Minako Honda
Encyclopedia
, born Minako Kudo was a Japanese "idol" pop-star
and musical singer. She became famous and popular as "Japan's Madonna
" because of her sexy fashion and live performances in the mid to late 1980s. She was also one of the singers to sing Japanese and English languages.
She was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the Juntendo University
Hospital in Bunkyō
, Tokyo, officially from acute myelogenous leukemia.
, Tokyo (a district made famous by the Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo
movie series), and was raised in Asaka
, Saitama Prefecture
. She had one sister, Ritsuko (律子). She has attented Horikoshi High School
with other singers and actresses such as Yoko Minamino
and Yukiko Okada
.
career was spectacular but short. In 1989, at the advanced age of 22, she made an attempt to revive her flagging career and attain "street cred" by forming the edgy all-girl band
"Minako with Wild Cats". This effort was unsuccessful, and it seemed that she would fade into obscurity.
By 1992, however, she had reinvented herself. She took formal acting and singing lessons, and became a notable theatrical singer and actress. In auditions for the Tokyo production of Miss Saigon
, she won out over 12,000 other candidates for the part of Kim, earning the nickname "Tokyo's Miss Saigon". She also appeared in numerous other theatrical performances.
Towards the end of her life, she released several classical albums demonstrating her soprano
singing voice, including religious works such as Amazing Grace
and Ave Maria. She also sang the theme songs for several anime programs.
She did not abandon pop music in her adult career; indeed, she became recognized for her vocal improvement in the adult pop genre. Her song "Tsubasa" (Wings) is famous for the "long note" that she holds for 30 seconds.
Her career was cut short by leukemia
. After she became ill in late 2004, she served as a celebrity spokesperson for the Live for Life Project, a campaign for the treatment of leukemia. At that time, she also changed her name to add a dot after the end of her name (本田美奈子．in kanji), thus increasing the number of strokes to 31. In Japanese "uranai" (占い) fortune-telling, a person's fate is associated with the number of strokes in the name. Following a severe misfortune, many Japanese change their name to change their fortune. As a result, albums released after 2004 show her name as "本田美奈子．" in kanji and/or "Honda Minako." in romanization.
Since her death, numerous posthumous albums and videos have been released, including some previously-unreleased songs.
cars and in imitation of another popular singer, Seiko Matsuda
(Matsuda is how Mazda
is known in Japan).
In 1985, Honda appeared on the music scene with her debut EP Satsui No Vacance. She was known for appearing in revealing outfits and for exposing her belly (hesodashi in Japanese).
Her career discography
included:
M' / Temptation / Sanbika Wa Utaenai (I Can't Sing Hymns) / November Snow / Aperitif / Doubt / Charlie / Hard To Say "I Love You" / Mahattan No Hotaru (= The Light Of Manhattan)
Sold Out / Ribbon Ga Hodokenai (I Can't Untie The Ribbon) / 1986Nen No Marilyn (Marilyn Of 1986) / Schedule / Joe / Bathroom Angel / Marionette No Yuutsu (Marionette Blue) / Dramatic Escape / Yokosuka Rule / Ai Ga Sugiyukumamani (= As Love Goes By)
Cancel / Tomaranai Railway (Non-Stop Railway) / Lovesong For Somebody / Shikashi (However) / Bond Street / 24Jikan No Hankou (=The 24-Hour Rebellion) / Roulette / Feel Like I'm Running / No Problem / Namida Wo F.O. Shite (=Fade Out The Tears)
Sneak Away / Playboy / Plaything / That's The Way I Want / Let's Start Again / Heart Break / You Can Do It / Take It Or Leave It / Girl Talk
One Shot / Passenger / Kodoku Na Hurricane (The Solitary Hurricane) and 9 other music tracks
One Shot / Do You Remember? / Yumemigokochi (Dreams Come True) / About – Adult / Hajimeteiukedo (Although It Is Said The First Time) / Kanashimi Swing (Sadness Swing) / Konya Wa Beat Ni Noranai (I Can't Follow The Beat Tonight) / Destiny / Kodoku Na Hurricane (The Solitary Hurricane) / Eye Kodoba Wa Lonely (The Message In My Eyes Is Lonely)
We Are Wild Cats / Let It Burn / Virginity / Bang Bang / Kiri No Viel (The Misty Veil) / Because You're Mine / Full Metal Armor /School Girl Blues / Kasis No Kajitsu (The Fruit Of Kasis) / Anata To Nettai (The Tropic And You)
Katte Ni Sasete (=Let Me Follow My Way) / Hearts On Fire / Walk Away / Helter Skelter / Slow Walk / Ai Ga Kikoeru (The Call For Love) / Heat Me Up / Asamade (Until Dawn) / Surrender / Kill me
After her J-pop career, Honda briefly recorded anime songs, including:
By the 1990s, Honda became a musical
singer, with appearances as Kim in the Japanese production of Miss Saigon
, supra. She also starred in Fiddler on the Roof
, Les Misérables
, and The King and I
. According to Shadows and Wind: A View of Modern Vietnam
by Robert Templer, Honda was fined and expelled from Vietnam after being photographed in the Cu Chi tunnels draped only in a Vietnamese flag.
Honda has recorded with a number of non-Japanese artists, including:
and fatigue. When her cold
-like symptoms failed to improve, she sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. Honda recovered after treatment and came home to Asaka.
Honda was able to celebrate her 38th birthday at home feeling relatively well, but had a relapse shortly afterwards. Chromosome aberration was discovered and she received a dose of anticancer medicine from the United States to treat it. It is reported that her blood type
changed to type A from type O because of a transfusion
of umbilical cord
blood after the detection of her illness. She recovered again briefly, but then suffered another relapse.
Honda developed lung complications on October 21, and she lapsed into a coma on November 3. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the Juntendo University
Hospital in Bunkyō
, Tokyo, officially from acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 38 and unmarried at the time of her death
.
"Minako Was A Little Angel," said Brian May on his web page after her death. The message can be seen in May's November 6 and November 8 contributions at WET
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsnov05.html
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
and musical singer. She became famous and popular as "Japan's Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
" because of her sexy fashion and live performances in the mid to late 1980s. She was also one of the singers to sing Japanese and English languages.
She was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the Juntendo University
Juntendo University
is a private university in Japan. Its headquarters are on its campus in Bunkyo, Tokyo for School of Medicine and in Hiragagakuendai, Inzai, Chiba for School of Health and Sports Science...
Hospital in Bunkyō
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
, Tokyo, officially from acute myelogenous leukemia.
Early life
Minako Kudo was born in Shibamata, KatsushikaKatsushika, Tokyo
is one of the special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It lies in the northeast of the ward area. The ward calls itself Katsushika City in English.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 429,289 and a density of 12,600 people per km²...
, Tokyo (a district made famous by the Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo
Otoko wa Tsurai yo
Otoko wa tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as "Tora-san" , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans...
movie series), and was raised in Asaka
Asaka, Saitama
is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It was named in 1932 after Prince Asaka who was an honorary chairman of the Tokyo Golf Club, which relocated to the area at that time. Asaka town became a city on March 15, 1967....
, Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
. She had one sister, Ritsuko (律子). She has attented Horikoshi High School
Horikoshi High School
is a Japanese private high school founded in 1923. The school is famous for being attended by many Japanese celebrities. It offers them lenient attendance requirements.- Notable students :* Yumi Adachi* Risa Ai* Jin Akanishi * Yū Aoi...
with other singers and actresses such as Yoko Minamino
Yoko Minamino
is a Japanese idol, singer, and actress born on June 23, 1967 in Itami, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in the Chūō district of Nakano, Tokyo. She is well known for her role as Saki Asamiya in the second season of the live action Sukeban Deka TV series, replacing...
and Yukiko Okada
Yukiko Okada
was a singer and winner of the talent show, Star Tanjō! in Japan.-Early life:Okada was born on August 22, 1967, the second daughter of the Satō family in the Ichinomiya Hospital and later moved to Nagoya. At elementary school, Okada loved to read books, especially comic books and she was a talented...
.
Beginnings
As with most teenaged "idol" singers, her J-PopJ-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
career was spectacular but short. In 1989, at the advanced age of 22, she made an attempt to revive her flagging career and attain "street cred" by forming the edgy all-girl band
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
"Minako with Wild Cats". This effort was unsuccessful, and it seemed that she would fade into obscurity.
By 1992, however, she had reinvented herself. She took formal acting and singing lessons, and became a notable theatrical singer and actress. In auditions for the Tokyo production of Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
, she won out over 12,000 other candidates for the part of Kim, earning the nickname "Tokyo's Miss Saigon". She also appeared in numerous other theatrical performances.
Towards the end of her life, she released several classical albums demonstrating her soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
singing voice, including religious works such as Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
and Ave Maria. She also sang the theme songs for several anime programs.
She did not abandon pop music in her adult career; indeed, she became recognized for her vocal improvement in the adult pop genre. Her song "Tsubasa" (Wings) is famous for the "long note" that she holds for 30 seconds.
Her career was cut short by leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. After she became ill in late 2004, she served as a celebrity spokesperson for the Live for Life Project, a campaign for the treatment of leukemia. At that time, she also changed her name to add a dot after the end of her name (本田美奈子．in kanji), thus increasing the number of strokes to 31. In Japanese "uranai" (占い) fortune-telling, a person's fate is associated with the number of strokes in the name. Following a severe misfortune, many Japanese change their name to change their fortune. As a result, albums released after 2004 show her name as "本田美奈子．" in kanji and/or "Honda Minako." in romanization.
Since her death, numerous posthumous albums and videos have been released, including some previously-unreleased songs.
Solo career
Kudo changed her name as she pursued a professional career in singing. Supposedly, she chose Honda because she liked HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
cars and in imitation of another popular singer, Seiko Matsuda
Seiko Matsuda
is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. Due to her popularity in the 1980s and her long career, she has been dubbed the "Eternal idol" by the Japanese media.- Biography :...
(Matsuda is how Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
is known in Japan).
In 1985, Honda appeared on the music scene with her debut EP Satsui No Vacance. She was known for appearing in revealing outfits and for exposing her belly (hesodashi in Japanese).
Her career discography
Discography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
included:
- M' Syndrome 1985
M' / Temptation
- Minako The Virgin Concert In Budokan Live 1986
- Lips 1986
Sold Out / Ribbon Ga Hodokenai (I Can't Untie The Ribbon) / 1986Nen No Marilyn (Marilyn Of 1986) / Schedule / Joe / Bathroom Angel / Marionette No Yuutsu (Marionette Blue) / Dramatic Escape / Yokosuka Rule / Ai Ga Sugiyukumamani (= As Love Goes By)
- Cancel 1986
Cancel / Tomaranai Railway (Non-Stop Railway) / Lovesong For Somebody / Shikashi (However) / Bond Street / 24Jikan No Hankou (=The 24-Hour Rebellion) / Roulette / Feel Like I'm Running / No Problem / Namida Wo F.O. Shite (=Fade Out The Tears)
- Oversea 1987
Sneak Away / Playboy / Plaything / That's The Way I Want / Let's Start Again / Heart Break / You Can Do It / Take It Or Leave It / Girl Talk
- Passenger Original Soundtrack 1987
One Shot / Passenger / Kodoku Na Hurricane (The Solitary Hurricane) and 9 other music tracks
- Midnight Swing 1987
One Shot / Do You Remember? / Yumemigokochi (Dreams Come True) / About – Adult / Hajimeteiukedo (Although It Is Said The First Time) / Kanashimi Swing (Sadness Swing) / Konya Wa Beat Ni Noranai (I Can't Follow The Beat Tonight) / Destiny / Kodoku Na Hurricane (The Solitary Hurricane) / Eye Kodoba Wa Lonely (The Message In My Eyes Is Lonely)
- DISPA 1987 (the short form of Disco Party) 1988
- Wildcats 1988 (Released under the band name Minako With Wild Cats)
We Are Wild Cats / Let It Burn / Virginity / Bang Bang / Kiri No Viel (The Misty Veil) / Because You're Mine / Full Metal Armor /School Girl Blues / Kasis No Kajitsu (The Fruit Of Kasis) / Anata To Nettai (The Tropic And You)
- The Target Of Leopard 1989
Katte Ni Sasete (=Let Me Follow My Way) / Hearts On Fire / Walk Away / Helter Skelter / Slow Walk / Ai Ga Kikoeru (The Call For Love) / Heat Me Up / Asamade (Until Dawn) / Surrender / Kill me
After her J-pop career, Honda briefly recorded anime songs, including:
- Lullaby ~Yasashiku Dakasete~ (Lullaby – Embrace Me Gently), the ending of the Magic Knight RayearthMagic Knight Rayearthis a Japanese manga series created by Clamp, a manga artist team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona. Rayearth combines elements from the magical girl and mecha anime genres with parallel world fantasy....
second series (1995). - Kaze No Uta (Song Of The Wind), the first Hunter × HunterHunter × Hunter, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and well...
series ending theme (1999). - Nadja!, the Ashita No NadjaAshita no Nadja, is a romance manga by Izumi Todo. It was serialized by Kodansha in the manga magazine Nakayoshi and collected in two bound volumes.The series was adapted as an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which premiered in Japan on the anime satellite television network Animax and the terrestrial TV...
opening theme (2003). - Que será, será, the Ashita No Nadja ending theme (2003).
By the 1990s, Honda became a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
singer, with appearances as Kim in the Japanese production of Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
, supra. She also starred in Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, and The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
. According to Shadows and Wind: A View of Modern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
by Robert Templer, Honda was fined and expelled from Vietnam after being photographed in the Cu Chi tunnels draped only in a Vietnamese flag.
Honda has recorded with a number of non-Japanese artists, including:
- Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
of QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, who wrote, composed, played guitar for, and produced "Crazy Nights"/"Golden Days" for her. - Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
("The Cross") - [John "Sly" Wilson of Sly Slick & Wicked was in-house producer for Joe Jackson of the Jackson 5 produced the Oversea album. John Wilson wrote and produced ("Heart Break" & Sneakaway). Minako recorded this song in two languages: an English recorded in Los AngelesEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version which was included on her English album "Oversea", and a Japanese mix which was released as a single. - John DeaconJohn DeaconJohn Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
, the bassist for Queen, offered a number of songs to Minako which were included in the album "Cancel"
Death
Honda became ill in late 2004, but still performed in December in spite of a feverFever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
and fatigue. When her cold
Cold
Cold describes the condition of low temperature.Cold may also refer to:*Common cold, a contagious viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system*Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...
-like symptoms failed to improve, she sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on January 5, 2005. Honda recovered after treatment and came home to Asaka.
Honda was able to celebrate her 38th birthday at home feeling relatively well, but had a relapse shortly afterwards. Chromosome aberration was discovered and she received a dose of anticancer medicine from the United States to treat it. It is reported that her blood type
Blood type
A blood type is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells . These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system...
changed to type A from type O because of a transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
of umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
blood after the detection of her illness. She recovered again briefly, but then suffered another relapse.
Honda developed lung complications on October 21, and she lapsed into a coma on November 3. At 4:38 A.M. on November 6, 2005, Honda died at the Juntendo University
Juntendo University
is a private university in Japan. Its headquarters are on its campus in Bunkyo, Tokyo for School of Medicine and in Hiragagakuendai, Inzai, Chiba for School of Health and Sports Science...
Hospital in Bunkyō
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
, Tokyo, officially from acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 38 and unmarried at the time of her death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
"Minako Was A Little Angel," said Brian May on his web page after her death. The message can be seen in May's November 6 and November 8 contributions at WET
Western European Time
Western European Time , defined legally as Greenwich Mean Time in the United Kingdom, is the time zone covering parts of western and northwestern Europe, and includes the following countries and regions:...
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsnov05.html
Singles
- Satsui No Vacance (殺意のバカンス Satsui No Bakansu, Vacation Of The Urge To Kill) (April 21, 1985)
- Suki To Iinasai (好きと言いなさい, Tell Me "I Love You") (July 20, 1985)
- Aoi Shumatsu (青い週末, Blue Weekend) (August 31, 1985)
- Temptation (September 28, 1985)
- 1986 Nen No Marilyn (1986年のマリリン Senkyuhyakuhachijūnen No Maririn, Marilyn in 1986) (February 5, 1986)
- Sosotte (Seduce Me) (May 1, 1986)
- Help (July 23, 1986)
- The Cross -Ai No Jyujika- (愛の十字架, The Cross Of Love) (September 3, 1986)
- Oneway Generation (February 4, 1987)
- Crazy Nights (April 22, 1987)
- Golden Days (May 11, 1987) released only in UK
- Heartbreak (1987年6月22日)
- Kodoku Na Hurricane (孤独なハリケーン Kodoku Na Harikēn, Lonely Hurricane) (September 9, 1987)
- Kanashimi Swing (悲しみSWING ) (November 25, 1987)
- Anata To Nettai (あなたと、熱帯, With You, Tropical) (July 6, 1988) as "Minako With Wildcats"
- Stand Up～Full Metal Armor (November 30, 1988) as "Minako With Wildcats"
- Katte Ni Sasete (勝手にさせて, Let Me Have My Own Way) (May 31, 1989) as "Minako With Wildcats"
- 7th Bird "Ai Ni Koi" (愛に恋 Love And Love) (October 11, 1989)
- Shangri-La (July 4, 1990)
- Tsubasa (つばさ, Wings) (May 25, 1994)
- Rarabai~Yasashiku Dakasete~ (ら・ら・ば・い～優しく抱かせて, Lullaby~Let Me Hold You Kindly) (May 10, 1995) (2nd ending theme of Magic Knight Rayearth)
- Boku No Heya De Kurasou (僕の部屋で暮らそう, Let's Live In My Room) (July 26, 1995)
- Fall In Love With You -Koi Ni Ochite- (恋に落ちて, Fall In Love) (November 6, 1995)
- Shining Eyes (July 21, 1996)
- Kaze No Uta (風のうた, Wind Song) (November 21, 1999) (ending theme song of Hunter × Hunter)
- Honey (October 21, 2000)
- Hoshizora (星空, Starlit Sky) (January 24, 2001)
- Nadja!! (ナージャ!! Nādja!!) (February 21, 2003) (theme song of Ashita No NadjaAshita no Nadja, is a romance manga by Izumi Todo. It was serialized by Kodansha in the manga magazine Nakayoshi and collected in two bound volumes.The series was adapted as an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which premiered in Japan on the anime satellite television network Animax and the terrestrial TV...
) - Shinsekai (新世界, New World) (May 14, 2004)
Studio albums
- M'Syndrome (M'シンドロームEmu'Shindorōmu) (November 21, 1985)
- Lips (June 4, 1986)
- Oversea (June 22, 1987)
- Cancel (September 28, 1988)
- Midnight Swing (December 15, 1988)
- Hyōteki (豹的, Target) (July 5, 1989) as "Minako With Wildcats"
- Wild Cats (August 4, 1989) as "Minako With Wildcats"
- Junction (September 24, 1994)
- Hare Tokidoki Kumori (晴れ ときどき くもり, Fine, Sometimes Cloudy) (June 25, 1995)
- Ave Maria (May 21, 2003)
- Toki (時, Time) (November 25, 2004)
- Amazing Grace (アメイジング・グレイス Ameijingu Gureisu) (October 19, 2005)
- Kokoro Wo Komete... (心を込めて... Heartily) (April 20, 2006)
- Yasashii Sekai (優しい世界 Gentle World) (December 6, 2006)
- ETERNAL HARMONY (November 6, 2008)
- Last Concert (ラスト・コンサート) (December 10, 2008)
Live albums
- The Virgin Concert (ザ・ヴァージン・コンサート Za Vājin Consāto) (February 20, 1986)
- DISPA 1987 (January 24, 1989)
Compilations
- The Minako Collection (December 20, 1986)
- Golden Best- New Best Now (June 4, 1988)
- Look Over My Shoulder (October 26, 1988)
- Stand Up- Best Beat Collection (December 12, 1988)
- Life -Minako Honda: Premium Best- (May 21, 2005)
- I Love You (March 29, 2006)
- Angel Voice ~Minako Honda. Memorial Best~ (April 18, 2007)
- Classical Best ~Ten Ni Hibiku Uta~ (April 20, 2007)
VHS/DVD
- The Virgin Live In Budokan
- Dangerous Bond Street
- Dramatic Flash
- DISPA 1987
- Minako In L.A.
- Katte Ni Sasete (勝手にさせて, Let Me Have My Own Way)
- Tropical Holiday
- Tropical Holiday In Hawaii