Marina Watanabe (渡辺満里奈) born November 18, 1970, is a Japanese actress, sing… Read Full Bio ↴Marina Watanabe (渡辺満里奈) born November 18, 1970, is a Japanese actress, singer, and TV personality. She was born in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan and is currently married to Japanese comedian Jun Nagura. She is a former Japanese idol who is now particularly famous in her country for her books and TV shows that express her widely-regarded sophisticated sense for fashion, travel, and personal health.

Watanabe was born and raised within the Tokyo area. It is said that her father named her daughter "Marina", a rather unusual name for Japanese girls at the time, because he enjoyed yachting.

In 1986, she was discovered by star agents, and subsequently passed her audition tests to become an idol in the same year. Soon after, she became a member of the now-legendary idol group Onyanko Club (Onyanko Club). It was during her time within the group that she made her debut. Her solo debut song "Shinkokyuu Shite" became a number one song on the Oricon charts, and later got her in the record books for setting the record for the youngest singer to have a number 1 Oricon hit (a record that stood for 15 years until it was broken by a member of Morning Musume in 2001). She was 15 years old at the time.

After the group was disbanded, Watanabe continued to participate in various variety shows as a singer. Initially she used mainstream idol clothing in her performances, however, because she decided to purchase her own clothes and design her performance style while abandoning traditional idol styles, she became even more popular. Later, she was found to have talent as a comedian, and thus she decided to take on more diverse roles such as that of a variety show announcer with a comedic yet sophisticated touch. It was from this period on that others started to notice that she was trying to hide or down-play the fact that she once was a member of an idol group.

Throughout the 1990s she continued to build broad networks within the subculture genre of Japan as both an announcer and celebrity, which eventually led to her rising popularity.

Currently, she is famous in Japan for her essays and books concerning her hobbies of fashion, travel, and personal health. She is known widely as a "Taiwan-know-all".

After marriage to her husband in 2005, her official name was changed to Nagura Marina, as she adopted her husband's surname. However, she continues to work under her maiden name.

Evergreen
渡辺満里奈 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

積み上げた本の上
朝陽に目を覚ました
恋愛論もたったひとつの
ときめきにかなわない
クラブハウスの列を
はずれて歩きたいな
カバンの重さ指で計れば
口笛でバランスとれる

階段教室の隅で夢を見ていた
私だけが出来ることを
確かめてみたい
Swing me high
風が街路樹を揺らす
若葉のころを通りすぎても
心は foo! Evergreen

時計をしても腕は
メトロノームじゃないよ
どうして肩を抱きよせないの
ゆうべのデート思い出してた
友達は恋人が待つ約束場所へ
うまくいくといいねなんて
とぎれがちに言う
Show me how
恋は見せかけも大事
若葉のころを通りすぎたら
ひとりで foooo! Take a chance
強く強く感じている夢が住んでる
私だけを待ち続ける
扉があるはず
Swing me high
風が街路樹を揺らす

若葉のころを通りすぎても
心は foo! Evergreen

Overall Meaning

The title of the song "Evergreen" symbolizes something that is always fresh and everlastingly green. The lyrics of this song reflect on the singer's experiences of youthful love, nostalgia, and unspoken desires. The song starts with the singer waking up and feeling energized, looking forward to a new day full of excitement and hope. The pile of books mentioned in the first line is a metaphor implying that the singer has piled up knowledge about love, but none of it can compare to the feeling of excitement that the singer feels when in love.

The singer speaks of wanting to walk away from established ways and take the road less taken by avoiding the crowded clubs and walking alone. The singer also feels a deep longing to experience something unique and find out her “just one thing” - a reference to her individual passion. The chorus of the song, 'Swing me high', speaks of the singer’s desire to fly high and live boldly. The song ends with the singer's heart still "foo! Evergreen," with dreams still waiting to be realized, and a door that will lead her to them.

Overall, the song is a call for the listeners to stop worrying about the past, focus on the present, and cherish every moment they experience. It inspires them to embrace their individuality and live unafraid of exploring their passions and desires.

Line by Line Meaning

積み上げた本の上
On top of the piled up books

朝陽に目を覚ました
I woke up to the morning sun

恋愛論もたったひとつの
Even all the love theories

ときめきにかなわない
Won't match up to the feeling of excitement

クラブハウスの列を
In the line at the clubhouse

はずれて歩きたいな
I want to walk away from it

カバンの重さ指で計れば
If you measure the weight of your bag with your fingers

口笛でバランスとれる
You can balance it with a whistle

階段教室の隅で夢を見ていた
I was dreaming in the corner of the staircase classroom

私だけが出来ることを
I want to try and confirm

確かめてみたい
The thing that only I can do