Mika Nakashima
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana
, based on the manga
of the same name.
, Mika was the youngest of three children. She grew up in the small town of Hioki, Kagoshima, where she has said there was "nothing there, only enka
." She began listening to enka singer Eiko Segawa
and studied classical Japanese dance, but as she loved dressing-up and make-up, she hoped to work in fashion magazines since she was too short to become a model.
Nakashima decided not to attend high school after completing junior high and began working. At the age of 15 she moved to the city of Fukuoka
where she room-shared with two others.
At the age of 17, she attended an audition not knowing what it was for. She was chosen from 3,000 girls to be the actress of the fall 2001 Fuji TV drama , in which she played the heroine Mirai Shimazaki, and also sang the theme song, "Stars."
In November 2001, "Stars" became her debut on Sony Music Associated Records, which would go on to become her best-selling single.
Her second single "Crescent Moon", an 80s themed song, was limited to 100,000 copies. It sold out the first day of its release. In March 2002 she released her third single, "One Survive," and her first video collection, "Film Lotus". This was followed in May by her 4th single, "Helpless Rain", and in August, by her 5th single "Will", which went on to rack up sales of over 140,000. Both were top ten hits and sold around 100,000 copies, proving Nakashima's rising star appeal.
charts. The album boasted a mature mixture of jazz and adult contemporary pop. In 3 weeks, True sold a million copies, and has sold nearly 1,174,000 copies to date. Then, as a commemoration of one year since her debut, Nakashima released a Premium EP: Resistance, which hit the charts' number 1 spot for two weeks in a row. On December 18, a documentary video, Kiseki: The Document of a Star, was released. In 2002, the singer received the "New Artist of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards and "Best New Artist of the Year" at the All Japan Request Awards 2002. She also won the "New Artist of the Year" award from the 44th Japan Record Awards.
Nakashima's second album, Love, which was released in November 2003, sold nearly 1.45 million copies, surpassing that of her debut. The Japan Composers Association awarded Love the Best Album Award. After releasing a second mini-album, Oborozukiyo: Inori, in September 2004, Nakashima topped the Oricon Album Chart again with Music in March 2005, as well as with her first greatest hits album Best
in December of that year. Best is the third album by Nakashima to have sold a million copies or more, but like her second album, Best also outsold True in sales - by nearly 30,000 copies.
in the live-action movie Nana
, based on the manga
of the same name, which was released September 10, 2005. She also sang one of the theme songs for the movie, which was released as a single under the name "Nana starring Mika Nakashima". The single, titled "Glamorous Sky
," was written by the manga's author, Ai Yazawa
, and composed by L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde
. It was Nakashima's only number 1 single on the Oricon
Singles Charts. It sold over 423,000 copies in 2005, making it the best-selling female single of the year and the tenth highest selling in the world. The single continued selling well into the next year and sold 444,067 copies, which was about 25,000 copies less than her Nana co-star, Yuna Ito
's "Endless Story
". The single would be featured in Konami
's guitar/drum simulation game GuitarFreaks
and Drummania
V3, as well as Nintendo
's Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
.
Nakashima was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
as "Best BuzzAsia from Japan" for "Amazing Grace
'05", and the "Glamorous Sky" video was nominated as "Best Female Video" and "Best Video from a Film". She won the "Best Video from a Film" award.
Due to the success of Nana, a sequel was released in December, 2006. It included two new songs by Nakashima, again under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima. The theme song to Nana 2
movie was "Hitoiro
" (One Color), which has also been written by Yazawa, while the music is composed by Glay
's leader, Takuro
, also the author of the coupling song, "Eyes for the Moon". Besides the single, Mika released the album The End
, featuring all her songs under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima.
On December 18, 2006 Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa
came to New York City for the International Premiere of 'Nana 2' at the IFC Center. In 2010 she made her US film debut with a small role in the Sony Pictures film Resident Evil: Afterlife
, based on the videogame series Resident Evil.
, Tennessee
, and started another project beginning with the heavily gospel-influenced "Cry No More
", the ending theme of the anime Blood+
.
She also contributed to the New Orleans charity tribute when she teamed up with American musicians Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers and famed jazz pianist/musician Alan Toussaint. They released the single All Hands Together
and as a result of her efforts, she was rewarded with an honorary citizenship of Memphis, Tennessee and a key to the city.
A month later Mika released another single "My Sugar Cat
," which dropped out of the Top 50 a week after its release.
On February 21, 2007 Nakashima's 21st single, "Mienai Hoshi
" was released. The single is the theme song for the Japanese drama , which aired starting January 10, 2007. The b-side track "I Love You" is a cover of the Ozaki Yutaka ballad. Promotional videos were made for both songs.
On March 14, 2007, Nakashima's 5th studio album, Yes
, was released in Japan. The title "Yes" continues Nakashima's trend of having one-word album titles, such as "Love" and "True", excluding the Nana album "The End". Her 22nd single, Sunao na Mama
, was released on the same day.
" as well as "Film Lotus VI", her sixth compilation of music videos, were released in August 2007. "Life" was the theme song for the drama adaptation of the shoujo manga series of the same name by Keiko Suenobu.
Nakashima's 24th single, "Eien no Uta
", appeared in October 2007, and was the theme to the movie Southbound
. Promotional videos were made for both Eien no Uta
and its B-side, a cover of Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To".
Her 25th single, "Sakura: Hanagasumi", was released in March 2008. It reached number 12 on the Oricon chart.
"I Don't Know", Nakashima's 26th single, was her first sung entirely an English. A collaboration with owarai
group it was released under the name MICA 3 CHU (Mikasanchuu) and Nakashima claimed it was her way to "vent my complaints and enjoy doing something really silly. The music of the song was too short to put so many words in Japanese so it was better in English, if I feel like doing it again, there will be more."
Nakashima's next single, "Orion", was released on November 12, 2008. It was used as an insert song for the TBS drama "Ryusei no Kizuna", in which Nakashima herself appeared in a minor role.
Nakashima's fifth studio album, Voice
, was released on November 26, 2008. Voice, which leaned closer to a mainstream yet mature form of adult contemporary pop than her previous albums, was the first album by Nakashima to top the Oricon Album Chart since Best in 2005, and sold over 155,000 copies in its first week of release and over 340,000 copies in total.
", released on May 13, 2009, during the tour.
"Life" ranked number 7 in JASRAC Award 2009: 10 best interactive song. "Life" was also used in the TV series . The story is based on major school problems such as bullying, rape, abuse, etc.
Nakashima's 29th single, "Candy Girl
", was released on September 30, 2009, as a collaboration with the fashion brand SLY. Her 30th single, "Nagareboshi", was released on November 4, 2009.
The DVD of Nakashima's "Trust Our Voice Tour 2009", titled "Mika Nakashima Concert Tour 2009 Trust Our Voice", was released in Japan as her first 2-DVD concert release on December 2, 2009.
Nakashima's 31st single, "Always
", was released on January 20, 2010, and was the theme song for the Japanese movie . She also starred in the Japanese supernatural monster film Death Kappa, which was directed by Tomoo Haraguchi.
Nakashima's 32nd single, "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi wo" (The Most Beautiful Me; 一番綺麗な私を) appeared on August 25, 2010 as the tie-in song to the TBS drama series, Unubore Deka (Conceited Detective, うぬぼれ刑事). The drama focused on a story about a male detective that has the illusion of being the "ladies man". He is a romantic but conceited, he tries to convince female criminals, into either marrying him or being arrested. Mika Nakashima plays a role in the show as well. The name of her character in the television series is known as Rie Hagurashi.
On October 22, 2010, she announced she would be pulling out of her first performance at the Nippon Budokan
commemorating her 10 year career and that she would be taking a break from singing while recovering from having patulous Eustachian tube
s in both her ears. Nakashima's sixth studio album, Star
, was released on October 27, 2010
in Japanese society, including one of a star on her wrist. She has said "I have resolved to live as a star. I have something linked with the stars because I have so many songs about them." She has also stated that she loves skin imperfections and decorations because "they are beautiful and I can imagine stories of people... hard feelings and pain... from them."
Nakashima is a frequent visitor to the US for voice-training classes, and rented an apartment near Wall Street
, New York in 2009.
" was one of the most popular karaoke
songs in Japan in 2004. It has also been officially covered by numerous artists including Joi Chua, Park Hyo Shin
, Seo Young Eun, Han Xue
, Vincy Chan
, Eric Martin (Mr. Big's vocalist), Hayley Westenra
, Hideaki Tokunaga
and Gackt
. Park Hyo Shin
's version was an insert song for the popular Korean drama I'm Sorry, I Love You
.
"Find the Way
" was covered by Korean singer Bada, who was a member of K-Pop
girl group S.E.S.
.
Other popular covers have been done for "Stars" and "Sakurairo Mau Koro
".
EP
Compilation albums
Nana (2005 film)
Nana is a 2005 Japanese film adaption of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarō Ōtani. The film was released on September 3, 2005. It stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi ....
, based on the manga
Nana (manga)
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
of the same name.
Early life and debut
Born and raised in KyushuKyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Mika was the youngest of three children. She grew up in the small town of Hioki, Kagoshima, where she has said there was "nothing there, only enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
." She began listening to enka singer Eiko Segawa
Eiko Segawa
is a Japanese female enka singer and actress. Eiko is as tall as 168 cm height, comparatively taller than most female singers in Japan. She has her father with careers of singer, . Her 1986 single "Inochi Kurenai" reached #2 on the Japanese Oricon charts and sold 692,000 copies.-External links:*...
and studied classical Japanese dance, but as she loved dressing-up and make-up, she hoped to work in fashion magazines since she was too short to become a model.
Nakashima decided not to attend high school after completing junior high and began working. At the age of 15 she moved to the city of Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
where she room-shared with two others.
At the age of 17, she attended an audition not knowing what it was for. She was chosen from 3,000 girls to be the actress of the fall 2001 Fuji TV drama , in which she played the heroine Mirai Shimazaki, and also sang the theme song, "Stars."
In November 2001, "Stars" became her debut on Sony Music Associated Records, which would go on to become her best-selling single.
Her second single "Crescent Moon", an 80s themed song, was limited to 100,000 copies. It sold out the first day of its release. In March 2002 she released her third single, "One Survive," and her first video collection, "Film Lotus". This was followed in May by her 4th single, "Helpless Rain", and in August, by her 5th single "Will", which went on to rack up sales of over 140,000. Both were top ten hits and sold around 100,000 copies, proving Nakashima's rising star appeal.
Rise to fame: True, Love, and Music
Nakashima's first album, True, released in August 2002, was a number 1 hit on the OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts. The album boasted a mature mixture of jazz and adult contemporary pop. In 3 weeks, True sold a million copies, and has sold nearly 1,174,000 copies to date. Then, as a commemoration of one year since her debut, Nakashima released a Premium EP: Resistance, which hit the charts' number 1 spot for two weeks in a row. On December 18, a documentary video, Kiseki: The Document of a Star, was released. In 2002, the singer received the "New Artist of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards and "Best New Artist of the Year" at the All Japan Request Awards 2002. She also won the "New Artist of the Year" award from the 44th Japan Record Awards.
Nakashima's second album, Love, which was released in November 2003, sold nearly 1.45 million copies, surpassing that of her debut. The Japan Composers Association awarded Love the Best Album Award. After releasing a second mini-album, Oborozukiyo: Inori, in September 2004, Nakashima topped the Oricon Album Chart again with Music in March 2005, as well as with her first greatest hits album Best
Best (Mika Nakashima album)
Best is the first compilation Japanese album and sixth overall album release by Mika Nakashima. It contains 14 songs. Two new re-recordings were made: one of her first single, 'Stars,' and the other of 'Amazing Grace ,' the latter of which was included in a Suntory commercial for Freixnet Champagne...
in December of that year. Best is the third album by Nakashima to have sold a million copies or more, but like her second album, Best also outsold True in sales - by nearly 30,000 copies.
Debut on the silver screen: Nana and The End
In 2005, Nakashima co-starred alongside Aoi MiyazakiAoi Miyazaki
is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her pure image and roles such as in Nana and Virgin Snow. Her brother Masaru Miyazaki is an actor, and they starred together in the film Hatsukoi. She married Sosuke Takaoka on June 15, 2007, her partner since she was fifteen.-Career:Miyazaki started...
in the live-action movie Nana
Nana (2005 film)
Nana is a 2005 Japanese film adaption of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarō Ōtani. The film was released on September 3, 2005. It stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi ....
, based on the manga
Nana (manga)
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
of the same name, which was released September 10, 2005. She also sang one of the theme songs for the movie, which was released as a single under the name "Nana starring Mika Nakashima". The single, titled "Glamorous Sky
Glamorous Sky
"Glamorous Sky" is Mika Nakashima's 16th single overall, her 1st under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima, and the second most successful single in her career after "Stars". It is her first rock song and it was used as one of the image songs for the film Nana . Hyde of L'Arc-en-Ciel composed...
," was written by the manga's author, Ai Yazawa
Ai Yazawa
is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.-Biography:Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985. She studied in a fashion school but later dropped out. Throughout her 15 years of publishing, she wrote over 10 series in Ribon...
, and composed by L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde
Hyde (singer)
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as vocalist for the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel, as well as for Vamps. While in L'Arc-en-Ciel his name is stylized as hyde, whereas in his solo work and Vamps it is stylized as HYDE....
. It was Nakashima's only number 1 single on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Singles Charts. It sold over 423,000 copies in 2005, making it the best-selling female single of the year and the tenth highest selling in the world. The single continued selling well into the next year and sold 444,067 copies, which was about 25,000 copies less than her Nana co-star, Yuna Ito
Yuna Ito
is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress who is active in Japan.She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut in Japan with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the popular 2005 film Nana; she also starred in the film,...
's "Endless Story
ENDLESS STORY
"Endless Story" is the first single released by Yuna Ito. This single was released under the name Reira starring Yuna Ito. "Endless Story" was used in the movie Nana in which Yuna played the character Reira Serizawa...
". The single would be featured in Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
's guitar/drum simulation game GuitarFreaks
GuitarFreaks
is a music video game series produced by Konami. The player uses a controller to simulate the playing of an electric guitar. The game consists of music predominantly from rock and roll and J-Pop genres, and is now in its 19th version, GuitarFreaks V8, which was released in March 28, 2011...
and Drummania
DrumMania
is a music video game series produced by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., where colored notes travel down the screen which correspond with color coded parts of an electronic drum set...
V3, as well as Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third game to use its gameplay, and is the sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan while incorporating many of the improvements in gameplay made in Elite Beat Agents...
.
Nakashima was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
as "Best BuzzAsia from Japan" for "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
'05", and the "Glamorous Sky" video was nominated as "Best Female Video" and "Best Video from a Film". She won the "Best Video from a Film" award.
Due to the success of Nana, a sequel was released in December, 2006. It included two new songs by Nakashima, again under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima. The theme song to Nana 2
NANA 2
Nana 2 is the sequel to the Japanese movie Nana, an adaptation of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarô Ôtani. Production for the movie began in mid-September and only one and a half month shootings finished the movie in time for the December 9, 2006 release.-Synopsis:Taking place shortly...
movie was "Hitoiro
Hitoiro
"Hitoiro" is Mika Nakashima's 20th single overall and her second under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima. This single was released on the 29 November, 2006. The single was the main themes of "Nana 2" and her last single under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima...
" (One Color), which has also been written by Yazawa, while the music is composed by Glay
Glay (band)
Glay is a rock/pop band from Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan formed by guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru in high school in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also composed songs using elements of different styles such as reggae and gospel...
's leader, Takuro
Takuro (musician)
Takuro Kubo is one of the guitarists and leader of the popular Japanese rock band Glay. He is the main composer and lyricist of Glay's songs....
, also the author of the coupling song, "Eyes for the Moon". Besides the single, Mika released the album The End
The End (Mika Nakashima album)
The End is Mika Nakashima's fifth full-length Japanese album, her fourth studio album, and her seventh overall, released under the name "Nana starring Mika Nakashima"...
, featuring all her songs under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima.
On December 18, 2006 Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa
Yui Ichikawa
, is an actress and model from Tokyo, Japan. She is also known by her nickname, Yui-nyan. As an actress she has appeared in several dramas , and in recent years she has concentrated more on her film career. She played a minor role in the movie Ju-on: The Grudge and reprised her character for a...
came to New York City for the International Premiere of 'Nana 2' at the IFC Center. In 2010 she made her US film debut with a small role in the Sony Pictures film Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 Canadian-German 3D science-fiction horror action film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller. The film marks Anderson's second time to direct in...
, based on the videogame series Resident Evil.
Memphis & Yes era
Following the release of the Nana movie, Nakashima visited MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and started another project beginning with the heavily gospel-influenced "Cry No More
Cry No More (Mika Nakashima song)
"Cry No More" is Nakashima Mika's 17th single, which replaced Hajime Chitose's Kataritsugu Koto as the closing theme for the anime Blood+. It is a blues-inflected single, and was recorded in the USA. "Black & Blue" was used in CMs that aired in early 2006 by KATE...
", the ending theme of the anime Blood+
Blood+
Blood+, pronounced as "Blood Plus", is an anime series produced by Production I.G and Aniplex and directed by Junichi Fujisaku. The series premiered in Japan on Sony's anime satellite channel, Animax, as well as on terrestrial networks such as MBS, TBS, and RKB on October 8, 2005. The final episode...
.
She also contributed to the New Orleans charity tribute when she teamed up with American musicians Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers and famed jazz pianist/musician Alan Toussaint. They released the single All Hands Together
All Hands Together
"All Hands Together" is Mika Nakashima's 18th single. Recorded in Tennessee, USA, it was a gospel-inflected, adult contemporary-styled charity single and her tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, with the proceeds of the single going to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. However, sales...
and as a result of her efforts, she was rewarded with an honorary citizenship of Memphis, Tennessee and a key to the city.
A month later Mika released another single "My Sugar Cat
My Sugar Cat
"My Sugar Cat" is Mika Nakashima's 19th single. This reggae inspired single was released on the 26th of July, 2006. The single follows the themes of "Cry No More" and "All Hands Together", her earlier 2006 singles...
," which dropped out of the Top 50 a week after its release.
On February 21, 2007 Nakashima's 21st single, "Mienai Hoshi
Mienai Hoshi
"Mienai Hoshi" is Mika Nakashima's 21st single . This single was released on the 21 February, 2007. "Mienai Hoshi" is used as the theme song of the dorama Haken no Hinkaku. "I Love You" is a cover of the song by Ozaki Yutaka...
" was released. The single is the theme song for the Japanese drama , which aired starting January 10, 2007. The b-side track "I Love You" is a cover of the Ozaki Yutaka ballad. Promotional videos were made for both songs.
On March 14, 2007, Nakashima's 5th studio album, Yes
Yes (Mika Nakashima album)
Yes is the eighth album by Mika Nakashima, and fourth to be released under only her name. It is the first of her albums released in both a CD only and a CD+DVD Limited Edition format...
, was released in Japan. The title "Yes" continues Nakashima's trend of having one-word album titles, such as "Love" and "True", excluding the Nana album "The End". Her 22nd single, Sunao na Mama
Sunao na Mama
"Sunao na Mama" is Mika Nakashima's 22nd single . This single was released on the 14th March 2007, the same day as her album Yes. It appeared in a DoCoMo commercial, and is best described as a midtempo easy listening ballad....
, was released on the same day.
Voice era
Following the release of Yes, Nakashima embarked on her first tour since 2005, Mika Nakashima's Concert Tour 2007 "Yes My Joy", which ended in late July and was subsequently released on DVD on November 7, 2007. Nakashima's 23rd single "LifeLife (Mika Nakashima song)
Life is Mika Nakashima's 23rd single, released on August 22, 2007. Within the first press it included a picture label. The song "Life" is best described as an adult contemporary pop/rock song, and was used as the theme song for the drama of the same name , starring Kii Kitano and Saki Fukuda; the...
" as well as "Film Lotus VI", her sixth compilation of music videos, were released in August 2007. "Life" was the theme song for the drama adaptation of the shoujo manga series of the same name by Keiko Suenobu.
Nakashima's 24th single, "Eien no Uta
Eien no Uta
is a single by Japanese singer Mika Nakashima. The title track of the single, a reggae-inflected ballad with producer Stephen McGregor, was used as the theme song of the movie Southbound, released in October 2007...
", appeared in October 2007, and was the theme to the movie Southbound
Southbound (film)
is a Japanese movie starring Toyokawa Etsushi and Amami Yūki, which tells the story of a schoolboy whose family moves from Tokyo to Okinawa. It is based on the novel of the same name by Okuda Hideo. It began filming in May 2007 in Tokyo; the crew went to Okinawa for on-location filming at the end...
. Promotional videos were made for both Eien no Uta
Eien no Uta
is a single by Japanese singer Mika Nakashima. The title track of the single, a reggae-inflected ballad with producer Stephen McGregor, was used as the theme song of the movie Southbound, released in October 2007...
and its B-side, a cover of Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To".
Her 25th single, "Sakura: Hanagasumi", was released in March 2008. It reached number 12 on the Oricon chart.
"I Don't Know", Nakashima's 26th single, was her first sung entirely an English. A collaboration with owarai
Owarai
is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word owarai is the honorific form of the word warai, meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". Owarai is most common on Japanese variety shows and the comedians are referred to as owarai geinin or owarai tarento...
group it was released under the name MICA 3 CHU (Mikasanchuu) and Nakashima claimed it was her way to "vent my complaints and enjoy doing something really silly. The music of the song was too short to put so many words in Japanese so it was better in English, if I feel like doing it again, there will be more."
Nakashima's next single, "Orion", was released on November 12, 2008. It was used as an insert song for the TBS drama "Ryusei no Kizuna", in which Nakashima herself appeared in a minor role.
Nakashima's fifth studio album, Voice
Voice (Mika Nakashima album)
Voice is the sixth studio album release by Mika Nakashima, released on November 26, 2008. It contains all of her singles from Life up to Orion. The album had two releases: a CD-only and CD+DVD format. The CD+DVD version comes in a deluxe box.'Voice,' on its release, provided Nakashima with her...
, was released on November 26, 2008. Voice, which leaned closer to a mainstream yet mature form of adult contemporary pop than her previous albums, was the first album by Nakashima to top the Oricon Album Chart since Best in 2005, and sold over 155,000 copies in its first week of release and over 340,000 copies in total.
Star era
After releasing a new album called No More Rules on March 5, 2009, Nakashima embarked on her fifth tour. This Japan-based tour was called the "Trust Our Voice Tour 2009", which started on April 10, 2009 and concluded in Tokyo at the end of July 2009. She introduced her then-new single, "Over LoadOver Load
"Over Load" is Mika Nakashima's 28th single, released on the 13th May 2009. The carrier track, Over Load, was used in the May 2009 Lipton Limone Commercial wherein Mika was the commercial model....
", released on May 13, 2009, during the tour.
"Life" ranked number 7 in JASRAC Award 2009: 10 best interactive song. "Life" was also used in the TV series . The story is based on major school problems such as bullying, rape, abuse, etc.
Nakashima's 29th single, "Candy Girl
Candy Girl (Mika Nakashima song)
"Candy Girl" is Mika Nakashima's 29th single, a collaboration with the Japanese women's fashion company SLY. Released on September 30, 2009, the single peaked at #4 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. However, the sales for Candy Girl were slightly lower than Over Load, with only 19,052 copies sold...
", was released on September 30, 2009, as a collaboration with the fashion brand SLY. Her 30th single, "Nagareboshi", was released on November 4, 2009.
The DVD of Nakashima's "Trust Our Voice Tour 2009", titled "Mika Nakashima Concert Tour 2009 Trust Our Voice", was released in Japan as her first 2-DVD concert release on December 2, 2009.
Nakashima's 31st single, "Always
Always (Mika Nakashima song)
-Charts:-Chart procession and succession:...
", was released on January 20, 2010, and was the theme song for the Japanese movie . She also starred in the Japanese supernatural monster film Death Kappa, which was directed by Tomoo Haraguchi.
Nakashima's 32nd single, "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi wo" (The Most Beautiful Me; 一番綺麗な私を) appeared on August 25, 2010 as the tie-in song to the TBS drama series, Unubore Deka (Conceited Detective, うぬぼれ刑事). The drama focused on a story about a male detective that has the illusion of being the "ladies man". He is a romantic but conceited, he tries to convince female criminals, into either marrying him or being arrested. Mika Nakashima plays a role in the show as well. The name of her character in the television series is known as Rie Hagurashi.
On October 22, 2010, she announced she would be pulling out of her first performance at the Nippon Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
commemorating her 10 year career and that she would be taking a break from singing while recovering from having patulous Eustachian tube
Patulous Eustachian tube
Patulous Eustachian tube, also known as patent Eustachian tube, is the name of a rare physical disorder where the Eustachian tube, which is normally closed, instead stays intermittently open. When this occurs, the patient experiences autophony, the hearing of self-generated sounds...
s in both her ears. Nakashima's sixth studio album, Star
Star (Mika Nakashima album)
Star is Mika Nakashima's sixth studio album and eleventh overall release; it was released on October 27, 2010. Peaking at #3 upon its release, the album sold only 92,962 copies in its first week. Its sales total later rose to 155,457 copies, 4 weeks after its release. However, this sales figure was...
, was released on October 27, 2010
Trivia
Nakashima has many tattoos, considered tabooTaboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
in Japanese society, including one of a star on her wrist. She has said "I have resolved to live as a star. I have something linked with the stars because I have so many songs about them." She has also stated that she loves skin imperfections and decorations because "they are beautiful and I can imagine stories of people... hard feelings and pain... from them."
Nakashima is a frequent visitor to the US for voice-training classes, and rented an apartment near Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
, New York in 2009.
Cover versions
"Yuki no HanaYuki no Hana
- Charts :"Yuki no Hana" - Oricon Sales Chart - Charts :"Yuki no Hana" - Oricon Sales Chart...
" was one of the most popular karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
songs in Japan in 2004. It has also been officially covered by numerous artists including Joi Chua, Park Hyo Shin
Park Hyo Shin
Park Hyo-shin is a Korean singer. Park has a deep, husky voice and has been hailed by many as one of Korea's greatest singers.-Biography:Park was educated at Kyung-hee University and majored in post-modern music....
, Seo Young Eun, Han Xue
Han Xue
Han Xue is a Chinese swimmer and Olympic medalist. She participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning a bronze medal in 4 x 100 metre medley relay. She also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:...
, Vincy Chan
Vincy Chan
Vincy Chan is a Hong Kong cantopop singer. Before the handover of 1997 when Hong Kong was returned from Great Britain to China, her family left Hong Kong and went to Singapore when she was a child. She was signed by Emperor Entertainment Group, and debuted with the album Vincy on 27 July 2006.She...
, Eric Martin (Mr. Big's vocalist), Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
, Hideaki Tokunaga
Hideaki Tokunaga
is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and actor.Although Tokunaga failed to pass the test of Star Tanjō! in 1982, he debuted as a recording singer in 1986. After he released hit songs such as "Yume o Shinjite" and "Kowarekake no Radio" in 1990, his single "Wednesday Moon" reached No...
and Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
. Park Hyo Shin
Park Hyo Shin
Park Hyo-shin is a Korean singer. Park has a deep, husky voice and has been hailed by many as one of Korea's greatest singers.-Biography:Park was educated at Kyung-hee University and majored in post-modern music....
's version was an insert song for the popular Korean drama I'm Sorry, I Love You
I'm Sorry, I Love You
I'm Sorry, I Love You is a South Korean drama broadcast by KBS. The drama starred actors So Ji Sub and Im Su Jeong and the theme song was "Snow Flower" by Park Hyo Shin.-Synopsis:Cha Moo Hyuk is a small time scam-artist working the streets of Australia...
.
"Find the Way
Find the Way
"Find the Way" is the 9th single by Mika Nakashima. It peaked on the Oricon weekly charts at #4 and sold roughly 124,489 copies.'Find the Way' was used during the third season of the anime series 'Mobilesuit Gundam SEED.'-Tracklisting:# Find the Way...
" was covered by Korean singer Bada, who was a member of K-Pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
girl group S.E.S.
S.E.S. (band)
S.E.S. , was a popular pop girl group that signed with SM Entertainment. Lasting from 1997 to 2002, they were viewed as the female version of H.O.T., another SM group who also enjoyed phenomenal popularity during the same years.S.E.S. was the first highly successful female K-pop group...
.
Other popular covers have been done for "Stars" and "Sakurairo Mau Koro
Sakurairo Mau Koro
is Mika Nakashima's 14th single. This song is a lyrical and heartwarming love song about lovers parting in springtime. Mika uses her extraordinary singing skills, blending her tender vocals with the stirring piano and strings accompaniment. Singer/songwriter Kawae Minako was inspired by Mika's...
".
Discography
Studio albums- TrueTrue (Mika Nakashima album)True is Mika Nakashima's first Japanese album. In contrast to the typical Japanese J-Pop and Western Pop artist, this album was one in which Mika established a sound that would become her trademark for future albums: a mature, 'Adult Contemporary'-influenced mixture of smooth jazz and soft pop.True...
(2002) - LoveLove (Mika Nakashima album)Love is Mika Nakashima's second Japanese album and her third overall counting the mini-album Resistance. Its release date was November 6, 2003, in Japan, prior to the Christmas holiday. In contrast to her previous album, True, this album boasts a wider range of styles including ballads, soft...
(2003) - MusicMusic (Mika Nakashima album)Music is Mika Nakashima's third Japanese album and her fifth overall. It sold only 231,521 copies in its first week but went to #1. The album charted for 31 weeks and has since sold over 500,000 copies.-Track listing:-Oricon sales charts :...
(2005) - The EndThe End (Mika Nakashima album)The End is Mika Nakashima's fifth full-length Japanese album, her fourth studio album, and her seventh overall, released under the name "Nana starring Mika Nakashima"...
(2006) - YesYes (Mika Nakashima album)Yes is the eighth album by Mika Nakashima, and fourth to be released under only her name. It is the first of her albums released in both a CD only and a CD+DVD Limited Edition format...
(2007) - VoiceVoice (Mika Nakashima album)Voice is the sixth studio album release by Mika Nakashima, released on November 26, 2008. It contains all of her singles from Life up to Orion. The album had two releases: a CD-only and CD+DVD format. The CD+DVD version comes in a deluxe box.'Voice,' on its release, provided Nakashima with her...
(2008) - StarStar (Mika Nakashima album)Star is Mika Nakashima's sixth studio album and eleventh overall release; it was released on October 27, 2010. Peaking at #3 upon its release, the album sold only 92,962 copies in its first week. Its sales total later rose to 155,457 copies, 4 weeks after its release. However, this sales figure was...
(2010)
EP
- ResistanceResistance (Mika Nakashima album)"Resistance" is Nakashima Mika's first EP or mini-album, though the title track later appears on her Love album. It is also on her second album. This mini-album reached #1 on the Oricon charts and charted for six weeks....
(2002) - Oborozukiyo: Inori (2004)
Compilation albums
- BestBest (Mika Nakashima album)Best is the first compilation Japanese album and sixth overall album release by Mika Nakashima. It contains 14 songs. Two new re-recordings were made: one of her first single, 'Stars,' and the other of 'Amazing Grace ,' the latter of which was included in a Suntory commercial for Freixnet Champagne...
(2005) - No More Rules (2009)