Naoko Kawai

Naoko Kawai
河合奈保子
Birth nameNahoko Kawai
河合奈保子
Born (1963-07-24) July 24, 1963
OriginSumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
GenresJ-pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, composer
Instrument(s)Vocals, Piano, Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer
Years active1980-1996
LabelsNippon Columbia

Naoko Kawai (河合奈保子) (born 24 July 1963) is a Japanese former pop idol, singer-songwriter, and composer who was active in the 1980s. Kawai was from the same generation as Seiko Matsuda, Yoshimi Iwasaki, Junko Mihara and Yoshie Kashiwabara, who all debuted in 1980. After her marriage in 1996, she changed her maiden surname to Naoko Kanehara (金原奈保子) and completely suspended music activities. Since then, Kawai has resided in Australia.