Kagoshima Prefecture: 19 people
Zaq (stylized in all caps, born March 16, 1988) is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer and arranger signed to Lantis.
Takayuki Yamada (山田 孝之, Yamada Takayuki; born October 20, 1983) is a Japanese actor, singer, and producer. He is best…
Takayuki Yamada (山田 孝之, Yamada Takayuki; born October 20, 1983) is a Japanese actor, singer, and producer. He is best known for his role as Sakutaro Matsumoto in TV drama Socrates in Love and as Densha Otoko in the 2005 film of the same name. Yamada gained international popularity through his portrayal as Tamao Serizawa in Crows Zero film series. Japanese media often dubs him as chameleon actor for his wide acting spectrum throughout his career. He began venturing as producer with live-action web series Saint Young Men. In 2018, he became the lead singer of band The XXXXXX.
Ai Carina Uemura (植村 愛 カリーナ, Uemura Ai Karīna; born November 2, 1981), known mononymously as Ai (Japanese…
Ai Carina Uemura (植村 愛 カリーナ, Uemura Ai Karīna; born November 2, 1981), known mononymously as Ai (Japanese pronunciation: [ai], stylized as AI or A.I. ), is a Japanese-American singer, songwriter, and rapper. Known in Japan as the "Queen of Hip-hop Soul", her 2005 single "Story" went on to become her breakthrough release, becoming one of the best-selling multi-format singles in Japan with over 5 million units sold. A multi-million record selling artist, Ai has released thirteen studio albums and has received various accolades, including two Billboard Japan Music Awards and three Space Shower Music Video Awards. Born in Los Angeles, Ai moved to Kagoshima during her early childhood. Motivated to become a singer, she returned to Los Angeles during her adolescence, attending the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. While in Los Angeles, she performed as part of a gospel choir at a Mary J. Blige concert and appeared as a backup dancer in Janet Jackson's music video, "Go Deep". She briefly joined the Asian girl group SX4 in 1999 until she graduated from high school. After being discovered by BMG in 2000, Ai relocated to Japan and released her debut album, My Name is Ai (2001), to very little commercial success. Signing to Def Jam Japan in 2002, Ai became the first woman signed to the label. She released two studio albums under the label, Original Ai (2003) and 2004 Ai (2004). With the release of her third studio album, Ai rose to mainstream prominence in Japan. Transferring to Island Records, Ai released her fourth studio album, Mic-a-Holic Ai (2005). Its second single "Story" became one of the biggest singles of the 2000s in Japan, peaking at number 8 on the Japanese Oricon singles chart, and was the sixth single in history to receive a triple million digital certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Ai's fifth studio album, What's Goin' On Ai (2006), featured the top-ten singles "Believe" and "I Wanna Know", the former receiving a gold certification from the RIAJ. Her sixth studio album, Don't Stop Ai (2007) saw similar success, which received a gold certification. In 2009, she released her seventh studio album, Viva Ai, which charted in the top ten of the Japanese Oricon albums chart. Ai's greatest hits album, Best Ai (2009), became her first number one album and was certified platinum. In 2010, she released her eighth studio album, The Last Ai, which marked her last release under Island Records. In 2011, Ai left Universal Music Group and signed a global publishing deal with EMI. Her ninth studio album Independent (2012) served as her international debut and first release under EMI Music Japan. To promote the album, Ai toured in Japan and in Los Angeles. Her tenth studio album Moriagaro (2013) marked her first release under EMI Records Japan following EMI Music Japan's absorption into Universal Music Japan as a sublabel. Her second greatest hits album, The Best (2015) peaked at number 3 on the Oricon Albums chart and number 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, later being certified gold by the RIAJ. Its successor, The Feat. Best (2016) charted within the top 30 of both the Japan Hot Albums and Oricon Albums chart. Ai's eleventh studio album, Wa to Yo (2017) experimented with traditional Japanese and electronic sounds. Its second single, "Kira Kira" was nominated for the Grand Prix award and won the Excellent Works Award at the 59th Japan Records Awards. Her fourth greatest hits album Kansha!!!!! – Thank You for 20 Years New and Best (2019) was issued to celebrate her twenty years in the music industry. Further celebrating her twenty-year anniversary, Ai released the extended plays It's All Me, Vol. 1 (2020) and It's All Me, Vol. 2 (2021). Ai's twelfth studio album, Dream (2022), included the single "Aldebaran", the theme song of the Japanese drama, Come Come Everybody. The song received critical acclaim and was Ai's first song in five years to appear on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. Her thirteenth studio album, Respect All (2023), included the singles "Life Goes On", the image song for the Japanese film Haru ni Chiru and "Start Again", which served as an insert song for Nestlé Japan's Kit Kats. Commemorating her 25th anniversary, Ai released 25th the Best – Alive (2025), her fifth greatest hits album.
Akiko Noma (野間 亜紀子, born February 13, 1980), best known as Akko, was the bassist, back-up vocalist, and lyricist of…
Akiko Noma (野間 亜紀子, born February 13, 1980), best known as Akko, was the bassist, back-up vocalist, and lyricist of GO!GO!7188. She has also released two solo albums under her maiden name Akiko Hamada (浜田 亜紀子). She sings, writes lyrics, and composes music. After getting married in October 2006, she changed her surname from Hamada to Noma (野間).
Ritsuki Nakano (中野 律紀, Nakano Ritsuki), professionally known as Rikki (りっき), is a Japanese folk singer. Born in Amami…
Ritsuki Nakano (中野 律紀, Nakano Ritsuki), professionally known as Rikki (りっき), is a Japanese folk singer. Born in Amami Ōshima, Japan, she began to sing traditional Japanese music when she was four years old. Later, at the age of 15, Rikki was the youngest winner ever to win the "Grand Prix" of the Japanese traditional folk music awards (known as All Japan Minyo awards). She first performed in Tokyo, Japan, at the prestigious Festival Konda Lota in 1992. She released her first single "Maten no Hoshi" (which means 'Sky Full of Stars') in December 1993, originally released in the Kyūshū region of Japan. Shortly thereafter, she produced her debut album, Kaze no Koe. In 1998, Rikki was chosen to participate at the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Paralympics in Nagano, Japan, to sing the Paralympics theme song "Tabidachi no Toki". Rikki sang the Final Fantasy X main theme, "Suteki da ne", released as a single on July 18, 2001. The single also included an instrumental version of "Suteki Da Ne", "Pure Heart" (a vocal arrangement of Aeris' Theme from Final Fantasy VII), and a new song entitled "Tsukisama" (which means 'The Moon'). Final Fantasy Distant Worlds VII, released March 7, 2025, included Rikki performing "Suteki da ne" live in concert. In 2001, she produced an image album alongside Joe Hisaishi for the motion picture Spirited Away (directed by Hayao Miyazaki). In 2006, Rikki joined the band Sound Horizon for the release of 5th Story CD: Roman. She was involved in Sound Horizon's releases until 2008, when she gave birth to twins and returned to Amami Ōshima, as she said in her blog. She returned to Sound Horizon in 2009 for their Triumph III live tour. She also returned to Sound Horizon in 2015 for the album 9th Story Nein.
Keiko Utoku (宇徳敬子, Utoku Keiko; born April 7, 1967 in Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan) is a Japanese singer and songwriter…
Keiko Utoku (宇徳敬子, Utoku Keiko; born April 7, 1967 in Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan) is a Japanese singer and songwriter under UK Sweet label.
Sayuri Kokushō (国生さゆり or 國生さゆり, Kokusho Sayuri; born December 22, 1966 in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a…
Sayuri Kokushō (国生さゆり or 國生さゆり, Kokusho Sayuri; born December 22, 1966 in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actress, singer, and tarento. She was an original member of Onyanko Club. She works for the talent management firm Sony Music Artists. Her debut single, "Valentine Kiss", is the most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan.
Show Aikawa (哀川 翔, Aikawa Shō; born Iehiro Fukuchi (福地 家宏, Fukuchi Iehiro) on 24 May 1961) is a Japanese actor.
Mizue Takada (高田 みづえ Takada Mizue, born June 23, 1960) is a former Japanese female singer and idol.
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (長渕 剛, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi; born September 7, 1956) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, poet, and…
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (長渕 剛, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi; born September 7, 1956) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, poet, and human-rights advocate, who is a prominent figure in Japanese popular music. He has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and has appeared in movies and television dramas. His wife Etsuko Shihomi is an actress.
Shinnosuke Ikehata (池畑慎之助, Ikehata Shinnosuke), professionally known as Peter, is a Japanese actor and singer. Known…
Shinnosuke Ikehata (池畑慎之助, Ikehata Shinnosuke), professionally known as Peter, is a Japanese actor and singer. Known for cross-dressing, Peter was assigned male at birth but identifies as non-binary and is gay. Peter was born in Sōemonchō, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Japan, as the eldest son to their father Yuki Yoshimura, who was the fourth generation Iemoto (family head) of the Kamigatamai Yoshimura-ryu school. Peter, as a succession to the family specialty, made their debut on the stage at age 3, having been trained rigorously by their father. Peter also has one older sister, Toyoko Ishikawa. At the age of 5, their parents divorced, and Peter was told to choose which parent they liked better, and since their father “was terrifying like an ogre during his dance practice", they chose to live with their mother, Kiyoko Ikehata. In their second year of elementary school, they moved to live with their grandparents in the Kagoshima Prefecture, and lived out their childhood days there. Their mother ran a ryoutei in Tenmonkan, (a shopping district in downtown Kagoshima) named 'Yodogawa (淀川)'. From this point onwards, Peter has used their mother’s surname, ‘Ikehata (池畑)’ instead of their father's paternal surname, ‘Hashimoto (橋本)’. They went to school at Shimizu Elementary School, Kagoshima City, and then onto Japanese La Salle Academy. They studied desperately hard to make their mother happy. However, due to being unable to handle dorm life, they transferred to Jōsei Junior High School, Kagoshima City. In their third year of junior high, they ran away from home, going to Tokyo via Osaka.
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist…
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist in the Japanese jazz fusion and soft rock scenes during the late 1970s and 1980s, later dubbed "city pop".
Teruhiko Saigō (西郷 輝彦, Saigō Teruhiko; 5 February 1947 – 20 February 2022) was a Japanese singer and actor. As a…
Teruhiko Saigō (西郷 輝彦, Saigō Teruhiko; 5 February 1947 – 20 February 2022) was a Japanese singer and actor. As a singer, he was known as one of the three "Gosanke" (referring to gosanke, the three great Tokugawa houses), along with Yukio Hashi and Kazuo Funaki. The stage name was based on the Meiji Restoration one of three heroes, but also the Kagoshima Local hero Takamori Saigo.
Shinbashi Kiyozō (新橋 喜代三, Shinbashi Kiyozō; 12 October 1903 – 23 March 1963) was a Japanese geisha and singer who also…
Shinbashi Kiyozō (新橋 喜代三, Shinbashi Kiyozō; 12 October 1903 – 23 March 1963) was a Japanese geisha and singer who also performed in a few films before World War II. Her most famous film was The Million Ryo Pot, which records not only her remarkable natural acting skill, but numerous songs she sang accompanied by a shamisen.
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀, Kashiwagi Yuki; born July 15, 1991) is a Japanese gravure idol, model, actress, and former…
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀, Kashiwagi Yuki; born July 15, 1991) is a Japanese gravure idol, model, actress, and former singer. Kashiwagi began her career as a member of the girl group AKB48 and, later, their sister groups NMB48 and NGT48. Notable for spending 17 years with the group, she is recognized as the longest-serving member of AKB48 with the moniker "Eternal Idol". She is represented by Watanabe Productions. Kashiwagi joined AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and was a member and captain of the group's Team B. She was also a member of AKB48 subgroup French Kiss, which released singles as a separate unit, and has released solo singles of her own. In the annual AKB48 Group General Elections, Kashiwagi has consistently ranked among the group's top members. She placed ninth in 2009, eighth in 2010, third in 2011 and 2012, fourth in 2013, third in 2014, second in 2015 and fifth in 2016.
Mika Nakashima (中島 美嘉, Nakashima Mika; born February 19, 1983) is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio…
Mika Nakashima (中島 美嘉, Nakashima Mika; born February 19, 1983) is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting career, most notably as Nana Osaki in the live action film adaptations of Nana. She has sold over 10 million records in Japan.
Minami Kizuki (城 南海, Kizuki Minami), born on 26 December 1989, is a Japanese pop and Shima-uta folk singer. She was…
Minami Kizuki (城 南海, Kizuki Minami), born on 26 December 1989, is a Japanese pop and Shima-uta folk singer. She was born in Amami Ōshima, Kagoshima, Japan. In 2006, Kizuki was recruited by Pony Canyon while performing on Kagoshima City's streets. Her debut single, "Ai Tsumugi" was released on 7 January 2009. She also writes lyrics and compositions. Her latest lyrics (in Japanese) is "Reflection" . It is the theme song of Disney's live-action movie "Mulan" (Japan version) which was released in 2020. She uses guin, a type of kobushi peculiar to traditional folk songs of Amami Ōshima. Guin used at key points in the song captivates the ears of listeners. Recognized as a skilled J-Pop singer, some people are eager to listen to her singing songs of various genres. Some say that her singing voice is like a natural god. She hopes to play a role of conveying the beauty of Japanese language to the world through music. Also, she would like to spread the charm of Amami to the world through songs. She is appointed as a tourism ambassador for some districts in Amami. She is expected to promote Amami by several local governments in Amami. She has participated in the "Uta-shima" project of Amami since May 2018. The project was organized in 2018 to support Amami to be registered as a World Heritage Site. With her 10th anniversary, she has made it a challenge to try various new attempts to further explore and establish her own music. She organized a live tour of English popular music only in July 2019.
Manami Konishi (小西 真奈美, Konishi Manami; born October 27, 1978 in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima), also known as KONI-TAN, is…
Manami Konishi (小西 真奈美, Konishi Manami; born October 27, 1978 in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima), also known as KONI-TAN, is a Japanese actress, singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer.
Chitose Hajime (元 ちとせ, Hajime Chitose; born January 5, 1979) is a Japanese singer from Amami Ōshima. She sings in the…
Chitose Hajime (元 ちとせ, Hajime Chitose; born January 5, 1979) is a Japanese singer from Amami Ōshima. She sings in the shima-uta style particular to that region, with distinctive falsetto effects.