Tomi Fujiyama’s amazing career and tale, which spans two hemispheres and half a century, is being made into a feature length documentary film, MADE IN JAPAN, with narration by actor Elijah Wood. The seventy-year-old musician will hold her first American concert in over four decades on September 11, 2008, at Pianos on the Lower East Side, New York City. Opening acts include the popular bluegrass band All Night Cookin’ at 8PM and the indie/alt country rock band The Musical Outfits at 9PM. Tomi Fujiyama will take the stage at 10PM. The performance will be recorded and included in the upcoming film. Fujiyama is to perform additional dates in Las Vegas and while nothing has been set in stone, Tomi is traveling to Nashville to fulfill her American Dream and cap a legendary 50-year career by playing one final time on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

In 1951, the beginning of her long career, Fujiyama was twelve years old and couldn’t speak a word of English. At that age, she switched from performing traditional Japanese songs for small Japanese audiences to singing Country/ Western for American listeners. In the years following, the talented musician recorded 21 singles and 5 albums with Columbia Records. One recorded in Nashville with Country legend Bill Anderson sold more than 50,000 copies and led to much American press and to performances on the American television programs, “The Les Crane Show” and “The Danny Thomas Show”. Tomi was 21 years old when she was discovered at The Mint Hotel in Las Vegas where she had a backbreaking 4-shows-a-night, 7 days a week contract.

In 1964, Tomi Fujiyama was asked to perform at The Grand Ole Opry’s 39th Birthday Extravaganza in Nashville,TN. She took the stage after Johnny Cash and received the only standing ovation of the 5-hour show. Less than one year later she was forced to return to her native Japan to fulfill contractual obligations with Columbia records and to care for ailing parents.

After returning home to Japan in 1965, Tomi continued to play the U.S.O. throughout the 1980’s. This included going on U.S.O tours of Vietnam and South East Asia during the Vietnam War. Still going strong in the 1990’s, her management company Columbia Records produced a “Best Of” album in 1992, and in 1996 she recorded “Lonely Together” in Nashville. Fujiyama returned to Nashville in 2003 to record her first album in 30 years: “Gold”.

Today Fujiyama continues to perform in clubs and venues all over Japan where her passion for music and her lust for life continue to move and inspire. She has dreamt of returning to the Opry again one day and that day is approaching soon. That is after all her one goal in life!



Tomi Fujiyama “Your Cheatin’ Heart”

Made in Japan Trailer about Japanese Country singer Tomi Fujiyama