Akina Nakamori is a Japanese singer and actress. She is one of the most popular and best-selling artists in Japan. She was born in July 1965, in Ota, Tokyo, the fifth child and third daughter of six brothers and sisters. Her mother named her “Akina”, which means “a bright nanohana flower”. Her mother, a fan of Hibari Misora, made her listen to Hibari’s songs and taught her how to sing. Eventually, Nakamori began to dream of becoming a singer under the influence of her mother.
Akina achieved national recognition after winning the 1981 season of the talent show Star Tanjo!. Her debut single “Slow Motion” was released to moderate success, peaking at number thirty on the Oricon. Nakamori’s popularity increased with the release of her follow-up single, “Shojo A”, which peaked at number five on the Oricon charts and was nearly banned for its risque lyrics. Her next single, a ballad titled “Second Love” proved to be her best-selling single. It debuted at No. 2 but reached No. 1 the following week, staying at the top for nine weeks.
Her second album Variation became her first number-one on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, staying in that position for three weeks. She made her acting debut in 1985 with an appearance in the Japanese romance movie Ai. Tabidachi. The following year, Nakamori released three singles, two studio albums, and her first best-of album. The singles were “1/2 no Shinwa”, which debuted at No.1, making it her best-selling single of that year; “Twilight, released in May, and reached No. 2; and “Kinku”, her last single of that year and was another No.1. In 1986, Nakamori’s first single of that year, “Desire” marked a more mature style of singing and song choice. It was the theme song of the Pioneer Private commercial and was awarded the Grand Prix at the 28th Japan Record Awards in 1986.
In 1987, she released “Tango Noir,” which debuted at No.1. Even though sales of singles were declining, “Tango Noir” still became the second best-selling single in 1987. In March 1988, Nakamori released album Stock. Three singles were released in 1988, “Al-Mauj”, “Tattoo” and “I Missed The Shock.” The first two went at No. 1. In 1989, Nakamori only released one single due to her mental health at the time. “Liar” became her 20th No. 1 single. Her return to the music scene in 1990 was met with skepticism and curiosity, propelling the single “Dear Friend” to No. 1. Nakamori once claimed that Dear Friend is perhaps her only happy song. Her next single “Mizu ni Sashita Hana” became her 21st Oricon Mo.1 single, but she did not reach the top position again after that. She then moved into acting but continued to release singles and albums with varying degrees of success.
After an extended hiatus from 2010 to 2014, Akina released two compilation albums, All Time Best: Original and All Time Best: Utahime Cover, both of which were commercially successful. As of 2011, Akina has sold over 25.3 million records and was named the third best-selling female Japanese Idol singer of all time.
