Sakura Yamato (born May 26, 1970 in Saga Prefecture) is a Japanese enka singer who emerged like a comet in the late 1980s, passing an audition in 1987 for "the first produced singer" by enka treasure Harumi Miyako. She was acclaimed as "one of the best singers in 10 years" for her overwhelming singing ability. The following year, on May 21, 1988, she made her major label debut with the single "Osho Ichidai Koharushigure. This song was a smash hit despite the enka slump, and her dainty looks and solid ability drew much attention as an "endor (enka idol). She swept the newcomer award race that year, winning the FNS Song Festival Best Newcomer Award and the Song Golden Grand Prix. She continued to release singles such as"Kibun wa Akai Yuhi no Sanno Kasasa" and"Oga Peninsula, " and established her own unique world of song, in which emotion and youthfulness coexist in the same vein as Harumi Miyako. She also appeared in commercials for Sato no Gohan (Sato's Rice), but effectively retired in 1994 after the release of "I Love You. Although her career was short-lived, her fresh voice and the famous song "Osho Ichidai Koharushigure" are still vividly etched in the memories of enka fans in Japan.