Photo: 首相官邸 / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Reiko Yukawa as an actor, lyricist and music critic. Reiko Yukawa was born in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan on January 22, 1936. That works out to 90 years old in 2026. Notable works include Dance Gypsy Dance.
My Take
Reiko Yukawa was born in 1936 and is still working. Lyricist, music critic, translator, radio host — she has never fit one job title, and I suspect that is the point. She belongs to the generation that had to explain Western pop and rock to a Japanese audience encountering it for the first time, when nobody yet had the vocabulary for it. Someone had to write that vocabulary. She did, on the radio and in print, for decades. She writes lyrics too, but I think the songwriting is almost a side effect. Her real work was mediation: standing between the music and the listener and making the case for why it mattered. Critics who do that job well tend to disappear behind the artists they champion, which is probably why her name is less known abroad than it should be. What strikes me most is the sheer duration. Nearly ninety, still talking about music. You do not sustain that on professionalism. You sustain it on love.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Reiko Yukawa
- Name (Japanese)
- 湯川れい子
- Reading
- ゆかわ れいこ
- Born
- January 22, 1936 (age 90)
- Origin
- Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- actor / lyricist / music critic / translator / radio personality
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rat
2. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 9 (2019–2023)
- By year (titles with a known year)
- 2019: 1, 2023: 1, year unknown: 7
- Debut work
- ロバマン
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Dance Gypsy Dance |
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Reiko Yukawa born?
Reiko Yukawa was born on January 22, 1936 and is 90 years old.
Where is Reiko Yukawa from?
Reiko Yukawa is from Meguro, Tokyo, Japan.
What does Reiko Yukawa do?
Reiko Yukawa works as actor, lyricist, music critic, translator, radio personality.
What is Reiko Yukawa known for?
Reiko Yukawa's notable works include Dance Gypsy Dance.
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