Kimiko Wakiyama
Kimiko Wakiyama (born June 1972) is a Japanese whistler, composer, pianist, and ukulele player under Victor Entertainment.
Biography
Kimiko Wakiyama was born in June, 1972 in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a child, she started whistling, imitating the chirping of the Budgerigar her family.[1] She learned the banjo and ukulele throughout her life.[2]
She Graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka Chuo High School and the Kunitachi College of Music. While attending college, she began seriously pursuing whistling as a performer, playing the piano and whistling at the same time. She consulted with a senior about her career path after graduation; she was asked what he was good at and replied, "Whistling." Incidentally, the "senior" he consulted was Yuichi Watanabe, who composed the music for films such as The Life of Quill the Guide Dog.[3]
Around 2000, she started working with Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, bassist for the rock band Southern All Stars. She worked on 'World Hits!? of Southern All Stars' and 'Whistling and Ukulele' along with fellow whistler Naoto Takenaka.[4][5][6]
She started competing at the International Whistlers Convention in Louisburg, North Carolina, winning the overall championship in the adult women's division and being the first Japanese women to win that category.[7] She served as a judge at the 2024 World Whistlers Convention.[8]
References
- ↑ "Kimiko Wakiyama". Miyaji Music. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Kyuhaku Museum Concert". 〜分山貴美子のくちぶえの響き〜. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ Wakiyama, Kimiko. "Whistling Key Person". Kimiko Wakiyama. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "口笛とウクレレ2(feat. 竹中直人 & 分山貴美子)". Apple Music.
- ↑ "分山貴美子(口笛)の経歴やwikiプロフィール！結婚して夫や子供はいるの？". Netabuzz.
- ↑ Mochizuki, Satoshi. "Kazuyuki Sekiguchi". CDJournal. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "GIRLS UKULELE COLLECTION ウクレレと口笛、世界チャンピオン女王の夢の共演". Kurosawagakki. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Judges". The World Whistlers Convention (WWC). 3 April 2024. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
