1. Akina Nakamori is one of the most popular and best-selling music artists in Japan.
88 Facts About Akina Nakamori
1. 2.
Akina Nakamori's popularity increased with the release of her follow-up single, "Shojo A", which peaked at number five on the Oricon charts and sold over 390,000 copies.
3.
Akina Nakamori made her acting debut in 1985 with an appearance in the Japanese romance movie Ai, Tabidachi.
4.
Akina Nakamori was born on 13 July 1965, in Ota, Tokyo, the fifth child and third daughter of six brothers and sisters.
5.
Akina Nakamori's mother named her "Akina", which means "a bright nanohana flower".
6.
Akina Nakamori's younger sister Akiho Nakamori was an actress who died in 2019 at the age of 52.
7.
Akina Nakamori made the first of her seven official performances on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen on 31 December 1983, the 34th edition of the show.
8.
In 1984, Akina Nakamori released "Kita Wing", which sold 614,000 copies and debuted at number 2 and remained at that position for 6 weeks.
9.
Akina Nakamori became the youngest person at the time to be given the award.
10.
Akina Nakamori then released "Sand Beige " which sold 461,000 copies and debuted at number 1.
11.
Akina Nakamori became the youngest winner of two consecutive years.
12.
Akina Nakamori's next single "Gypsy Queen" was a calmer song than "Desire " and sold 358,000 copies, debuting at number 1.
13.
Akina Nakamori then released Fushigi, a concept album with echoing singing and obscure musical arrangement.
14.
Akina Nakamori's most critically acclaimed single of that year was a heartfelt ballad called "Nanpasen," an emotionally draining song that many people attributed to her rocky relationship with her then-boyfriend, Masahiko Kondo and the death of Kondo's mother.
15.
Akina Nakamori released only one album in 1987, an unsuccessful English debut album titled Cross My Palm.
16.
Reasons for its lack of success include Akina Nakamori's heavily accented English and lack of promotion in the US Nonetheless, it was a hit in Japan, selling 343,000 copies and debuting at number 1.
17.
In 1989, Akina Nakamori only released one single due to her mental health at the time.
18.
Akina Nakamori once claimed that Dear Friend is perhaps her only happy song.
19.
In 1991 and 1992, Akina Nakamori ventured into acting with varying success.
20.
On 24 March 1994, Akina Nakamori had a double release for her 28th single: her first cover single "Kataomoi", originally performed by Mie Nakao, and her first cover album Utahime.
21.
On 13 April 1994, Akina Nakamori played a role as the first suspect on the TV Series Furuhata Ninzaburo in the episode titled "The Shoujo Manga Murderer".
22.
On 2 September 1994, Akina Nakamori released her 29th single "Yoru no Doko ka de ", written by Tsugutoshi Goto.
23.
On 22 September 1993, Akina Nakamori released her 15th studio album Unbalance+Balance.
24.
The production of the album started in spring 1992 in the United States, before Akina Nakamori moved to her new recording company.
25.
In 2002, through Universal Music, Akina Nakamori released a re-mastered album with the renewed title Unbalance+Balance +6.
26.
Akina Nakamori stated she wanted to record a summer-like, up-tempo song because her previous singles were quiet ballads.
27.
On 21 July 1995, Akina Nakamori released her 16th studio album La Alteracion which included previously released singles with new arrangements.
28.
In 2002, Akina Nakamori released a re-mastered album with the renewed title La Alteracion +4 through Universal Music.
29.
On 1 November 1995, Akina Nakamori released her 32nd single "Tokyo Rose", produced by Brian Setzer, who played guitar on the recording.
30.
Akina Nakamori performed songs from her albums La Alteracion and True Album Akina 95 Best.
31.
Between 12 and 20 May 1996, Akina Nakamori held her first Dinner Show Tour, 1996 Dinner Show.
32.
On 7 August 1996, Akina Nakamori released her 33rd single "Moonlight Shadow: Tsuki ni Hoero" written by Toshihiko Takamizawa Tetsuya Komuro.
33.
On 18 December 1996, Akina Nakamori released the mini album Vamp, her first mini-album since the release of mini-album Wonder in 1988.
34.
On 21 March 1997, Akina Nakamori released her 17th studio album Shaker.
35.
In 1998, Akina Nakamori moved to the Gauss Entertainment record label.
36.
Akina Nakamori performed the theme song "Kisei ", written by Yasuhiro Suzu.
37.
Akina Nakamori stated that the balance between low and high pitches was difficult for her to sing.
38.
On 21 May 1998, Akina Nakamori released her thirty-sixth single "Kon'ya, Nagareboshi", written by Keiko Utsumi.
39.
On 17 June 1998, Akina Nakamori released her eighteenth studio album Spoon.
40.
B-side track Good-bye tears was chosen as the theme song for a Japanese television drama, Shichinin no OL Sommelier, in which Akina Nakamori played a minor role.
41.
In January 1999, Akina Nakamori played a main role in the television drama Border Hanzai Shinri Sosa File.
42.
Akina Nakamori performed the theme song "Ophelia", written by Shimano Satoshi, which was released as a single on 21 January 1999.
43.
The chief of the Gauss Entertainment recording label, Kazuhiro Chiba, caused issues throughout Akina Nakamori's stay with the label: in late 1998, it was announced that a special birthday event would be held in July 1999 this was canceled without warning and the 8000-yen refund took about one year.
44.
In 2000, Akina Nakamori signed a temporary contract with the music production company Koubouraku and established a private office called Faith.
45.
On 31 May 2001, Akina Nakamori released the single "It's Brand New Day", written by Adya.
46.
Akina Nakamori switched management from Koubouroku to the private office Faith, and transferred to her current record label, Universal Music.
47.
On 2 May 2002, Akina Nakamori released her forty-first single "The Heat ", written by Adya.
48.
Three weeks later on 22 May 2002, Akina Nakamori released her 20th studio album Resonancia.
49.
Akina Nakamori performed the re-arranged version of Kazarajanai no yo Namida wa at NHK's 53rd Kohaku Uta Gassen.
50.
On 30 April 2003, Akina Nakamori released her forty-second single Days, written by Tetsuro Oda.
51.
On 14 May 2003, Akina Nakamori released her 21st studio album I Hope So.
52.
On 3 December 2004, Akina Nakamori released her third cover album Utahime 3: Finale.
53.
On 7 December 2005, Akina Nakamori released her forty-fifth single "Rakka Ryusui", written by Takashi Matsumoto and Kenji Hayashida.
54.
In January 2006, Akina Nakamori released her second self-cover compilation album, Best Finger 25th Anniversary Selection.
55.
On 21 June 2006, Akina Nakamori released her twenty-second studio album Destination.
56.
On 17 January 2007, Akina Nakamori released footage from her live tour The Last Destination and her first cover compilation album Utahime Best: 25th Anniversary.
57.
On 28 March 2007, Akina Nakamori released the ballad compilation album Ballad Best: 25th Anniversary Selection.
58.
The album was released in a regular edition, cassette tape and two limited editions: the first limited edition included DVD footage with music video clips from 2002 to 2007 and footage of Akina Nakamori recording the album; the second limited edition included a bonus track in the first CD, and the second CD consisted of instrumental versions of Enka covers.
59.
On 27 February 2008, Akina Nakamori released her first compilation album of her songs from the 90s, Utahime Densetsu: 90s Best.
60.
On 19 November 2008, Akina Nakamori performed a duet titled Dramatic Airport with Junichi Inagaki.
61.
The limited-edition A includes DVD footage of Akina Nakamori recording the album.
62.
On 24 June 2009, Akina Nakamori released another cover album, Mood Kayo: Utahime Showa Meikyoku Shu.
63.
On 29 July 2009, Akina Nakamori released a music video clip DVD and a second album in her folk song cover series, Folk Song 2: Utahime Aishouka.
64.
The album was released in regular and limited editions; the limited edition included DVD footage of Akina Nakamori recording the album.
65.
On 26 August 2009, Akina Nakamori released her twenty-third studio album, Diva.
66.
On 23 September 2009, Akina Nakamori released a special single titled "Diva Single Version" with a new intro arrangement with two B-side tracks, the original version of Heartache, which was previously released only as a single and a re-recorded album track, I hope so, from the album of the same name.
67.
On 13 July 2010, Akina Nakamori wrote and released a digital single, "Crazy Love".
68.
On 28 October 2010, Akina Nakamori's staff announced her indefinite hiatus from music activities due to fatigue and health problems.
69.
On 22 December 2010, a 6-DVD set box Nakamori Akina in Hit Studio and on 15 December 2011, a 5-DVD set box The Best Ten Nakamori Akina Premium Box were released.
70.
All Time Best: Utahime Cover consisted of cover songs that Akina Nakamori released between 1994 and 2009.
71.
On 31 December 2014, Akina Nakamori made a stage appearance for the first time in several years, appearing in that year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, broadcast from her recording studio in New York.
72.
On 20 January 2015, Akina Nakamori released a new cover album, Utahime 4: My Eggs Benedict.
73.
On 21 January 2015, Akina Nakamori wrote and released her 49th single Rojo-Tierra.
74.
On 30 September 2015, Akina Nakamori released her 50th single "Unfixable", written by Hilde Wahl, Anita Lipsky, Tommy Berre and Marietta Constantinou.
75.
On 30 December 2015, Akina Nakamori released her 24th studio album, Fixer.
76.
On 24 February 2016, Akina Nakamori released the single "Fixer ", written by Akina Nakamori herself for the film While the Women Are Sleeping.
77.
On 30 November 2016, Akina Nakamori released a jazz cover album titled Belie.
78.
On 8 November 2017, Nakamori released both a eurobeat cover album Cage and her twenty-fifth original studio album, Akina.
79.
Akina Nakamori was released in regular and limited editions; the limited edition included a booklet-sized 2018 calendar.
80.
Akina Nakamori announced that she transferred her management from Faith to a new label called HZ Village; she stated that her physical condition is not ideal yet.
81.
On December 23rd, 2023, Akina Nakamori's management announced the launch of her official YouTube channel and a day later, they uploaded the official music video of Kita Wing-Classic.
82.
Akina Nakamori celebrated her 59th birthday with a fan club-exclusive event, making it her first physical public appearance since 2017.
83.
In December 2023, Akina Nakamori participated in a charity auction where she auctioned a hat that was used in her 2023 photoshoot.
84.
In 2019, when Akiho died, it was reported that Akina Nakamori did not attend the funeral.
85.
Akina Nakamori has been cited by many Instagram influencers in their teens and 20s, idols, and musicians as their main influence in music and fashion.
86.
Akina Nakamori stated in 2018 that she owns a DVD collection of Nakamori's appearances in The Best Ten and she takes inspiration from it.
87.
Akina Nakamori was honored by the Japanese Music Critics as the 5th best voice in the country's recording history, even ahead of her rival, Seiko Matsuda, who was honored at 7th place.
88.
Between December 2022 and January 2023, in a survey of The 100 Best 80s Showa Idols held by Remindetop, Akina Nakamori came in at number 1.