, occasionally credited as You Aku (February 7, 1937 – August 1, 2007), was a Japanese lyricist, poet, and novelist.
Early life Yū Aku was born as Hiroyuki Fukada (深田公之, Fukada Hiroyuki) in Awaji Island, Hyogo, Japan. His parents both originated from the town of Kawaminami in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. His father worked as a police constable in Hyogo prefecture. His father's career necessitated moving every few years, resulting in Aku attending three separate junior high schools. Yū Aku graduated from Meiji University.
Career Originally, Yū Aku desired to screenwrite for movies, specifically the then up-and-coming Moonlight Mask series. Aku started his career in advertisement production, which provided the foundation for his work as a lyricist. Aku worked on commercial production from 1959 to 1966. In 1964, he also took up broadcast writing. After his 1966 retirement from advertising, he continued to work as a broadcast writer and also as a lyricist. His first published work as a lyricist was the 1965 song 'Monkey Dance.'
Yū Aku was famous for contributing lyrics to many recording artists since 1967. He was a prolific lyricist, writing more than 5,000 songs. Mainly during the 1970s, more than 20 of them reached #1 on the Japanese Oricon chart, and seven singles sold more than a million copies. Over 500 of his compositions which were released as singles have entered the Japanese record chart, and they sold in excess of 68 million copies from 1968 to 2007, making him the most commercially successful Japanese lyricist up to that point. As of 2015, total sales of the singles he has written exceed 68.3 million copies, making him the second best-selling lyricist in Japan behind only Yasushi Akimoto. In 1977, he wrote the lyrics to The TV Asahi Song for the occasion of the television channel's most recent name change.
Throughout his 40-year career as a lyricist, Aku won the Japan Record Award five times. He was also acclaimed as a novelist, and produced several award-winning works. In 1999, Aku received the Purple Ribboned Medal of Honor from the Government of Japan, in honor of his long-term contributions to the Japanese entertainment industry.
On September 12, 2001, Aku underwent surgery to remove his kidney cancer. He continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy until he died of ureteral cancer on August 1, 2007.
Awards YearAwardSongCategorySinger1970 (Shōwa 45)12th Japan Record AwardsManatsu No ArashiComposer AwardTeruhiko SaigōWaratte YurushiteArranger AwardAkiko Wada1971 (Shōwa 46)13th Japan Record AwardsMata Au Hi MadeJapan Record AwardKiyohiko OzakiMoeru KoibitoNew Artist AwardNaoki Hongou1972 (Shōwa 47)14th Japan Record AwardsAno Kane Wo Narasunowa AnataBest VocalistAkiko WadaSenseiNew Artist AwardMasako MoriDounimo TomaranaiComposer AwardLinda YamamotoNamidaJun InouePin Pon Pan TaisouChildren's Song AwardSuginami Junior Chorus & Zei Kanamori1973 (Shōwa 48)15th Japan Record AwardsWatashi No Aoi ToriBest New ArtistJunko SakuradaCoffee Shop DeNew Artist AwardShizue AbeJohnny He No DengonLyricist AwardPedro & CapriciousJinjin SaseteLinda YamamotoMachi No AkariComposer AwardMasaaki Sakai1974 (Shōwa 49)16th Japan Record AwardsKoi No American FootballYoung Idol AwardFinger 51975 (Shōwa 50)17th Japan Record AwardsRomanceNew Artist AwardHiromi IwasakiJuushichi No NatsuGeneral Public AwardSakurada JunkoGeshukuyaComposer AwardKouichi Morita & TopgalantUba GurumaLyricist AwardSugawara Yoichi1976 (Shōwa 51)18th Japan Record AwardsKita No Yado KaraJapan Record AwardHarumi MiyakoWakaki Shishi TachiVocalist AwardHideki SaijoYome Ni KonaikaNew Artist AwardKenji NiinumaPepper KeibuPink Lady1977 (Shōwa 52)19th Japan Record AwardsKatte Ni ShiyagareJapan Record AwardKenji SawadaArranger AwardShishukiVocalist Award/Shinpei Nakayama Award (Composer Award)Hiromi IwasakiTsugarukaikyou FuyugeshikiSayuri IshikawaWantedGeneral Public AwardPink Lady1978 (Shōwa 53)20th Japan Record AwardsUFOJapan Record Award/Gold AwardPink LadyLOVE (Dakishimetai)Best Vocalist/Gold AwardKenji SawadaCinderella HoneymoonGold Award (Vocalist Award)Hiromi IwasakiTasogare My LoveJunko OohashiBlue Sky BlueHideki SaijoShitsuren KinenbiNew Artist AwardMako Ishino1979 (Shōwa 54)21st Japan Record AwardsCasa Blanca DandyGold AwardKenji SawadaFuna UtaAki Yashiro1980 (Shōwa 55)22nd Japan Record AwardsAme No BojouJapan Record Award/Gold AwardAki YashiroGinga DensetsuGold AwardHiromi IwasakiSakaba De DABADAKenji Sawada1981 (Shōwa 56)23rd Japan Record AwardsMoshimo Piano Ga HiketanaraGold AwardToshiyuki Nishida1982 (Shōwa 57)24th Japan Record AwardsChigiriGold AwardHiroshi ItsukiAnswer Song Wa AishuuNew Artist AwardYū Hayami1983 (Shōwa 58)25th Japan Record AwardsNihon KaiSpecial Gold AwardAki Yashiro1984 (Shōwa 59)26th Japan Record AwardsKita No HotaruGold AwardShinichi MoriNatsu Zakari Hono JigumiLyricist AwardToshihiko Tahara & Naoko Ken2018 JASRAC Awards UFO Bronze Prize Pink Lady2019 Silver Prize
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