Meet KOKIA: Akiko Yoshida, Japan's Singer with a Voice That Moves the World

Yoshida Akiko (吉田亜紀子) is a Japanese singer and songwriter who performs under the stage name Kokia (stylized as KOKIA). She was born on July 22, 1976 in Tokyo. Her best-known songs are "Arigatō...", which was especially successful in Hong Kong, and "The Power of Smile". She also contributed soundtracks to anime and video games, such as:

• Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto from the movie Origin: Spirits of the Past
• Follow the Nightingale from the game Tales of Innocence
• Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi from the anime Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino

We are writing about her today in this article at the request of a friend who is trying to bring her to perform in Brazil. If you would like to see her there, follow her social media at the end of this article to show the interest of fans outside Japan.

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KOKIA's Career

Childhood and early career. Kokia started playing the violin at age two and a half, but preferred the family piano. Instead of playing with toys, she would sit at the piano for hours. She remembers placing illustrated books on the music stand and composing songs that matched the scenes. At ten, she traveled with her sister Kyoko to the United States to attend the Summer Music School, and returned four years later. During high school she studied vocal music and opera, later specializing at Toho Gakuen Daigaku.

At university, a friend passed a demo tape she had recorded to a music executive. Kokia was then signed by Pony Canyon and began her career as a singer in 1998 while still studying. Her first single "Aishiteiru Kara" was the theme song of the TV drama Brothers. She created her stage name by reversing the syllables of her first name, Akiko. Before her official debut, she recorded "For Little Tail", the opening theme of the game Tail Concerto; the song later appeared as a B-side on the 2010 single "Road to Glory". After four singles, she released her debut album Songbird in 1999.

While none of her early singles climbed high on the Oricon charts in Japan, "Aishiteiru Kara" only reached number 99, and "Arigatō..." found great success in Hong Kong. The song placed third at the Hong Kong International Popular Song Awards (香港国際流行音楽大賞) in 1999. In 2000, singer Sammi Cheng released a cover version on her album 多謝 (Arigatou), and it became a major hit, reaching number 2 on Hong Kong's pop charts.

Victor Entertainment

After her debut album, Kokia left Pony Canyon. Her first work outside the label was five songs on Kanata Made (彼方まで), a 2000 album by Ryuichi Kawamura, vocalist of the band Luna Sea, released through Victor Entertainment. This began her relationship with the label, and in 2001 she released the singles "Tomoni", "Tenshi" (天使) and "Say Hi!!". The following year she put out Trip Trip, her second album and the first she produced herself.

In 2003, "Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)" brought her into the Oricon Top 50 at number 47. Her biggest hit, however, was "The Power of Smile", which became well known through a Kao cosmetics advertising campaign, reached number 15 on the Oricon singles chart and was certified gold by the RIAJ. The album Remember Me, which included it, also entered the Top 20. In 2004 she released Uta ga Chikara, featuring the song "Yume ga Chikara", used as an encouragement song for Japan's entry in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. In 2006, she compiled her best songs in Pearl: The Best Collection. Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love came out the same year in France through Wasabi Records; the Japanese release followed in 2007. By 2008, she had released The Voice, Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland and Christmas Gift.

To celebrate her tenth anniversary in 2009, Kokia released Kokia Infinity Akiko: Balance and Akiko Infinity Kokia: Balance. Real World, her eleventh album released in 2010, was inspired by a trip to the Tunisian Sahara and reached number 44 on the Oricon chart. She also released the cover album Musique à la Carte that year, followed by Moment in 2011 and Where to Go My Love? in 2013, which reached number 38.

KOKIA online

KOKIA remains active and regularly performs concerts, including in Europe. Her music is released through her own label Anco & Co., and for several years she was also present in France via Wasabi Records. For news on albums and upcoming dates, visit her official website and follow @kokia_musician on Instagram. If you would like to see her perform in Brazil, as we asked at the beginning, show your interest on her social channels. For more Japanese music discoveries, check out our feature on the band FLOW.