was a Japanese singer and actress. She was a founding member of Hello! Project J-pop group Country Musume. She joined Country Musume in 1999 along with Rinne Toda and Azusa Kobayashi. On July 16, 1999, Yanagihara was killed in a car accident one week before the group's first release, Futari no Hokkaidou on July 23, 1999. Acts Movies 1998 – TV shows 1999-07-13 – Idol o Sagase Dramas 1998-04-06 – 1998-07-09 – 1998-10-11 – External links Necrology from Nikkan Sports 1979 births 1999 deaths Country Musume members Japanese idols Road incident deaths in Japan Japanese women pop singers Japanese actresses Musicians from Chiba Prefecture 20th-century Japanese women singers 20th-century Japanese singers