Sun

"Junior Pops" series

  • Pure Love All the Way / Blooming Maidens

Ai Asatsuki

  • "Woman of the Wind" (Theme Song for the TV Drama "Shadow Doshin") / "A Woman's Uphill Struggle" (Insert Song for the TV Drama "Shadow Doshin") (May 1975, Nippon Columbia, AA-121)
  • "Kyoto Namida-cho" / "I'm Leaving on Tonight's Train" (Nippon Columbia, AA-156)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Fukushima Minpo", June 19, 1975, Morning Edition, page 8.
  2. ↑ From an interview published in the evening edition of the "Hokkoku Shimbun" on June 18, 1975.
  3. ↑ 本木雅弘、恐る恐るぶっつけ本番旅に初挑戦！『家族に乾杯　麒麟がくるSP』 (in Japanese). TV Dogatch. February 10, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  4. ↑ “「鶴瓶の家族に乾杯」に本木雅弘が出演 民放プロデューサーは仰天で視聴率も圧勝” (in Japanese). Daily Shincho (Shinchosha). (February 16, 2020). Accessed August 19, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  5. ↑ pekenishi_f (10 February 2020). 初代ドラえもんの主題歌を歌っていた内藤はるみさん、岐阜の川原町のカフェにいらっしゃるのか！熱い！！(笑) 今度帰省する時にお邪魔しよう... (in Japanese). X (formerly Twitter). February 10, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ 2022.04.03岐阜県富加町 凰庵 chum ファーストLIVE その1(全5本の動画あり) (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ chum ファーストLIVE その2 恋のバカンス～見上げてごらん夜の星を～いい日旅立ち (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  8. ↑ 2022.04.03 chumファーストLIVE その3 卒業写真～時代～待つわ～Love×3～sweet memories～酒と泪と男と女～愛燦燦 (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  9. ↑ 2022.04.03 chumファーストLIVE その4 瑠璃色の地球 (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  10. ↑ 2023.4.2 Chum for you... (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  11. ↑ 川の流れのように chum (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  12. ↑ 2023.4.2 Chum 聖母たちのララバイ (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  13. ↑ 黄昏のビギン chum (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  14. ↑ 長良川艶歌 chum (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
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