Hibari Misora
was a Japanese singer and actress. The style of music she sang was enka. She received many awards, among them living national treasure.  In Japan she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time. She was the first woman in Japan to receive the , which was awarded for her notable contributions to the music industry. Hibari Misora was also one of the most commercially successful music artists in the world. At the time of her death, she had recorded around 1,200 songs, and sold 68 million records. After her death, consumer demand for her recordings grew significantly, and she had sold more than 80 million records by 2001. Her swan-song  is often performed by  artists and orchestras in her honour. Artists who recorded this song include The Three Tenors, Teresa Teng, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, and the Twelve Girls Band.