Sayuri Kume (Japanese: 久米小百合 (Kume Sayuri)), also known as Saki Kubota (Japanese: 久保田早紀 (Kubota Saki)), is a Japanese singer-songwriter whose song Ihojin (1979) (Japanese: 異邦人) sold more than 1.4 million copies and reached number 1 in the Japanese singles chart. The song was used in the "Silk Road" television commercial for Sanyo.
Her album Yumegatari (Japanese: 夢がたり) stayed at number 1 in the Oricon chart for seven consecutive weeks from 31 December 1979 to 11 February 1980. Her album Tenkai (Japanese: 天界) reached number 11 in the Japanese chart in 1980. Her album Saudade (Japanese: サウダーデ) reached number 54 in the Japanese chart. Her album Yoruno Sokowa Yawarakana Maboroshi (1984) has been described as her greatest masterpiece.
Her single Nijūgoji (1980) (Japanese: 25時) reached number 19 in the Japanese chart. Her single Kugatsu No Iro (Japanese: 九月の色) (1980) reached number 51 in the Japanese chart. Her single Orange Airmail Special (Japanese: オレンジ・エアメール・スペシャル) (1981) reached number 62 in the Japanese chart.
She appeared on The Best Ten, Yoru no Hit Studio, and Music Fair.
She sang songs in the new music genre (Japanese: ニューミュージック, nyū myūjikku). She has been described as the standard bearer of that genre.
She was awarded the female newcomer award (Japanese: 女性新人賞) at the 13th Japan Record Sales Awards (Japanese: 日本レコードセールス大賞) in 1980.
In January 2020, a box set was released under the title Saki Kubota Premium to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her debut in 1979.
She was born on 11 May 1958 in Kunitachi, Tokyo, and moved to Hachioji at the age of thirteen.
She attended a sunday school where hymns were sung. She was aware of the music of Akai Tori, Akiko Yano, The Beatles Shigeru Izumiya, The Spiders, Takuro Yoshida, The Tempters and Yuming, and listened to music by Garo and The Tigers.
She began to write lyrics and compose music when she was in senior high school (kōtōgakkō, abbreviated to kōkō).
She was educated at the Second Kyoritsu Girl's Senior High School (Kyōritsu joshi dai ni kōkō). She graduated from the Department of Literature at Kyoritsu Women's Junior College, and the Department of Theology at the Tokyo Baptist Theological Seminary of the Japan Baptist Convention.
She was the 6th best selling composer of 1980, with 1.5 million sales. She was the 7th best selling lyricist of 1980, with 1.46 million sales. She was one of only two people included in both the top ten bestselling composers, and the top ten bestselling lyricists, of that year.
She was baptised in 1981. In 1985, she married Daisaku Kume (Japanese: 久米大作), son of Akira Kume.
Since her marriage, she has used her real married name, Sayuri Kume, for her Christian music, instead of using the stage name "Saki", which she used for her music from 1979 to 1984. She released four albums of Christian music from 1987 to 2017. In 2007, she became a goodwill ambassador for the Japan Bible Society. She began hosting a "Bible Cafe" study group in 2004. She has given talks about food in the Bible.
In 2004, Saki Kubota was number 65 in the mora annual download rankings for artists. In 2007, Shūkan Shōwa Taimuzu featured her on the back cover as person of the moment (Japanese: 時の人) for 1980. As of 2024, there is nostalgia for Saki Kubota as an artist in the new music genre in the 1980s. According to a survey by the Sankei Shimbun, when votes for folk, rock and pop songs were tallied by artist, she was found to be the 16th most popular artist of the Shōwa era in those genres.
She appeared at the Tōkyō Kirisuto kyōgaku-en school festival in 1989, and at a Christmas event in Yokohama in 2024.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, she was a co-founder of "Tōhoku Ōendan Love East" (Japanese: 東北応援団LOVE EAST).
She influenced the music of Tomoyo Harada. Some 21st century music has been described as reminiscent of Saki Kubota's Shōwa era music.