Rokusuke Ei

Rokusuke Ei is one of those rare people who slipped quietly into the ears of the entire world without most of the world ever knowing his name. He wrote the lyrics to "Ue wo Muite Aruko" — that bittersweet, head-tilted-upward walk through loneliness — and when it crossed the Pacific and hit number one in America in 1963 under the bewildering title "Sukiyaki," it became the only Japanese-language song ever to top the U.S. Billboard chart. What I find quietly remarkable is how much of his genius was in the simplicity: a few words, a mood, a posture. Beyond that one global moment he spent decades as a broadcaster and radio host who talked to Japan like a wise, slightly mischievous neighbor. He earned the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 2000 and wore the recognition lightly. A man who made the whole world look up — that's a legacy worth remembering.

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Rokusuke Ei (1933–2016) was a Japanese lyricist, television host, and broadcasting writer born in Tokyo. He is best known for writing the lyrics to "Ue wo Muite Aruko," which became an international hit under the title "Sukiyaki" in the United States. He was a multifaceted figure who worked across television, radio, and the entertainment industry from its early years in Japan. In 2000, he received the Kikuchi Kan Prize in recognition of his contributions to Japanese culture and media.

Name (English)

Rokusuke Ei

Name (Japanese)

永六輔

Reading

えい ろくすけ

Born

April 10, 1933 – July 7, 2016

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Aries / Rooster

Origin

Tokyo, Japan

Occupation

Television Host / Lyricist / Entertainer / Broadcasting Writer

University

Waseda University

Awards & achievements

• Kikuchi Kan Prize (2000)
• Golden Arrow Award (year unknown)

Works summary

Appearances

76 (1957–2013)

By year

1957: 1, 1966: 1, 1974: 1, 1976: 1, 1977: 1, 1997: 1, 1998: 1, 2004: 1, 2013: 1

Debut work

フランキーの宇宙人

Filmography / notable works

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B8%E5%85%AD%E8%BC%94
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7360115

Tags

• Born in Tokyo
• Television Host
• Lyricist
• Entertainer

Last updated

2026-08-26

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.