10 Facts About Hitomi Shimatani

Hitomi Shimatani's music has appeared in several video games and television shows.

Hitomi Shimatani is currently releasing music under her own label, AI.

At the age of seventeen, while still in high school, Hitomi Shimatani attended "The Japan Audition 1997", where she was chosen as the winner out of around 200,000 people and got a recording contract with the Avex label.

Hitomi Shimatani's first single, entitled "Osaka no Onna" which was an enka song, was released in 1999 on the Avex Trax label.

In February 2005, Hitomi Shimatani released her first concept album, Crossover, which marked a sustained shift her music, from mainstream J-pop to classical-influenced tunes.

On March 7,2007, Hitomi Shimatani released her 6th studio album, Prima Rosa, which peaked at number 16 on the Oricon charts.

Hitomi Shimatani recorded a cover of High School Musical's "When There Was Me And You", which was included as part of the Disney film's Japanese soundtrack.

In March 2008, Hitomi Shimatani released the single "Nakitai Nara" in March 2008, which debuted at number 34 at the Japanese charts, being her lowest peaking song since "Yume Biyori" in 2003.

In 2011, Hitomi Shimatani became part of the rock musical Rock of Ages, along with other musicians such as Takanori Nishikawa and Misono.

On October 1,2011, Hitomi Shimatani started her own radio program called Eyes on Me in FM Yokohama.