▁N H K ' s ▁New com er ▁Sing ing ▁Cont est . ▁In ▁May , ▁she ▁released ▁a ▁cover ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁ren owned ▁song ▁H ana , ▁originally ▁recorded ▁by ▁Sh ou k ichi ▁K ina , ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁H ime y uri ▁no ▁T ō ▁( The ▁Tower ▁of ▁H ime y uri ). ▁This , ▁her ▁third ▁single , ▁sold ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies . ▁She ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 6 th ▁annual ▁N H K ▁K ō h aku ▁U ta ▁G assen ▁with ▁the ▁song ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Sat oko ▁I sh im ine ▁was ▁born ▁the ▁third ▁girl ▁of ▁three ▁sister s ▁in ▁N aha ▁City , ▁Ok ina wa ▁Pref ect ure , ▁Japan . ▁Her ▁family ▁loved ▁listening ▁to ▁such ▁legend ary ▁foreign ▁mus icians ▁as ▁The ▁Car pent ers ▁and ▁The ▁Beat les . ▁She ▁started ▁dream ing ▁of ▁becoming ▁a ▁professional ▁singer ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ten - year - old . ▁ ▁Success ▁and ▁struggle ▁Through ▁the ▁initi ating ▁years ▁of ▁her ▁career , ▁I sh im ine ▁established ▁her ▁popular ity ▁for ▁the ▁public ▁as ▁an ▁Ok ina wan ▁singer , ▁especially ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁hit ▁of ▁her ▁third ▁single ▁H ana . ▁Nevertheless , ▁she ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁such ▁a ▁m ature d ▁vocal ist ▁with ▁mod est ▁and ▁magnific ent ▁songs ▁as