, known simply by the mononym Ayaka, is a female Japanese singer, songwriter and record producer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009.
Biography
Early life
In the summer of 2003, Ayaka began a live performance in her hometown of Osaka. In the spring of 2004, she started going to the music school "Voice", the principal of which is her former music producer Yoshihiko Nishio, in Fukuoka. She commuted between Osaka and Fukuoka every weekend and started to learn a songwriting under the direction of Nishio. She eventually transferred to another high school in Fukuoka. The demo of songs which she produced in "Voice" was soon brought to the music industry and led to her contract with Warner Music Japan.
2006
In January 2006, Ayaka recorded "I Believe" as the opening theme for the Japanese drama Rondo. The full single was first released as a download-only single and went on to become one of the fastest songs to reach 1,000,000 downloads, as well as becoming the 3rd-highest-selling download debut single for a female artist.
Ayaka's second single "Melody (Sounds Real)" peaked at number 14 on the Oricon charts has gone on pass the 20,000 mark.
"Real Voice" was Ayaka's third single and was used as the ending theme to the Japanese drama Suppli. "Blue Days", the b-side from "Melody (Sounds Real)", was also used as an insert song for the show. "Real Voice" was released on July 17, 2006, and has sold over 50,000 copies.
Weeks before the scheduled release of Ayaka's debut album, "First Message", the album was cancelled. In its place, the single "Mikazuki" was released as a rerecorded version of the same song from 2005. "Mikazuki" became Ayaka's highest-charting single, selling 40,091 copies within its first week and taking the highest spot on the Oricon weekly charts, remaining in the charts for 41 weeks. The single sold over 300,000 copies.
On November 1, 2006, Ayaka's debut album, First Message, was finally released after several delays. It sold 350,580 copies within its first week, making it the highest selling album of the week as well as the highest selling debut album for a female artist in 7 years. The album went on to sell 1,202,180 copies and stayed within the top two positions on the Oricon charts for two weeks straight before being listed as the 13th highest selling album of 2006.
2007
On February 28, 2007, a new single was released. The song "Winding Road" was a collaboration with label-mates Kobukuro and was used to promote a new line of cars. The single reached a peak position of number 2 on the Oricon charts.
The 5th single from Ayaka was used as the ending theme to Last Love, a Japanese movie which was released one month prior to the single. Peaking at number 2, the single has since sold over 70,000 copies. Ayaka also performed "Jewelry Day", as well as many other songs, at the Japanese leg of Live Earth in Tokyo on July 7, 2007.
Ayaka's 6th single, "Why", released on September 5, was used for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a PSP game by Square Enix, as the theme song to the game. Peaking at number 5 on the Oricon charts, reported sales totalled over 65,000 copies.
In November, Ayaka released her first digital single, "For Today", which was used for a Pocky commercial. At the end of 2007 Ayaka performed "Peace Loving People (special piano version)" in the annual music show Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
2008
On February 29, 2008, her first starring live event, Power Of Music, was held. On March 5, 2008, Ayaka's first single of 2008, Te o Tsunagō / Ai o Utaō was released. It was a double A-side single, first track used as a theme song for the movie, Nobita and the Green Giant Legend 2008, and the second track was used for Beauté de Kosé's "Esprique Precious" commercial. Her second single of the year, "Okaeri", was released in May 2008. Okaeri was used as the theme song of the drama Zettai Kareshi. Ayaka also attended an interview after Okaeri's production with Hiro Mizushima, who was a member of the Zettai Kareshi cast. The two got on well, and began dating soon after.
Her second album, Sing to the Sky, was released on June 25, 2008. It reached number 2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold over 600,000 copies.
"Anata to", the second collaboration single with Kobukuro, was released on September 24, 2008.
Ayaka sang "Okaeri" at the 59th annual Kōuhaku Uta Gassen.