He was captured by the Red Army and spent four years at a prisoner of war camp near Khabarovsk.
[1] He attracted attention for performing while dressed in kimono, which was unheard of for male pop singers at the time.
[3] In 1992, Minami enjoyed a popularity resurgence when he performed the ending music for the Fuji Television series Super Zugan.
Previously popular primarily among adults, enka music gained many younger fans due to this song.
His words were spread by Let's-Go-Sanbiki, a trio of Japanese comedian that had come to watch Minami's show.