Akiko Kobayashi is a Japanese singer-songwriter and composer best known for the 1985 drama theme “恋におちて -Fall in love-”, which won a songwriting award at the 27th Japan Record Awards.[1]
Career
A philosophy graduate of Gakushuin University who played keyboards in its light-music club, Kobayashi debuted as a songwriter in 1984 with Bread & Butter’s “Moon Eyes”.[1] Her singing debut, “恋におちて -Fall in love-”, was the theme for the TBS drama 金曜日の妻たちへIII and became a major hit alongside the series.[1] Because her voice was often compared to Karen Carpenter’s, Richard Carpenter produced her 1988 album City of Angels.[1]
Later work
In 1992 Kobayashi moved to the United Kingdom and began recording as holi; Under the Monkey Puzzle Tree (1994) featured former Japan members Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri and Mick Karn, and she sang guest vocals on Passengers’ Original Soundtracks 1 (1995).[1] She returned under her own name with Beloved (2001), produced by Barbieri, followed by the Carpenters covers album A Song For You (2003), and has since divided her time between Japan and the UK. She has also composed for Akina Nakamori and Chikako Sawada.[1]
Discography
- City of Angels1988
Notable songs
References
- “小林明子”. Wikipedia (Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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