Akiko Yano is a Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist whose playful, jazz-trained records and long association with Yellow Magic Orchestra made her one of the most distinctive voices of Japanese pop.[1]
Japanese Girl
Born in Tokyo in 1955, Yano debuted on 25 July 1976 with Japanese Girl, recorded in Los Angeles with members of Little Feat; she wrote nine of its ten songs.[1]
Yellow Magic Orchestra
From the late 1970s Yano worked closely with YMO, joining them on two world tours; the group’s members backed her on Gohan ga Dekitayo (1980).[1] Her single “Harusaki Kobeni” reached the top 40 after being used in a cosmetics campaign.[1]
Later life
Yano married Ryuichi Sakamoto; their daughter is the singer Miu Sakamoto. She moved to New York in 1990, and the couple separated in 1992.[1] She has released some 30 solo studio albums.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Japanese Girl | — |
| 1977 | Iroha ni Konpeitō | — |
| 1978 | To Ki Me Ki | — |
| 1980 | Gohan ga Dekitayo | — |
| 1981 | Tadaima. | — |
| 1982 | Ai ga Nakuchane. | Japan Record |
| 1984 | OSOS | — |
| 1986 | Tōge no Wagaya | — |
| 1986 | Brooch | — |
| 1987 | Granola | — |
| 1989 | Welcome Back | — |
| 1991 | Love Life | — |
| 1992 | Super Folk Song | — |
| 1993 | Love Is Here | — |
| 1994 | Elephant Hotel | — |
| 1996 | Piano Nightly | — |
| 1997 | Oui Oui | — |
| 1999 | Go Girl | — |
| 2000 | Home Girl Journey | — |
| 2002 | Reverb | — |
| 2004 | Honto no Kimochi | — |
| 2008 | Akiko | — |
| 2010 | Ongakudo | — |
| 2014 | Tobashite Ikuyo | — |
| 2015 | Welcome to Jupiter | — |
| 2017 | Soft Landing | — |
| 2018 | Futaribocchi de Ikou | — |
| 2020 | Asteroid and Butterfly | — |
| 2021 | Music Is a Gift | — |
Notable songs
References
- “Akiko Yano”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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