Biography

Yuko Ichioka (gospel singer, conductor, inspirational speaker, and author) is the daughter of the late Hachiro Oka, one of Kansai Japan¹s most beloved comedians. Yuko graduated from the Santa Fe Community College in Florida, U.S.A. She also studied at the Brooklyn/Queens Conservatory of Music in New York, where she was inspired by gospel music and helped found the Harlem Japanese Gospel Choir (Harlem JP).  In 2003, Yuko co-authored a book with her father, who was a recovering alcoholic. The book, ”I’ll Make You Laugh as Much as I’ve Cried”, is an inspirational story about loss, hope, and survival. A popular inspirational speaker and singer, Yuko performed more than 70 speeches and concerts in 2008 as well as her first charity gospel concert for AID orphans in Thailand. She also teaches gospel music to several choirs in Japan. A member of Kobe Bible Fellowship Church (KBF), Yuko lives in Amagasaki City, Hyogo, Japan.