Rutsuko Honda (本田路津子) is a Japanese singer born in 1949 in Ōmuta, in Fukuoka Prefecture. Launched in 1970 by the single 秋でもないのに, she became a voice of Japanese folk and appeared twice at the Kōhaku (1971 and 1972), before devoting herself, since returning to Japan in 1988, to gospel and hymns in churches.
Born on January 6, 1949 in Ōmuta, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Rutsuko Honda grew up in Niigata, then studied English literature at Obirin University in Tokyo. In 1970, she won the folk contest ハルミラフォークコンテスト singing Joan Baez's Silkie, signed with CBS/Sony, and released her first single, 秋でもないのに. With 一人の手 (1971) and then 耳をすましてごらん (1972), the theme of the NHK morning drama 藍より青く, she was invited two years in a row to the Kōhaku Uta Gassen, NHK's big year-end music show.
After five years of career, she withdrew from the stage in 1975 and moved to the United States. She was baptized right after her farewell concert, at the Higashi-Nakano church. Back in Japan in 1988, she has sung since then in churches in Japan and abroad, mixing hymns with her older hits, and released the album 聖なる主 BOUNDLESS GRACE in 2019, her first solo album in fifteen years.
- Origin
- Ōmuta (Fukuoka Prefecture), Japan
- Style
- Japanese folk (1970 to 1975), then gospel and hymns
- Active since
- 1970
- Good to know
- Invited twice to NHK's Kōhaku, in 1971 and 1972; the official YouTube channel listed is an auto-generated "Topic" channel
How did Rutsuko Honda get started?
The daughter of Christian parents, she owes her first name to Ruth, a figure of the Old Testament. She spent her childhood in Niigata, then moved to Tokyo on her own for high school and Obirin University, where she studied English literature.
In 1970, in her final year of university, she won the folk contest ハルミラフォークコンテスト singing Joan Baez's Silkie. A CBS/Sony director wrote to her by postcard, and her first single, 秋でもないのに, came out on September 1, 1970.
What makes Rutsuko Honda unique?
Rutsuko Honda enjoyed success in folk music before choosing another path: singing for the church. She translated 一人の手 herself, the Japanese version of Pete Seeger's One Man's Hands. Her concerts mix hymns, gospel, and her old hits. In 2004, she presented a concert in Sapporo built around an illustrated book with CD on the Lord's Prayer, 主の祈り.
Where should you start with Rutsuko Honda?
Start with 秋でもないのに and 耳をすましてごらん to hear the folk singer of the 1970s, then listen to 聖なる主, which shows the scope of her current work. The compilation GOLDEN BEST (2008) gathers the main hits of her Sony years.
songs
秋でもないのに
Her first single, released in 1970; single version posted by the automatic "Rutsuko Honda - Topic" channel (Sony Music).
一人の手
The Japanese version of Pete Seeger's One Man's Hands, translated by Rutsuko Honda, which earned her first Kōhaku invitation in 1971.
耳をすましてごらん
Theme of the NHK morning drama 藍より青く (1972), which earned her a second Kōhaku invitation.
聖なる主
A song from the album 聖なる主 BOUNDLESS GRACE (2019), posted by the LIFECREATION channel of Inochi no Kotoba-sha.
Discography
- 2019聖なる主 BOUNDLESS GRACE (Seinaru Shu)· Her first solo album in fifteen years, 8 tracks, on Life Creation (Inochi no Kotoba-sha)
- 2008GOLDEN BEST· Compilation of her hits, Sony Music
- 1975愛のおくりもの (Ai no Okurimono)
- 1973路津子オン・ステージ (Rutsuko on Stage)· Live album recorded at Nakano Sun Plaza
- 1973ニュー・ミュージックを歌う (New Music o Utau)
- 1972耳をすましてごらん (Mimi o Sumashite Goran)
- 1971家路 (Ieji)
- 1971秋でもないのに (Aki Demo Nai no ni)· First album, after the 1970 single
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Rutsuko Honda?
Rutsuko Honda (本田路津子) is a Japanese singer born in 1949. First known as a folk singer in the 1970s, she has sung gospel and hymns in churches since 1988.
What are Rutsuko Honda's best known songs?
Her biggest hits are 一人の手 (1971) and 耳をすましてごらん (1972), which earned her two invitations to NHK's Kōhaku. Her first single, 秋でもないのに (1970), remains one of her signature songs.
Is Rutsuko Honda a Christian?
Yes. Her parents were Christians, and she was baptized right after her 1975 farewell concert. Since returning to Japan in 1988, she has mostly sung in churches.
Why did Rutsuko Honda leave the stage in 1975?
She withdrew from the music scene in 1975 to settle in the United States. She came back to Japan in 1988 and resumed singing within the church setting, with gospel and hymn concerts.
Which recent Rutsuko Honda album should you listen to?
The album 聖なる主 BOUNDLESS GRACE, released on April 17, 2019 on Life Creation (Inochi no Kotoba-sha), is her first solo album in fifteen years and has eight tracks.
Where can you listen to Rutsuko Honda?
Her songs are available on streaming platforms and on YouTube, notably through the "Topic" channel of her Sony catalog and the LIFECREATION channel for her 2019 album.