was a rock and pop singer in Japan, born in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

.

Family background

Her father was a Japanese expatriate in Russia

Japanese people in Russia

Japanese people in Russia form a small part of the worldwide community of Nikkeijin. They count various notable political figures among their number.-Early settlement:...

, while her mother was a Russian. The family moved to Japan when she was 11 years old, where she was subjected to repeated bullying. Viciously bullied in elementary school and middle school, she attempted to commit suicide on multiple occasions. One time, when she was an elementary school girl, she broke her both arm bones by herself, with the intention of skipping school. She used this as a stepping stone to enter the music industry.

Career

She released her first single, "Zoo", at the age of 17 in 1988. She then made her debut with the album "Zoo" in 1988. In 1990 she had a hit with "Kamisama ga Oritekuru Yoru" and the following year with the often-covered "Tsubasa wo Kudasai." That year she made the first of several movie appearances in "Tokyo Kyujitsu." From the mid-1990s, she split her time between New York and Japan, and got involved in the club scene in the late 90s. She and guitarist Motoaki married in 1999 and had a daughter in 2001, but were soon separated.

Illness and death

In 2004, she was diagnosed with breast cancer

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...

, and became a spokeswoman for cancer activism. She died from the disease in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 in 2009, aged 38.

An Orthodox Christian, her panikhída (memorial service)

Memorial service (Orthodox)

A memorial service is a liturgical observance in honor of the departed which is served in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.-The service:In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose: to pray for the repose...

 was held on July 30, and her funeral the next day at the Japanese Orthodox Church

Japanese Orthodox Church

The Japanese Orthodox Church or The Orthodox Church in Japan is an autonomous church of Eastern Orthodoxy under the omophorion of the Russian Orthodox Church.-History:...

's Holy Resurrection Cathedral. Her Christian name was Anastasia

Anastasia

Anastasia is a personal name and the female form of the Greek male name Anastasius/Anastasios meaning "resurrection." The name, and its male counterpart, were often given to Greek children born around December 2 or around Easter during the early days of Christianity. It is the name of several...

. She and Motoaki divorced in 2007. In October 2008 she wrote on her blog that the cancer had returned and spread to her bones and lungs. Though - or perhaps because - she knew her time was limited, she had a busy schedule this year, performing concerts, publishing a book and releasing "K," her first original album in 13 years.

External links

• Rock Singer Kaori Kawamura Dies of Cancer at 38 Japan Today, July 29, 2009.
• ニコライ堂の弔いの鐘音　川村カオリ - Bells of the cathedral after the funeral