Shinobu Nakayama

Shinobu Nakayama
中山 忍
Born (1973-01-18) January 18, 1973
Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1988–present
AgentOffice Muse
RelativesMiho Nakayama (sister)
Musical career
GenresJ-pop
InstrumentVocals
Years active
    • 1983–1995
    • 2005–2006
LabelsCBS Sony
Japanese name
Kanji中山 忍
Hiraganaなかやま しのぶ
Katakanaナカヤマ シノブ
Transcriptions
RomanizationNakayama Shinobu
Websitewww.office-muse.co.jp

Shinobu Nakayama (中山 忍, Nakayama Shinobu; born January 18, 1973) is a Japanese actress and a former J-pop singer. She released her first single on 2 November 1988; her final release as a J-pop artist was on 1 March 1991. She acted in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), Fist of Legend (1994), Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999). Nakayama was a member of the short-lived idol groups Nanatsuboshi and Rakutenshi. She is affiliated with Office Muse.

Biography

Nakayama was born on January 18, 1973, in Koganei, Tokyo. She is the younger sister of singer and actress Miho Nakayama. She graduated from Asia University.

Nakayama, like her older sister, Miho, started out her career as a musician. She released her first single on 2 November 1988. Her final release as a J-pop artist was on 1 March 1991. She became successful when she became part of a music group called Rakutenshi. She was also a member of the short-lived idol group Nanatsuboshi.

Nakayama started a career in acting[1] in the early 1990s. She portrayed Yuri Katagiri in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993). She was cast in the Jet Li movie Fist of Legend (1994), a remake of the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury. She portrayed Mayumi Nagamine in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999).

Discography

Studio albums

Year Information Oricon weekly
peak position
[2]
Sales
RIAJ certification[3]
1989 Kesshin
Niji no Lithograph
  • Released: December 1, 1989
  • Label: CBS Sony
  • Formats: CD, cassette
1990 Hakoiri Musume: Konomama ja Irarenai wa
  • Released: August 1, 1990
  • Label: CBS Sony
  • Formats: CD, cassette
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Title Album details
Kyō made Soshite Asu kara
  • Released: January 1, 1991
  • Label: Sony Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
Idol Miracle Bible Series: Shinobu Nakayama
  • Released: November 30, 2005
  • Label: SME Records
  • Formats: CD

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Date Peak chart positions Sales (JPN) RIAJ
certification[3]
Album
JPN
Oricon

[2]
"Chīsana Kesshin" November 2, 1988 Kesshin
"Namida, Tomare!" February 1, 1989
"Makenaide, Yūki" May 1, 1989
"Natsu ni Koi suru Awatenbo" August 10, 1989 Niji no Lithograph
"Kaketekita Shojo (Otome)" November 1, 1989
"Hikari no Opera" March 1, 1990 Kyō made Soshite Asu kara
"Hakoiri Musume no Nageki" July 1, 1990 Hakoiri Musume: Konomama ja Irarenai wa
"Romantic" December 21, 1990 Kyō made Soshite Asu kara
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1993 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Yuri Katagiri [4]
1994 Fist of Legend Mitsuko Yamada
1996 The Donor Yuka Yamashina Lead role [5]
2006 The Ode to Joy Matsu [6]
2023 After-school Angler Life for High School Girls. [7]
2025 Sōzoku Sanae Suzuki [8]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2005 Ōoku Ōsuke Season 3 [9]
2024 Wing-Man Yoshiko Hirono [10]

References

  1. ^ Scarecrow, The Staff and Friends of (2004-10-04). The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide. Sasquatch Books. pp. 663–. ISBN 9781570614156. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b "中山忍" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  3. ^ a b "ゴールドディスク認定" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  4. ^ "ゴジラVSメカゴジラ". eiga.com. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  5. ^ "DONOR 人格移植". JMDB (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  6. ^ "バルトの楽園(がくえん)". eiga.com. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  7. ^ "放課後アングラーライフ". eiga.com. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  8. ^ "ソーゾク". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  9. ^ "大奥~華の乱~". Fuji TV. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  10. ^ "Live-Action Wingman Series Reveals 5 More Cast Members". Anime News Network. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-25.